Kids love to chalk up the plaza by the fountain. This is also the site for several smaller festivals & weekly free music concerts in the summer. Grab a coffee at Cafe Selmarie and let your kids run!
Pros: This is family-owned and the staff is knowledgeable about homeopathy and natural remedies. They carry all of the major brands of natural products. Cons: narrow aisles & scents are overwhelming.
I love this quirky little store! I never know what I'll find here. Everything from vintage tea sets to origami kits. A fun place to wander w/ a variety of price ranges. Great place to Christmas shop.
One of my favorite markets. Parking lot across the street, vendors are friendly and affordable, and it's easy to navigate strollers and wagons. Not everything is organic so ask if you need to know.
A small quirky store. If you are looking for something specific, you may be disappointed, but if you are shopping for gifts or just curious, be sure to stop here. Something will catch your eye!
My very favorite toy store. No characters or cheap plastic brands. Most is high quality with emphasis on creativity and imagination. Not the cheapest, but you get what you pay for!
Great food, great margaritas, and great service. Newly remodeled. Not too cramped and good for kids.
I love this coffee shop. The service is good and the deserts are amazing! Eat on the patio in the summer time.
Chicago-style hot dogs. Need I say more? Yum! Their hours vary, so check before coming. Good service and there is always a place to sit.
A friendly restaurant by the Rockwell brown line stop. I loooove the fish tacos. Good beer selection and they are friendly to kids. The patio is great and allows dogs.
My favorite yoga studio. Affordable, peaceful, & good instructors. Lots of emphasis on the childbearing year: mom's groups, prenatal & postnatal yoga, etc. But plenty for everyone else too! Namaste!
Pros: Good coffee and good sandwiches with a large eating area next door to the counter. Just the right amount of sarcasm. Cons: They often run out of bagels by lunchtime and they are not open late.
Delicious! My favorite is the Spicy Roscoe. This location has much more ample seating than the Roscoe Village spot. They often have live music.
I could spend days wandering this store. I feel like stacks of books could collapse on me at any moment, but that's part of the charm. The owner is a little eccentric, but very helpful and friendly.
Cheapest seats in town. They run family movies, but not for as long as adult films so don't procrastinate! They also have a family movie festival in the summer: $1 movies on weekday mornings!
I don't care much for the food, but I haven't sampled much of it so take that with a grain of salt. I come for the beer, the music, and the atmosphere.
Service and food are mediocre. Come for the big, outdoor patio and the beer and let the rest go!
This place gets crowded, so plan to either come early or wait for a seat. Friendly staff, good beer, and good food.
It's a little pretentious, but the presentation is lovely and the food and deserts are delicious. Ample space, a summer patio, and live music make this an all-around great venue for a snack or meal.
Excellent music instruction. Wiggle worms classes are popular with the younger set. They also have regular concerts that I highly recommend, although some can be over-priced.
The staff have a well-earned reputation that is less than stellar and kids are often made unwelcome here. However, they do have the best selection of kids books on the shelves and good programming.
Bring your picnic and hang out here for the summer concert series. Afterwards, let your kids run in one of the two playgrounds flanking the gazebo.
Old school bowling alley. Very laid back, but it's small and hosts bowling leagues so make sure you call ahead for open bowling schedules.
This place is teeny tiny but adorable, friendly, and has good (slightly expensive) food. Not open in the evening.
