Jeff's contributes to the world of fine woodworking in many ways. His furniture is artistically…read morecrafted. His articles in Fine Woodworking Magazine are informative & complete. His shop is fully equipped with quality tools. Many are hand tools for there are few straight lines in his creations. Personally I've found his talent as an instructor to be inspirational. The friend who recommended taking one of his classes said "you will feel like you're the only one in the class". i rook one class, & understand it is true.

I could not disagree with the previous post more. Jeff has built a number of pieces for us,…read moreincluding an entire bedroom set, and we could not be happier with his work, which is impeccable, or his ability to listen and exceed our expectations. I recommend his work highly.

Workshop 88 is a newly founded space where people with common interests; generally in science,…read moretechnology, and/or the digital and electronic arts, can socialize and collaborate. Come share ideas, have fun, learn something new or make something. Meetings and classes are open to the public so if you are interested, drop in. Check the website or follow them on twitter @Workshop88 for details on meetings and other upcoming social events.

Workshop 88 is not closed!…read more They are a lively community of creative talented makers who are active in the maker community, attending Maker Fairs, teaching classes and more. The space is well equipped with 3D printers (dual head, PLA, ABS, delta types), a laser cutter/engraver, vinyl cutters, a wood shop, lathe, mill, metal working tools and much more. There is no access to the space from Main Street which probably led to this confusion. Access to the space is via the parking lot behind main street, the parking lot entrance is actually on Pennsylvania Ave, North and East of the address on main. They have open house Thursday nights - come check it out!

Cute shop! Good variety of things in here. Tons of fun unique signs, to newborn onesies and other…read moreadorable one of a kind nursery things, to even candles. I got a little candle as part of a welcome gift for my new neighbors. It was about $6 and smells clean and fresh!

Very rude, kept giving me and my group death glares. Then threatened to check security cameras…read moreafter thinking I put an un purchased item in my bag, when really it was just my phone.

I've been taking woodworking lessons from Neal for a couple years now. I initially took the…read morebeginner's course (where we built a modular shelving unit, a tool box and a small end table/box--I think in that order). I thought the beginner's class was great and really enjoyed spending a couple hours on the weekends learning a new skill, so I signed up for one of the advanced courses. Since then I've built a coffee table and a bench, and am just about done making a cabinet. I really look forward to heading to the shop on Saturday mornings. I think Neal's great. He really knows what he's doing since he's been building furniture for a living his whole life and has been teaching classes for years. He's funny and seems to enjoy teaching his classes--especially the advanced courses. I actually created a yelp account specifically to review Neal's business after reading the negative reviews a few people posted about him and his classes. I think that the people who have an issue with him are the ones who walk into the class and act like know-it-alls and think they're experts. If that's how you approach things, this isn't the right class for you. One thing I definitely want to address is the comment that Neal harasses women in his classes. I've taken four classes with the guy--that puts me at somewhere between 100 and 150 hours in the shop with him. All of the classes have had women in them--sometimes more women than men--and I've never seen anything verging on harassment or inappropriate behavior. So I really don't know where that's coming from. Neal's pretty no-nonsense and talks to the women in his classes like he talks to the guys, which seems to me to be the way it should be. I'd also note that no women seem to be complaining here about this "harassment", so that leads me to believe they either really enjoy it or it doesn't exist, and I'm guessing it's the latter. I've recommended the classes to friends and will continue to do so. Since starting I went from not knowing anything at all about woodworking and how to build stuff to feeling confident about buying some real woodworking tools and trying to start my own projects.

My uncle lives in a house that he nearly single handedly built himself in the woods of Vermont…read more It's sturdy, beautiful, and expertly crafted. So I thought, "surely I must have some of this handiness in my previously totally non-handy self." But before I plunked down thousands of dollars for lathes, circular saws and other manly machines you can buy at Home Depot, I thought I'd test the waters with a woodworking class. Finding one in Chicago proved harder than expected until one say I saw a flyer at a local coffee shop advertising Woodsmyths. It sounded like exactly what I'd been looking for: hands on, experience with a variety of common woodworking tools, and a mix of instruction and projects. The class started out fine enough: there were about 10 people, we read some handouts, received some brief instructions, then got down to business. I liked that we'd get to work on things ourselves that we'd then take home to keep, but the instruction left a lot to be desired. The teacher is a bit eccentric and seemed more concerned that everyone finished their projects than whether they actually learned anything. I felt rushed, didn't feel encouraged to ask questions and when I did, the instructor often just fixed my problem for me instead of showing me how to do it. After 10 weeks and $350, I had three items I'd crafted mostly myself: a toolbox, a simple bookshelf and a storage box-style end table. The last of these I really liked and still have, the others didn't survive my most recent apartment move. And disappointingly, I don't feel like I really learned all that much. The teacher was a stickler for safety (a good thing), so I feel mostly comfortable operating woodworking machines. But I don't feel like I know better now than I did before the class what to do with them. I know Woodsmyths also offers a more advanced class that people seem to take, so maybe others had better experiences that I. So if you can't find any other woodworking class options, it may be worth giving this one a go. But don't expect to be anywhere but a tiny step closer to building your own cozy bungalow in the New England woods.

Total arty art school vibes…read more I was thinking about cobbling together a screen printing setup at home and realized I should probably find a refresher class somewhere. Just so happens that this Evanston Art Center had a screen printing class coming up! I signed up and walked into class expecting that all the arcane screen printing processes have been made obsolete at last. Back in the day we had to flood screens with chemikills and expose them to light like neanderthals. Welp, it turns out that is how it's still done (boohoo) but indeed some of the technology has advanced in ways I didn't expect. Anyway, great gallery, great classes, great teachers and staff!

3.5 I'd searched…read morefor museums in Evanston to avoid driving to Chicago for some culture and the Evanston Art Center came up. This place has a lot of potential, particularly upstairs - there are blank walls galore - but there's just not very much art there at the moment. Evanston is small, but had I known I could blow through this venue in 5 minutes, for a 10 minute drive, I probably would have skipped it. That said, the art that was there was great and I enjoyed seeing it.

After moving from Logan Square and going to Montessori Academy of Chicago (which was beyond…read morewonderful) I was scared that nothing would match the level of care and learning that my 2 daughters received when we moved to Glencoe but thankfully we found Guidepost Montessori at Deerbrook. Christine and Abbey run this school like all of the children are their own. They are warm, inviting, caring and thoughtful. My daughter is 4 and in the pre-school program and the activities she participates in are endless - art class, karate, woodworking, cooking etc. The teachers are top notch and really put a lot of effort into each and every day. My other daughter is in the nursery program and the teachers in that classroom are unmatched. The teachers go above and beyond for the babies as well as the parents in sending home adorable crafts and activities that your child will do during the day. My daughter is always clean (which is a hard feat to accomplish for a 1 year old) and I truly feel like I'm dropping her off with someone in my family every morning. The teachers put up pictures daily on the internal website so you really feel as if you have a good grasp on what your child/children are doing everyday and as a working mom, that means so much to me. There is a wonderful outside playground that the kids love to play on and pickups/dropoffs are seamless and easy without rigid rules that don't work for working parents. The school itself is new and clean which was a huge plus for me. I compared a bunch of different schools in the area prior to our move and I know I made the right decision for my girls.

There is a lot of drama at this school between teachers and other staff members. Unfortunately,…read morethis has contributed to fairly substantial teacher turnover, which is not good for the kids. Many parents have ended up pulling their children out of the school. I've lost count of how many school presidents have come and gone. The school has also cut back on meals and snacks to save money. Not too long ago, the school was open on most holidays. Now, almost every holiday is a day off, which means parents have to make arrangements to watch their children. The current president, Sonia, does not seem to be very familiar with the school's policies and practices. Half the time, she doesn't seem to know what she is talking about, which can be very frustrating for parents. Based on the school's track record, however, there will probably be another president sooner rather than later. On the positive side, there are a few teachers and teacher assistants who are truly some of the best people I have ever met. They put their heart and soul into caring for each child, and I honestly believe that is one of the main reasons some families continue to stay at the school.

Couldn't be more impressed with Morgan's work from Artisan & Modern Day! I randomly came across…read moreher furniture when I was browsing the web and I only wish I would have found her sooner. I had a really hard time trying to find a media console/bookshelf that would be suitable in our living room with a toddler, so I resorted to something being custom made. Her work is high quality and stands above even what a Pottery Barn would offer. It could easily be mistaken for Restoration Hardware furniture, but at a fraction of the cost. She is so easy to work with and has the ability to envision and create exactly what you have in mind. I'll definitely be using this shop in the future and would highly recommend to anyone and all. Thanks again!

From the owner: I believe that every item is an opportunity to reflect our own individuality by handcrafting pieces…read morewith which tells the stories of our lives. By using natural rustic materials such as wood, metal and concrete I seek to create a reclaimed authentic aesthetic for lifestyle pieces whether within the home or for everyday use such as coffee tables, dining tables, headboards, wallets, cases, etc.

Nestled in the beautiful Fox River Valley, this art center was a peaceful and inviting place place…read moreto learn a new skill. It's definitely a place I'll come back to, for shopping for a special gift made by a local artist, or some fiber for my next project, or just to enjoy the setting. Check it out!

We went on a Sunday to look for orbs and were pleasantly surprised by the quaint little trail. The…read morefacility was actually closed but enjoyed the short visit outdoors.

I found this place by attending a Career Fair held by the Unemployment Agency, as I am in need of…read moreemployment. It had been over a month since I had a job and with NO source of income, I felt a training program would help me greatly. I informed the orientator that the only thing I'm having trouble with is transportation and would definitely need their assistance. Going there the entire week for their '4-Step' process, exhausted and depleted My bus card, totally neglecting other programs because I thought this was going to happen. It DIDN'T. On Thursday I took their tests-passed, and even was the ONLY person they interviewed that day to be accepted for the start on Monday. Anticipating their call on Friday, I waited ALL day and NOTHING. They took EVERY piece of information of mine from ID and DL to SS Card and Birth certificate. Even mail from DHS and Unemployment. That's TOO much in my business for them NOT to accept me. I'M a guy who has NEVER been to jail or isn't in threat of another child on the way. I worked my last job 7 yrs before they laid me off. If this program was for 2nd chancers, they should've let me know. If this IS a program to train for another skill to obtain gainful employment, I DON'T understand why I WASN'T accepted. One Star, because they ARE trying to help.

From the owner: We provide two sector-based training programs in Woodworking and Solid Surface Manufacturing and…read moreShipping and Receiving designed to help match the needs of area manufacturers and local workers. Our classroom curricula and hands-on trainings have been developed in partnership with local industry and continuously updated by community business leaders to ensure that the skills that participants develop in class are marketable and meet current industry standards.