Spontaneous Spree: Chicago

Spontaneous Spree: Chicago

8 shops in 8 hours while in Chicago
Think of the Renaissance Chicago Downtown Hotel in the heart of the Windy City’s Loop district as a hub for all the good stuff – riverwalk-facing, with spectacular views of Chicago’s world-famous architectural landmarks and easy access to myriad restaurants, bars and stores.
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Spontaneous Spree: Chicago

By wallpaper Magazine - 5 min read

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Chicago is what the locals like to call, a “big town, small town”. The city of just 2.6 million people punches well above its weight in terms of international impact, cosmopolitanism, scope, scale, possibility and creativity.

Think of the Renaissance Chicago Downtown Hotel in the heart of the Windy City’s Loop district as a hub for all the good stuff – riverwalk-facing, with spectacular views of Chicago’s world-famous architectural landmarks and easy access to myriad restaurants, bars and stores. Start at the Loop and then choose from Chicago’s 77 other neighborhoods, each one different in terms of vibe, design, population and taste.

Wandering the friendly, high-rise, deep-dish, foodie metropolis, we shopped for hot sauce, architecture swag and kitchenalia: a Frank Llloyd Wright throw, Gangster aioli and the cutest, toy L train. Then we had pizza.

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    Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design

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    This is the home of the Good Design award, an accolade originally founded by architects and designers including Eero Saarinen, Charles and Ray Eames and Edgar Kaufmann, Jr and continuing annually for 70 years. The Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design’s store is the place to pick up award-winning products and covetable design objects.

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    Neighborly

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    From the founders of Ork Posters, this Chicago boutique stocks modern home goods, artworks, and gifts. A small but perfectly formed, woman-owned business that believes in supporting other small businesses, Neighborly’s stock hails from over 200 independent makers, many from the Midwest. A frequent guest series lets local artists take over the space for a day and showcase a full gamut of Illinois-made and designed products, while Neighborly’s Local Pride division sells Chicago-themed souvenirs and keepsakes.

  3. The Atwood 3

    Oak and Oscar

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    Founded by ex-accountant Chase Fancher, Oak and Oscar is a globally revered Chicago-based, premium watchmaker and design studio with an office and a visitor-friendly atelier, two miles northwest of Wrigley Field. The small, cult marque has collaborated with Wilson Sporting Goods and the US Olympic men’s curling team, blending a passion for timepieces with Fancher’s expertise in branding and storytelling. It’s named in honour of the founder’s fondness for oak barrel-aged bourbon and his beloved dog, Oscar.

  4. Tree of Life Throw Blanket 4

    CAC Design Store

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    Chicago is America’s maximum-architecture city. Wander round the downtown district and you find yourself mostly looking up at shimmering, sky-scraping buildings or tall and handsome, Gotham-like edifices from the 1930s. Shop the look upwards with a visit to the CAC Design Store. Curated by Chicago Architecture Center it sells fabulous products related to the city’s world-famous skyline of contemporary structures, including a whole aisle devoted to the work of Frank Lloyd Wright, a Chicago resident and designer of Oak Park’s magnificent Unity Temple.

  5. Superfood Oil-to-Milk Cleansing Balm 5

    The Sunday Standard

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    This local women’s owned boutique is where you can shop the latest in clean beauty, wellness and ethical apparel. Their beauty brand is how it all started with a skincare line formulated to heal breakout prone skin without the use of harsh, endocrine-disrupting ingredients. Now a full-fledged concept shop of emerging brands, you’ll find plenty of products to help your inner beauty shine through.

  6. Big Fork Gangster Sauce 6

    Local Goods

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    Local Goods is a store selling locally handmade, one-of-a-kind, Chicago products. A blend of hot dog sauce with giardiniera, mayo and truffle oil, Big Fork’s Chicago-made Gangster Sauce is tangy, super savoury, with notes of truffle. Big Fork likes to claim that it is “corrupting bland food, the Chicago way… and what could be more ‘Chicago’ than hot dogs, gangsters, and giardiniera?” Indeed.

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    Left on Thread

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    Left On Thread believes in the power of simplicity. Known for their exceptional quality and affordability, they curate from brands that you won’t easily find elsewhere that celebrates their two favorite things: individuality and personal style.

  8. Plombieres Les Bains Vintage Poster 8

    Chicago Vintage Posters

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    Chicago is a city of iconic imagery, dynamic graphic design and dazzling artworks. Take some of it home with you and put it on your wall. Chicago Vintage Posters is an amazing gallery store selling original US and European poster artworks from the 20th century.