I haven't been to Nickel City since the remodel, so I was curious to see what it looked like…read more The gentleman behind the desk was as kind as I remembered, and let me know what the options to put on the game cards were. He even let me turn in all of my "vintage" coupons that I had stashed away in the car--there was about 2,500 worth and he added them to my card, no questions asked! The space is very open and more quiet than other arcades. We were there on a Saturday night from about 6p-9:45p. $25/per person went a pretty long way! We played air hockey, the Simpsons, discovered some cool import games, tried our luck at the egg game, etc. I believe most of our party of 4 has credits left over. They still have the gear game that I remembered, the game where you have to drop the red balls into the buckets, etc., but I was pleasantly surprised to see they had a cool, new Hot Wheels puck game, a huge Monopoly spinner, and the Rick and Morty drop game that entertained me for the majority of my time there. I have a hard time parting with my tickets (clearly, based on the stash in my car), but the "store" had a wide variety of items and fair prices. We ate dinner before heading over so I cannot speak on the cafe nor did I use the bathroom myself. There are not as many games as other arcades, but it is a very nice place to spend some time!

This place sure has been cleaned up! It's been a while since I've been to Nickel City, so I'm not…read moresure when they renovated, but it's great now! The place seems to have more emphasis on carnival-type games where you get tickets as a result of playing them, such as skee-ball, basketball, ball bucket drop, etc. They do still have the nickel arcades, but definitely it is the minority. They also reconfigured the layout, and it feels more spacious and less clutter. All, surprisingly, all games were working and there was not a single out-of-order sign when I went. Sadly, there is no more free arcade section, except for a Tetris arcade near the basketball machine. While the arcades do take the good ol' fashioned Jefferson, all other games require a game card. Load up the game card at two different kiosk, one near the counter selling overpriced prizes, or one in the back near the bathrooms. Overall experience, I like it! With just spending $11, my teenager was able to entertain himself for close to 2-hrs. That's a great price for me. This cheap parent will come back. BATHROOM REVIEW: Located near the back, the bathrooms are the only thing that appears to not be renovated. Everything was in working order, and got the job done. Don't forget to wash your hands, because we all know you'll be touching everything afterwards. Sit or squat? Squat.

Been coming for years! The set up is nice & lends to an easy flow. It's wheelchair friendly. All…read morethe vendors are very nice. Pricing is on par. There's foods of all variety. Fresh to packaged. There's also usually music and food/drink made to order to eat on site. You'll also find lots of beautiful flowers/plants!

I feel so lucky to live so near to this amazing Farmers Market! Every Saturday from June through…read moreOctober, we get all sorts of goodies, from fresh fruits and veggies to meats and cheeses, dog treats, flowers, baked goods and more! Those cider donuts... mmmm.... There are also crepes, knife sharpening, coffee (by one of a rotating group of local coffee houses/roasteries) and some sort of music of entertainment for the kiddos. Family friendly, dog friendly, one of the best on the north shore, IMO. The layout is great - there's even a map right at the entrance. My ONLY complaint is that I wish it could go year round (but we live in the midwest, I get it).

First time here was back in January. Girlfriend and I came to see Zootopia 2. The film was decent,…read morebut thats not part of this review. Certainly plenty of parking, this being one of many locations connected to a mall. The place seemed to be mostly clean, and there was nothing that stuck out as rough in that department. The concession people were nice enough , and generally the place seems well run. We ordered the big bite sampler , which came at a decent pace. Everything was fine, with the mozzarella being the highlight. I think I'd prefer fries overs tots, but I digress. The house brand candy was fine as well, not better or worse that leading brands. The place was a fairly on par AMC experience, though it didn't feel as lively as others. Probably won't be a frequent pick for us seeing as their are closer locations to us. But still alright. [Date of Visit: 1/20/26]

Terrible experience. Staff takes advantage of kids. The "manager" Mo kicked out our kid from a…read moremovie without a valid reason and then tried to lie his way our of it when I confronted him. AMC needs better employees. Not coming back here and I'll recommend everybody to avoid it.

Literally the best place to take your child. Everything is laid out so intentionally. Everyone is…read moreso welcoming. It's extremely calm and not overstimulating. It's also a great place to host a party. Jess helped us plan the details and made set up and clean up a breeze. This is the best place to have your children spend time in the northern suburbs.

I first found out about Giggles Play during a Yelp event, and have since been back for their Easter…read moreEggstravaganza event (did I spell that right?! Haha). My daughter (2) has a BLAST every time she's here. It's so nice to have a play space where I can actively engage with my daughter, or, if she's feeling like she needs her own space, she's comfortable enough to go do her own thing because she can see me, and more importantly, I can see her from any spot in the play area. We had my daughter's bff with us the last time, and he's a mega sensory-seeker, and it was nice having a space where he could run around and get his energy out while exploring safely. And because there isn't an overload of primary colors and jumping/climbing/loud play, it was so much easier for him to get back to a calm body to focus on his fine motor play, due to there not being sensory overload to all senses. Love this place, and highly recommend.

We recently hosted my daughter's 7th birthday party here and had a fantastic experience. There…read morewere a number of options (ceramic painting, canvas painting, slime, and more!) - we chose canvas painting. The owner, Robin, and one of the other employees were fantastic at leading a group of 21 first grade girls through painting a mermaid tail (there were so many choices for the canvas painting - my daughter happened to choose this one). They can do them more or less complex based on the age group of the party. Robin was truly fantastic to work with. She took care of everything, including ordering pizzas from elsewhere in the mall. I brought the paper goods and cupcakes and everything else was handled. We were in a party room in the back that is utilitarian but also decorated. I definitely appreciated that there were separate tables for the art and the eating! I was perfectly happy to not be out in the front of the store with the general public. And the price was totally reasonable given everything that they did for us. Would definitely host another party here! We've also come on a random day just to do a walk in ceramic painting, which was also great. Lots of selections at all sorts of different price points. You can also do walk in canvas painting.

Haven't been in the store yet to experience, but was planning on holding my daughter's birthday…read moreparty here. We eventually ended up forgoing this year because she's still so young she wouldn't fully appreciate the experience, but plan on going for some Mommy and me time. The staff that I was in touch with while planning the event were all so helpful, responsive, and friendly. Even when we decided to pass on holding the party there, after we had filled out the form and not yet put in the deposit, they were so understanding. They get high ratings, they're located conveniently in a mall where if you have youngers you can go to the playgrounds in the mall, and if you have olders, they can walk around and do a little independent shopping. Looking forward to visiting soon!

Love this festival…read more Pros: -Free to attend. -Lighted pumpkins wall for festive Autumn Instagram pics. -I live around the area, 10 mins away, know it well so it's easy for me to score street parking but they have free shuttles via Fort Sheridan reserve parking. -Great bands on at least a couple of different stages. -Lots of food trucks, lines run from no wait to 20 min wait. It's also located on the Highwood restaurant & bar strip. Plenty of food options & you could easily score a bar seat to take a break. -Safe crowd & police presence around. -It is right at the Metra stop should you decide to leave your car behind.

It's a must see event for fall! Endless pumpkins to…read morecelebrate the beginning of the season with many activities for families in the heart of Highwood! There's many restaurants near by to explore while enjoying the arrival of pumpkins.

I wanted to celebrate an intimate 30th birthday with my dearest friends and family and LOFT 329…read moremade my dream celebration come true. First of all, Brenda and Carrie are very accommodating and responsive, they assisted us with all our needs and requests. The space is beautifully curated -- complete, neat, updated, well-equipped and not to forget , the minimalist vibes , was all I was looking for. I am so pleased with our overall experience and my guests loved every single detail of the venue. If you are looking for a venue that can be customized, reasonable price and intimate, I definitely recommend trying out this space. We all had a great time and I absolutely had a perfect 30th birthday party. Thank you so much LOFT 329 for allowing me to celebrate in your beautiful space.

I cannot recommend Loft 329 enough! It is a beautiful transformable space for any intimate event,…read moreshower, or studio session. My bridal shower was hosted just this past weekend in Studio B. It is an absolutely stunning space. Many of my guests walked in and could not stop remarking how great the place was. It is also conveniently located right next to the Highwood Metra, so my guests who came from Chicago without a car could easily come. The space is super flexible regarding vendors and decorating. Carrie, who was our main contact, was communicative and responsive! We found Loft 329 after needing to change the venue last minute from my original one. From day one of reaching out, Carrie was quick to respond, she managed to fit my mother in for a quick tour and booking was super easy. She even went out of her way to try to help us find a rental for some tables and chairs. Definitely do not pass this space up if you're looking for an affordable, flexible and gorgeous event space!

The Taste of Highland Park is huge and a fantastic thing for the city! It ran in conjunction with…read morethe 34th Port Clinton Art Festival so it was just streets and streets full of art with just a bit of food, music and other booths. You can take the Metra and hop right off at the fest. It ran Friday night, Saturday & Sunday over an August weekend. There is free parking & free admission, ah how I love 'Burb fests. Plus they don't have a bunch of weird carnival vendors carted in. The food was all from local Highland Park restaurants. Loved that! In the art portion, they had 260 artists selling their stuff ranging from classic to unique to sculptures. Saw a lot of cool stuff I wouldn't have minded purchasing. There was a stage with live music! Loved that and so cute seeing the little kids bopping around. We really enjoyed the entire fest and wouldn't hesitate to go back!

I have been to a few of these community taste festivals and many were meh. But Highland Park, you…read moretook things to another level and blew my expectations! A small festival but packed with people, well organized and great atmosphere! We went there during the evening after work (5pm) and unfortunately, the art vendors were closing down already. The art festival should run till late as well, for this is the time most people and family can make it there, especially in summer/fall time when the sun is still up. Nevertheless, we were there for the food. Even though the vendors were few, they were good quality vendors and this is what counts. Many festivals would only have budget vendors wtih food that you don't really wanna try. But these were the renowned restaurants in Highland Park and it was just a good opportunity to see their menu and taste them. My favorite was Siam of Ruby. We've heard of them but never been their restaurant. We tried their curry and it was SOOOO good! The curry was fragrant and had a good kick. Pity the amount was small, as we licked it up pretty quickly, a little too quick than we would have preferred! Guess I have to make time to visit you guys! Another highlight was Back Yard Grill. I never knew they had souvlaki and gyro. The gyro's rice in particular was very nice, the balance and flavor of the lemon+tumeric was YUM! Of course, BYG always get their meat right! Environment of the festival. The festival was located on the main street of Highland Park wth the road closed, which was nice. Then the tables were nicely set up on the side, with white tents, tables and chairs. These were a nice aesthetic touch and thoughtful, as people could really stand and eat, but if you want people to enjoy, mingle and be comfortable, you go the extra mile to do these. Music. The band was a good choice too. Not too folky, not too disney, not too heavy-metal, but a great selections of songs that was fast paced, high energy, and doesn't ruin your ears. Simply a quality band that connected well with the crowd including children! These are what sets Highland Park's festival apart from the rest. The attention to details and the thoughtfulness! See you next year!

It's unfortunate that Deerfield Historic Village has such limited hours as the buildings have great…read moredisplays within them with lots of details about the history and a broad timeframe of history covered between them. The Caspar Ott Log House really takes you back to 1837 with an impressive array of items such as a bed, dresser, toys, chairs, table, and other items from the area. This is definitely impressive in the comprehensiveness and presentation, as well as being the oldest standing building in Lake County. Outside of Volo Auto Museum, I'm not sure if I've seen as many antique vehicles and farm equipment as there is in the Carriage House. It's a really great experience to be able to view these magnificent vehicles up close and see all the unique details that went into their construction. I also enjoyed seeing the large selection of historical farming tools. The Sack House has a wonderful assortment of items from the early 1900's, once again really giving me a feel for what life may have looked like back then with an impressive assortment of art, common household items, fully furnished bedrooms, and lots of signs with explanations The Brand Luther House has a nice visitors center with a neat set of displays that show an eclectic mix of history covering everything from music to Sara Lee. The volunteers here were very helpful in explaining some details in different buildings. Finally, the Little Red Schoolhouse is a neat replica of a one-room school house complete with small desks, a stove, old books and map. Though it was built in 1981, the old furnishings and items really give a feeling of stepping back in time. Overall, definitely worth a visit for any history lover. A great free experience with well designed displays.

The historic village in downtown deerfield is home to various historic cabins which rest on a small…read moreplot of land. The historically society opens the doors to the cabins Sundays during the summer months and pulls out the old wagons and lets you tour the inside of each dwelling. The volunteers are helpful and offer some history for those who inquire. It's not a site I would go out of my way to visit or recommend but a nice piece of history to walk thru if you happen upon it while strolling around deerfield.

This was one of the most special events we could ever have hoped for. My dinosaur obsessed daughter…read morewas beaming the entire time, and so was I. Brian and the dinosaur handler were both so great with the kids, and we got so many compliments from parents. I am glad that we made the investment this year as the memories will last a lifetime.

Chicago Dinosaur MADE my dinosaur obsessed daughter's 6th birthday party. She was so excited and…read morethey didn't disappoint! The "dinosaurs" are not cheesy - totally top notch and realistic. Brian the owner was so nice and a breeze to work with. Great with kids. Totally got into the character. All the parents and kids said it was such a memorable day. Highly recommend!