I%26#39;ll be staying at Hotel Monaco for a couple a days and want to pick up some nice souvenirs for my friends and family. Not really sure what I want to get them yet. I%26#39;m very open to suggestions of places to look. I have a feeling there are better places than the overpriced museums to find neat items.
Thanks!
Where to find moderately priced souvenirs for friends %26amp; famThere are a couple of stores opposite the Art Institute on Michicgan Avenue that have a lot of Chicago souvenirs. There%26#39;s also a store in Water Tower Place, and another (I think) in the 700 Saks mall on Michigan Ave.
Where to find moderately priced souvenirs for friends %26amp; famMuseums will have more unique items, if you are just looking for tshirts, snow globes and coffee mugs, there are several Walgreens along Michigan Avenue that have decent stuff and there are gift shops every two or three stores on the section of Michigan Avenue south of the River. There%26#39;s also one just north of the River on the west side of the street that has decent stuff. There%26#39;s a gift shop in the Cultural Center (Randolph %26amp; Michigan) but I don%26#39;t think you will find it less expensive than museum stores.
When I go to visit out of state friends, I usually bring Frango mints (available at Macy%26#39;s) or Garrett%26#39;s Popcorn.
If you are in town during a Cubs home game, you could always take the Red Line up to Addison. Lots of sports kiosks - and several stores - right around the ballpark.
On N. Broadway between Roscoe and Aldine: Equinox (a great store!) has the big, nicer snowglobes and other Chicago memorabilia (Frank Lloyd Wright items, etc.) and Shirts Illustrated south of that has a nice selection of T-shirts, jerseys, etc. Just south of there before Melrose, the Unabridged Bookstore has a local section.
The Chicago Architecture Foundation has a gift shop at their location in the Sante Fe Building.
The Lincoln Park Zoo has a nice gift shop just east of the main entrance.
Just got back from Chicago. I liked the Hoy Poloi art gallery store in Chinatown. They have art glass jewelry to decorative chop sticks ($8) to purses made out of interesting materials. I really liked this Japanese cat that wagged its tail using solar energy. Unfortunately, at $75 it was too expensive, but that would definitely be a conversation piece. They also have a variety of nice Japanese incense. The big items in their store are the clocks and stained glass items made by artists working across the US. I later found that their prices for their items are about $5 to $10 cheaper compared to what%26#39;s sold in the art museums%26#39; gift shops.
My vote is for Walgreens. The will be, hands down the cheapest, if that is your concern. Other good stores are the Chicago Store and Where the Buffalo Roam on Michigan Ave.
My vote is for Walgreens. The will be, hands down the cheapest, if that is your concern. Other good stores are the Chicago Store and Where the Buffalo Roam on Michigan Ave.
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