Browsing Chicago’s unique, trendy stores and boutiques

By Taylor Tolbert

Planet Access Company Store
4727 N. Lincoln Ave.
www.PlanetAccessCompanyStore.com

Situated in a perfectly quaint area of Lincoln Square, Planet Access Company Store is a great store with an even greater mission.

They carry fantastic brands that cannot be found in many places around the city, including Timbuk2, Horny Toad activewear and Sustainable Threads. Planet Access is more than just a clothing store, but they do have quite a bit of men’s and women’s apparel. Shoppers looking for new threads can find clothing for a variety of occasions, from workout clothes to casual v-necks, scarves and hats.

They’ve also got an assortment of cute and unique housewares, fresh-scented candles and fun accessories to complete any outfit. The store is jam-packed with merchandise, but it’s laid out in a way that isn’t overwhelming.

The best thing about shopping at Planet Access is that all proceeds from every purchase go to Search, Inc., an organization that helps men and women with intellectual disabilities. There’s no reason to feel guilty about shopping when you’re doing so at a place with such a charitable mission.

Enjoy, an Urban General Store
4723 N. Lincoln Avenue
www.UrbanGeneralStore.com

Enjoy, an Urban General Store has a little bit of everything and a lot of personality. Directly next to Planet Access, it’s another shop that you could spend hours in, simply because of all of the fun, unique merchandise. It’s a gift shop that certainly doesn’t take itself seriously, and isn’t that the way we like it?

Walking into Enjoy, shoppers are greeted with a wall of socks. Yes, socks. Banana socks, bacon socks, socks with statements, any sock you could desire can be found on this wall-o-socks. From there, you can either go straight to the cute mugs, the Chicago puzzles or the Buddha butter dishes.

If, by chance, you’re in the market for new meat-themed wrapping paper, this is your store. They’re big on bacon here, too. Bacon lovers can buy bacon candy, mints (seems counter-productive…), coasters, wallets — you get the idea.

In the mix with all of these wacky gifts and knickknacks, Enjoy carries some very cute baby clothes and toys, as well as sweet greeting cards. They also have some raunchy and inappropriate greeting cards, so be careful not to swap grandma’s birthday card with your best friend’s.