This review is based solely on the nostalgic Lanzi's "Cashew Nut & Rice Crunch" that I ordered from…read moreThe Uptown Shop! Back in the 70's & 80's, my parents always used to buy these & we loved them! Then suddenly, they just disappeared from store shelves. Well, many years later, Lanzi's is BACK!!!! You can order them from the Uptown Shop. I just got a box in the mail. Flavor-wise it's REALLY CLOSE to the original (they had to reverse-engineer it because the recipe was lost after Elmo Lanzi passed on & production of the candy stopped). But man, it is pretty darn close & still tastes DELICIOUS!!!!

Cute shop with some really beautiful holiday items, especially the hand-blown glass ornaments…read more Picked up a few treasures on deep discount today as they are moving shop and were clearing out inventory. They are relocating a few doors south, in the space previously occupied by the toy store.

This store is my crack. No, seriously. I'm bummed that it's in Oak Brook, but at the same time…read moreglad it's in Oak Brook. Because if it were in the city, I'd be broke. I LOVE sassy, sarcastic cards and this place is loaded with some of the best I've ever seen. I especially love the style of cards with an vintage picture and a smartass saying, and they've got tons. Anne Taintor, Curly Girl, and more. I loaded up on cards, magnets, etc. I mean, who doesn't want a card that says, "What's wrong with my attitude, it matches my outfit?" Love. It. It was so hard to stop. Awesome cards + great and quirky gifts = my heaven. I can't wait to return!!

So glad I am the first to review the Afternoon. Fitting, because I believe it is the greatest…read more store. in. the. world. I want everything in the store. Everything. Anything you need for a birthday, anniversary, baby shower, housewarming gift... the perfect present is at the Afternoon. It's slightly expensive but IMHO, totally worth it.

I was genuinely disappointed by my experience with this business, largely due to the owner's openly…read moredismissive and unwelcoming attitude. It became very clear that personal preferences--not community-minded values--are driving how customers are treated. The way families with children and individuals with dogs are regarded feels less like a thoughtful policy and more like a rigid, exclusionary stance. For a place that operates within a diverse community, this approach comes across as unnecessarily harsh and out of touch. What's particularly frustrating is the lack of balance or empathy in how these rules are communicated and enforced. Instead of creating a respectful environment where expectations are clearly and kindly explained, the tone felt cold and, at times, outright unfriendly. Many businesses find ways to set boundaries while still making people feel welcome--this is not one of them. The result is an atmosphere that feels more judgmental than inviting, which ultimately detracts from the overall customer experience. A business doesn't exist in a vacuum--it's part of a broader community made up of families, pet owners, and individuals from all walks of life. Choosing not to accommodate or even respectfully acknowledge that reality sends a message that certain groups simply aren't valued. That's a disappointing stance to encounter, especially when so many other local establishments go out of their way to foster inclusivity and connection. Until there's a shift in both attitude and approach, it's hard to recommend supporting a business that seems so disconnected from the community it serves.

Worst shop in Elmhurst!! Owner turns away service animals and kids who come in with ice cream. Such…read morea bad experience and energy. STAY AWAY !!

For a chess player (as I am), this is the coolest shop.  The friendly and laid back owners are the…read morehusband and wife team of Tom and Marguerite Paravola.  There aren't a lot of brick and mortar chess shops like this in the entire country and they have been at it here in Elmhurst for 20+ years.  It was a total blast to look, feel, and touch the various chess pieces and sets.  I ended up buying a magnetic wooden chess set and it was worth it to me to see and touch what I was buying.  Yes, you can buy sets via online shopping, but like clothes, I want to know what I'm really getting.  Yes, there is a modest premium for that but well worth it given the multitude of available choices.  Besides, while browsing, you get to chat it up with Tom who is a chess lover, and that's worth something too!  While browsing, I particularly liked the look and feel of some heavy metal pieces made in Italy, and I've never touched pieces that sturdy and heavy, and maybe one day I'll splurge the $400 for such a set of chess pieces.  They have limited hours as Tom actually still works another job!  Yet, he still has time to also run a free weekly Tuesday night casual chess meetup night in the neighborhood and all are welcome.  Keep it up, best wishes, and thank you!

Great selection great people. Enjoyed it picking out our new set! We will be back again!read more

Such a cute shop! Great gift ideas! And great selection of clothes and accessories for everyday or…read morespecial occasions. Fantastic service. I love their store pickup- so easy

Great local boutique in Elmhurst. Unique and adorable items…read more Super kind owners and staff. Very highly recommend

I usually come from Chicago to the burbs to knockout shopping in one area. This strip mall that…read moreUncharted is located in meets this need. I happily stumbled upon Uncharted as I ventured the strip. At first I was rather overwhelmed and had sensory overload from al the cuteness, but quickly became familiar with the store after doing an initial walk thru. They have a nice selection of clothes and carefully curated items. I appreciate the variety and can see my wallet hurting if I brought my teen and tweenage girls. Last but not least, they had the Swedish gummy pop up selling at a great price. You bet I took advantage of that! I will definitely come back with my girls and maybe a mom's only shopping trip.

It's always a promising sign when customers are waiting outside the door for the store to open…read more Unless they have pitchforks and torches of course. No, it was a couple of moms and their tweenish daughters, and for a moment I thought, this store isn't for me. They pulled on the locked door a few times, and when it finally opened, I made my way into the store, along with a few other people. It was a store for me, and them, and you and your friends. Uncharted is a very nice gift store, and larger inside than you expect. There were candles, housewares, cards, clothes, toys, jewelry, candy, men's gifts, and more. It's an updated and more trendy Hallmark store. The staff were very nice, and asked me to join their rewards club. I declined, as this location is a little far for me. I did purchase a cute scratch-off artpad for a gift and some pretty notecards.

All time favorite candle shop. Very low prices and knowledgeable staff. Very low prices.read more

A few years ago, I saw a friend post a picture of a store with an insane Jellycat selection, so I…read moremessaged her and had to know where, and she told me about Fairytales in downtown Lombard. I have since probably purchased over 20 Jellycats from here, it's my favorite way to do so because I love supporting a local business and this shop is genuinely just the best. Outside of Jellycats, I've gotten Hello Kitty Blue Sky Ceramics, an Allen designs clock, Christmas ornaments, a lazy Susan, and baby gifts. Although I don't live in the area, anytime I'm out towards Oak Brook I ALWAYS make sure to stop by Fairytales to see what's new. Unfortunately due to the immense popularity of Jellycats, their stock has declined significantly which is a bit of a bummer, but it seems to be out of their control from my understanding. Everyone I've interacted with here has been incredibly sweet, I've done waitlist orders (I was able to get the large snow dragon jellycat this was as well as some of the rare Christmas ornaments!), and I've done a few online pickup orders as well. Each time my items are packaged beautifully and I feel so special walking out with the super high quality, beautifully branded Fairytales bag. Downtown Lombard truly has a gem, if it was closer to me I'd frequent a lot more, but it just makes my trips even more special when I do get to stop by.

I purchased an alpaca plush from the Lombard location around July 20th of this year, and it broke…read morejust a few days ago- less than two months after I purchased it. It wasn't a small tear either, its entire head came off. Honestly it was quite the massacre (photo below). So, I called them to see if I could get a replacement, or at least store credit because frankly it was quite expensive ($100 for the large size). Anyways, they said there was nothing they could do because the return period of THREE DAYS had passed, which is ridiculous because who is ever returning something within three days of purchasing?? Also, I wasn't even trying to return it, I was trying to get compensation for my poor alpaca. It makes me wonder what they would've done if it broke four days after purchase?? Just tell me "sorry, sucks to suck" after losing $100? Now, I understand that it may have been too hopeful to want a full replacement since a month had gone by, however I don't think it's unreasonable to expect store credit or a coupon or something. But no, they couldn't even offer that. I know that it's a small business so they aren't able to take the hit as much as a big corporation would but seriously, if you're charging $100 for a plushy and it breaks less than two months after purchasing, you should be able to offer some sort of compensation. I miss my alpaca but unfortunately, as a poor college student, I can't afford to scalp out another $100 to replace it. Usually I don't take the time to write reviews, but I'm so upset that my alpaca is gone and the poor customer service that I have just experienced that I felt it necessary to warn future customers to be wary when spending a lot of money at this store.

Almost everyone you meet in Chicago who loves their city will ask when you tell them you are…read morevisiting from out of town, "Have you done the architectural boat tour?" People in Amsterdam will also ask if you have done a canal boat tour - and you have to do these when you visit these cities. Our docent volunteer guide, Steve, was excellent. He was very personable and extremely knowledgeable about the city's riverside buildings and its history. The boat staff was also hardworking and ready to help with any issues, from getting a drink at the boat's downstairs bar to handing out covers when the rain hit us. For what we paid, the 1.5 hour tour was more than worth it. I recommend sitting at the top towards the back, as you don't have to crane your neck as much when he points out places of interest. This was a truly wonderful experience and I would do it again in a heartbeat.

Not what I expected overall but it was still a very educational experience. Scoring tickets to…read moreChicago's Architecture Center through our hotel, we used the tickets as a good time filler. Not a must see or do attraction but a great day filler activity as you explore the city. Loved the wealth of information they offer as it's valuable to understand Chicagos importance from the ground up! I thought it would be more about highlighting the amazing architectural buildings around the city but nothing like that. It's was more about the environmental impact the city has and the hurdles when designing buildings around town. The staff were friendly at check in and provided great service overall as they were kind and helpful. Small center that you may explore at your own pace and may or may not be worth the admission price. But scoring free tickets it allowed us to be selective in our day or day plans to include the activity to pay it a visit!

There are some really cute things in this store. If you need fancy paper, this is the place to be…read more But, if you also need a llama shape duster, come right now. They have cat magnets, cat sticky notes, llamas, unicorns, soft plush, toys, children's stuff, beauty stuff, kitchen stuff...all kinds of stuff. ....| \ _ , , , - - , , _ , .../ , ` . - ' ` ' . _ \ - ; ; ; , _ ..| , a - ) ) _ . ; . ( ` - ` - ' - ' ' - - - ' ' ( _ / . _ ) - ' ( _ \ _ ) 2019

I've always been a bit fan of stationery and have shopped at Paper Source both in person and…read moreonline. When I saw the Oakbrook Center mall directory, I was stoked to see Paper Source and that it was open until 9pm on a Monday evening. I naturally had to come in to check out the selection. It's dangerously addicting and it was hard to control myself from wanting to take the store with me. I came in wanting to see what I can get last minute for others but ended up spoiling myself -- self care, right. I found a cute journal that's good for up to 3 years, and it's a daily question you answer about self care which I think is truly necessary in these trying times. I can use some daily affirmations, and then I found these cute narwhal pens so I had to get them too. The staff were friendly and available as needed. I love that I wasn't upsold anything, I wasn't followed around, and I was given the space to do my thing. When I had questions the two ladies were more than happy to assist me, though they couldn't find an item I was looking for, I still appreciate their efforts and how they worked together. It's one of the better experiences I've had in person at Paper Source. I also wasn't pressured to sign up for anything. I do have to say that the Paper Source location I've been to in Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood does have a bigger selection than this one. However, the brand and this location is still pretty consistent, it just doesn't have everything and if they do it's in smaller quantities. I do recommend this location to anyone in the area looking for stationery items, greeting cards etc.