For my daughter's first Halloween, I decided we should wander the AVille-O-Ween, since I've never…read morehad occasion to attend whilst living in the neighborhood. She's too young for candy, so I took the opportunity to wander into some of the shops and the first of those was Vase & Vessel. I've wanted to stop in but haven't had the chance, and I'm glad I did today. The proprietors were friendly, one giving out candy and the other helping customers. They have some nice home decor here as well as very healthy plants. I almost bought a parlor palm to replace Bertha, the one that I killed several months back. I might actually be back because they had some nice full ones that maybe I would be less like to kill quite as soon--or at least, maybe it would grow more before I do. I bought a candle called a Locality Candle. They're kind of cool! There are different scents for various neighborhoods. I chose the Lincoln Square candle since I live in the "Is it Uptown or is it Lincoln Square?" section of Ravenswood. Whilst ringing it up, the owner asked if I picked it for the scent or the location. It was actually both, but probably more the scent; it has a nice fall smell of apple and spice, in recognition of Apple Fest, which is one of Lincoln Square's most popular festival. Whether you're on the lookout for a plant, a nice gift, or something for yourself, this is a good place to stop.

From the owner: Vase & Vessel offers a curated collection of home accents, gifts and works of several local artists…read moreand makers. We also carry a great selection of houseplants, planters and plant care supplies.

What a cool place!!! So many rooms and floors of cool art and specialty items. It's bigger than it…read morelooks. Rooms lead to more rooms. Really unique gifts, clothes, honey, jewelry, candies, soaps, bags, housewares, artwork from local artists, and more. I definitely recommend checking this place out!

I have nothing personal against this store or the people who sell there, but for me it was…read moreunderwhelming. There is a lot of stuff, but it is very generic. The "art" they sell is the kind that goes on a greeting card or t-shirt. Some booths sell crafts like you can find on Etsy--upcycled clothes and amigurumi or felt toys (which were cute enough but nothing amazing). Others sell imported items. It wasn't always clear if they were fair trade or not. In fact, that was one of the things that bugged me: many booths' lack of transparency on where these items were made/who made them. A lot of items looked mass produced, so it was hard to tell what wasn't. Basically this store exemplifies what happens when you commercialize art. Everything converges under market pressure and ends up looking the same. Personally antique malls are my style. They have a similar concept (many vendors in one space), but much more interesting and greater variety of items.

A great little shop to ENJOY! Filled with so many unique items from cups, notepads, candy,…read moreunique knick knacks , Chicago themed items and so many other items . A perfect place to find unique gifts. The store is well laid out by category of item. A great place to browse for things you did not know you needed or unique items to gift.

This store is SO. STINKIN. CUTE!!!! I can't believe I've never noticed it before. I stumbled in…read morerandomly one day and left with gifts for multiple people in my life, even though I have no upcoming occasion to give them a gift. They just have so many unique, niche things. From politics to puzzles to books to candy to stickers to jewelry...there is truly something for everyone. This is totally joining my list of must-visits around the holidays!

I decided to walk into Foursided on a whim and I'm so glad that I did! This is one of the cutest…read moreshops I've been to in a while. There is so much to look at and the whole store is curated beautifully, so it feels like a cohesive collection rather than clutter. I found a ton of things that I fell on love with. This is the perfect place to pick up a gift or some artwork. They had a ton of Chicago specific items, so it would be a great place to grab a souvenir. I'll be back here for sure. It is too cute to resist!

This place brings me warm fuzzy feelings just by walking inside. When you walk in you are bombarded…read morewith color, stimulation, and maximalism. Get ready to have fun. Foursided is a great place to get gifts, candles, local artwork, small plant pots, baby books, cards, and more. The people working were talking about House of Dragons while I was shopping and they gave me the vibes that they wouldn't be upset if I jumped into the conversation! Once you make your purchase they take off the price tags in case you are gifting the items which saves me a little time in the long run. They have tons of cards to choose from, making this a prime spot to go to get someone a gift. An extra bonus is a lot of the merchandise is from local artists and Chicago-themed.

Very nice welcoming staff very helpful. They answer questions and provide suggestions.read more

I was on my way to Alchemy Arts and was crossing the busy intersection at Broadway when I saw a…read moreblack cat very close to the road, so I pulled over to try and move her to a safer spot. I noticed the cat did not have a collar on and decided to quickly take her to the nearest vet to get scanned for a chip. Luckily, the cat did have a chip and the owner was notified. The vet told me the owner did not seem concerned and said the cat was an outdoor cat, but that they would come pick her up from the office. I was told I had to stay with the cat until the owner arrived. I waited at the vet's office for over an hour with the cat, and the owner arrived just minutes before the office closed. I explained to the owner that the cat was in the intersection and at risk of being hit, so I thought it was the right thing to do to get her scanned for a chip and try to contact the owner. The owner immediately became defensive and said, "Well she's an outdoor cat. She goes by the trees." I again explained that she was not by the trees, but instead right next to the intersection and at risk of being hurt or killed. The owner rolled her eyes at me and left with her cat. I later realized that the owner of this cat is one of the owners of Alchemy Arts, her name is Dayna. It's incredibly irresponsible to let your cat roam freely outside next to such a busy intersection. After further digging, it also appears that Marie the cat was attacked by a dog while roaming outside in 2025 and has gone missing for days before -- further evidence that this cat should not be outdoors for her own safety.

I love a good punny name, this one based upon the name of the neighborhood (Ravenswood). I've…read moredriven by Ravensgoods so many times; if it wasn't here before I moved to the neighborhood, it opened shortly thereafter. This very tiny shop has a variety of items that would be perfect if you need to pick up a gift for someone. They have candles, greeting cards, jewelry, and several baby items. I ended up buying a cute little onesie that has is designed to look like the Chicago flag but with hearts in place of the stars. it's so cute and I can't wait to put it on my little ones. They had several other onesies that were cute. I mentioned to the shopkeeper that I wanted to get a little bean onesie, and she mentioned they carry them but they sell out so quickly and the woman who she gets them from is backed up in stock.It makes sense to me because they're adorable! I didn't realize they had them here so it's good I could pick it up from here if I can't find it elsewhere. Parking is on the street BUT you're in luck because the Brown Line station is half a block away. There's also street parking on Damen and possibly the surrounding streets (not sure, but because it's near a train station I'd suspect it might be permit parking on the side streets).

My favorite gift boutique now that runs workshops with wine for painting, jewelry, tarot and more .read more

The service at the store was very nice and welcoming. They are highly accommodatable and…read moreeducational when it comes to ensuring that you know everything about their goods that they sell. We went here, looking for a Matcha tea set. They didn't have any in stock yet. So we opted to buy some incense and a wild tapestry. Everything is priced as expected these are all imported goods from Japan. We will be back to purchase some Matcha. Almost everything they have in there that you can smell taste and touch. They have a sample for! I love that because then you know exactly what it is that you're getting. Great experience I highly recommend coming here if you're looking for authentic Japanese goods.

I've been here a few times, but came back again with a friend and the owner was super nice and…read moreexplained the incense boxes that we were looking at in a very in-depth and detailed way. They have beautiful hand-crafted and articulate items for sale here. Every time I walk in here, it feels tranquil. You could easily drop several hundreds if not thousands here, but everything is made with high quality. Definitely recommend this place if you're window shopping in Andersonville!