Reasonable shopping near downtown Chicago?

Question

I'm going to Chicago next week and I'll be staying At the Chicago Mart Plaza.....Not quite ready for the Mag mile.....Is there any more resonable shopping in the are?

I love to wear heels...I heard it's not such a good idea to do so in chicago.. What kind of shoes should I wear??

Answer 1

walking shoes/gym shoes/semi-cas dress shoes (no heels) are best- I've learned this from experience.

there's not really reasonable shopping downtown. everything is pretty expensive. its best to shop during sales

Answer 2

State street has some decent places. If you're going to be here next week, check and see if Carson's on state street is still open. They're going out of business and have marking things down to 30-50 percent off. Clothes, jewelry, watches, home stuff, etc. Also on state street, there's Old Navy, a Nordstrom outlet store, Filene's basement, TJ Maxx, an H&M and a few smaller stores. It's pretty close to the Mart. Someone else mentioned the Belmont Shopping area. That's not too bad either. There's a Marshall's over there, a few smaller, independent shops that are pretty cheap.

Answer 3

Check out the Wrigleyville area...it's my favorite area to shop in Chicago.

There's a ton of fun stuff that's a heck of a lot more interesting in my opinion that the Magnificent Mile. It's not designer(for the most part), but it is funky fashion. Check out Disgraceland, a resale boutique that's got newer fashions(think the Gap, Abercrombie & Fitch, etc.) for rock bottom prices. There's Hollywood Mirror(classic vintage) and Ragstock(it's like a fashion rummage sale in there...good, bad and ugly!!!). 99th Floor has club clothes, as well as The Alley(more club clothes, plus home furnishings, etc.) Pink Frog has nice tights, purses, lingerie & clothes. My favorite store in the area is Beatnix, though. It's got everything a guy, girl or whatever would need. Shoes, vintage, new stuff, acessories, makeup, wigs. Fun, fun, fun...there are a lot more stores there than these. It's a shopper's paradise(as long as you're not taking yourself too seriously!!!)

Just get yourself to Halsted & Belmont and chart a course. Finish up at The Chicago Diner(vegetarian homestyle food & delicous coffee) or the Pick Me Up cafe. Enjoy!!!

Answer 4

If you have a car, go to the Gurnee Mills mall. It's an outlet mall, and it's HUGE.... You can find fantastic bargains there. Also, about 5 minutes north of Gurnee Mills, on I-94N to Milwaukee, is a little designer outlet mall with a Ralph Lauren outlet, Nike outlet, Versace outlet, Liz Claiborne, and a few others. It's really easy to find- you can see the mall from the highway. These are definitely the 2 best places to bargain shop in Chicago, but they are a bit of a drive.

Wear comfortable shoes, they will just get snowy and nasty from all the salt on the ground!

Answer 5

A couple of locations downtown:
H&M - on Michigan, but it is discount.
Macy's on State Street
Carson's on State Street - store closing sale.
Otherwise, maybe check out some of the stores along Belmont between Halsted and Sheffield or along Southport between Belmont and Grace (these can be expensive too).
Also you can find mall-style stores (gap, ann taylor, C&B, etc.) in the North & Clybourn area. These stores are on Michigan too, but it might be a little cheaper at North and Clybourn.

Answer 6

# Address: 845 North Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611
# Directions: Located on Michigan Avenue in the section known as the Magnificent Mile on the Near North Side.

Answer 7

Division Street, between Ashland and Damen/Western.

Milwaukee Ave, between Ashland and North Ave.

These two strips are very close to each other.

Its called Wicker Park.

Welcome to Chicago

Answer 8

the best shopping areas would be the mag mile...but also state st. and for more smaller shops and boutiques go for southport area in lakeview. i mean, we got some nice public transportation system that takes you everywhere with no need for a car...so just explore and have fun~!