![]() YARN STORE LOOPY YARNS Like the leaves on the trees, expect the window display of yarns at this compact Printer’s Row storefront to change from sunny yellows to fiery oranges to vibrant maroons as summer segues into fall. “Hope you’ll be back,” the receptionist said as we exited, all relaxed and Gumby-like. The setting was no-frills but serene, and Takahashi customized a session toward a persistent right shoulder pain. Finally, Lillie Takahashi, the owner of the storefront spa LillieAnn’s in the West Loop, delivered an indulgent rubdown at a decent price ($70 for 60 minutes). That ruled out most spas and left a handful of quickie spots, some of which left us feeling battered and bruised. 84, DYNAMICCOLORSINC.COMĪFFORDABLE MASSAGE LILLIE TAKAHASHI, LILLIEANN’S Our criteria for a massage: It needs to be medium pressured, take place in a clean and relaxing environment, and cost less than $75 for the hour. Giangrossi brings his experienced eye for detail to everything he touches, from the company’s elaborately specific proposals to the finishing touches on their specialty: gingerbread-encrusted Victorians. So in 2001 he started working with his friend Tim Sheehan, and the two formed Dynamic Colors, a residential and commercial painting business for the North Side and north and northwest suburbs. HOUSE PAINTER DYNAMIC COLORS Anthony Giangrossi used to work as an accountant, but four grueling tax seasons behind a desk convinced him that he’d rather work outdoors. DEARBORN ST., SECOND FLOOR 31, DRINKSOVERDEARBORN.COM Never again will you muddle fruit and herbs with the wrong end of a wooden spoon. ![]() The pair stock the essential tools, including the Tag Bar wood muddler, fruit zesters, shakers, extra-long stirrers, and hard-to-find bitters. Then two pro cocktail makers-Kyle McHugh and Chris Cavarra-changed the scene with a bartender-gear store in a stone mansion in River North. ETSY.COM/SHOP/HIERAPPARELīARTENDING SUPPLIES DRINKS OVER DEARBORN Just a few years ago, if you were a serious mixologist, you had to shop online-or make do with the basic selection of strainers, shakers, and spoons at big restaurant supply warehouses. “People are starting to understand that you should find out who-and where-things come from,” Good says. She preaches the power of direct purchasing and the relationship between the buyer and the artisan. Completely self-taught, the 24-year-old works with natural fabrics on an antique Singer she bought off eBay. Our favorite local needle in the haystack is Laura Good, a Pilsen-based designer who custom-sews silky tunics, stylish belts, and multipurpose jumpers under the name Hier Apparel. ![]() But finding something stylish can take some searching. 77ĮTSY VENDOR LAURA GOOD Etsy brims with handmade goods that are brilliant (arty wall decals) and unique (squid hat/pillows). To those who have brought him their tired, their poor, their broken brogans yearning for a restored sole, Alonis, proprietor of Gus’s Shoe Repair since 1977, is more than a shoe repairman he’s a city treasure. ![]() SHOE REPAIR GUS’S In a little shop tucked into a strip of stores on Clark Street between Belden and Fullerton, a 64-year-old wizard named Gus Alonis works his magic daily on shoes and boots in desperate need of a little fairy dust, and he does so with a twinkle. Every repair is done by hand, from fixing a broken prong to rebuilding damaged pieces. The family-owned business repairs and reconstructs jewelry using traditional European techniques-especially important on delicate antiques. How about when an heirloom ring falls into the garbage disposal? “We’ve seen jewelry that’s been run over by cars or come out of a disposal completely mangled,” says Zofia Ruzyc, the vice president of H.R. JEWELERS Anyone in the jewelry business can size a ring or fix a broken clasp. You select and buy the supplies store employees do the wrapping for another $3 to $6 per package. At Papyrus, the Berkeley-based fancy stationery chain with ten locations in the Chicago area, you can pick from a wide selection of exquisite, non-mass-market paper and ribbons in a range of on-trend colors and sophisticated metallics. GIFT-WRAPPING PAPYRUS In today’s atomized retail landscape, the old-fashioned gift-wrapping service seems to have gone the way of department store dominance. PLUS: Agree or disagree with our picks? Have another recommendation? Tell us in the comments below. Here, ten great stores and services in the Chicago area in 2010. ![]() Eighty-three winners in dining, arts & entertainment, shopping, and more ![]()
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