Unique Shopping Guide to the Magnificent Mile
Shopping In The Magnificent Mile:Chicago
Welcome to the Windy City! There’s a handful of great beaches to dive into here, a few classy jazz bars to absorb music there, and there’s a “tiny” place called The Magnificent Mile. What is the Magnificent Mile?
It’s almost 54 football fields worth of food, fun, and shopping. You better plan your day or you could be looking at a lot of walking. Rather than trying to figure out where to start or what is even there, use this guide to find all the local shops that make Chicago unique. Here you can look where is the magnificent mile.
Arts and Artisans
321 N. Michigan Ave.
Chicago, IL 60601
(312) 541-1951
Ever found yourself scrambling to find friend, co-worker, or significant other a gift? If there is ever a Chicago-only place to find gifts, it would have to be Arts & Artisans. There’s knickknacks like purses, paintings, toys and jewelry for all ages (and all wallets). Take a stroll around here and try on some of the most unique bracelets and rings while admiring fantastic glass sculptures. Even though you might be thinking, “I can’t afford that right now,” they have deals on buying multiple pieces of jewelry and some of those unique pieces can be as low as $20. Not too bad of a deal right? The best part is that things go in and out like clockwork, so if you don’t like what you’re seeing you can always come back in a couple days.
If your bank account is on the more plentiful side, there are plenty of beautiful and one-of-a-kind things to buy that will make everyone you know extremely jealous.
Atlas Galleries
535 N. Michigan Ave.
Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 329-9330
Welcome to the wonderful world of having to fill space in. If you genuinely like art and would like to find a gallery where you can literally point at a painting and ask, “How much?” this is the place for you. Though this area is on the pricier side of things, you can expect a variety of bronze statues and color-rich paintings.
If you’re looking to fill a hole in the wall you made one drunk night, or a place where your child decided to turn the wall into a modern art masterpiece via permanent markers, or you just want to stop staring at blindingly white walls, this place may be the place for you.
C.D. Peacock
520 N. Michigan Ave.
Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 644-5355
If you’re at the Magnificent Mile and find that you watch has stopped working or you want to replace that waterproof sports watch with an actual one, go to C.D. Peacock. They’ll even instruct you on how much you should expect to pay when fixing your watch and what to look out for.
When you’re at the Magnificent Mile, you should expect to hemorrhage some cash money, so get on with indulging yourself with a beautiful watch, necklace, or ring. As a locally owned Chicago store for more than a decade and a half, if there is any place that’s truly “Chicago” it would be this.
Candyality
520 Lower Michigan Avenue
Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 527-1010
Get your stomach ready and get ready for a sugar rush. If you’re going to the Magnificent Mile, you just HAVE to go to Candyality. For the older generation, it’s a stroll down memory lane in those giant candy shops with every flavor and taste of candy you would want. For the younger generation, this is just heaven.
With anything from the normal big brand bars to smaller thematic-based confectioneries made by the wonderful people at Candality, your crave can be fulfilled here. Come see why this delightful sweetmeat parlor won the Chicago Concierge Favorite for 2012.
Garrett Popcorn Shops
625 N. Michigan Ave.
Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 944-2630
If Candyality isn’t your idea of a place to snack, Garrett’s Popcorn should be. While the extent of my knowledge of popcorn was limited to your typical movie, butter overload kind, Garette’s Popcorn can definitely open your eyes.
Walk around for literally miles can take a toll on your legs- and your stomach. It’s even worse if it’s not quite yet dinner, but you already had lunch. You can stop by here and grab a bag of sharp cheddar cheese mix or a macadamia nut caramel kettle. You can fuel your stomach a bit while your taste buds go on a roller coaster. You can also stop by and pick up a personalized tin to give as a gift- or eat later.
Akira
835 N. Michigan Ave
Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 951-5508
Akira is a chic bodega with a number of sexy styles that accentuates all of the good parts about you. Prices are generally in a green-zone area meaning that you don’t have to just window shop. You can figure out exactly what you want on the site and find this little shop in the Magnificent Mile to try it on. There’s tons of styles to gloss over, but all of them are that fine line where it’s just sexy enough.
