Not only is Lake Claremont Press my favorite local publisher, Lake Claremont Press is also my favorite book store.
Lake Claremont specializes in Chicago books: Chicago histories, Chicago guidebooks, Chicago for locals, Chicago for tourists, Chicago for me, and Chicago for you (okay, cheesy, but you get the point--they have something for everyone who has ever set foot in the city).
Their Ravenswood storefront serves as both an office and a retail space though you can tell it leans toward the office usage more than anything. Their books are displayed in the windows and are for sale, but there is no going in and browsing the selection for hours. It's my favorite book store because of the unique Chicago offerings and because of the prices. You can find the books they publish at Borders and other big box stores as well as independent book stores (and I even saw them as Costco last week), but the prices are never better than when you buy them directly from the publisher!
At Lake Claremont Press they offer what they call "book store returns" at steep discounts (I'm talking as low as a few bucks). These are books that have been shipped around and may be slightly damaged or thumbed through, but are otherwise in great condition. They also have their brand-spankin'-new books for sale at discounted prices, though, if you are looking for a gift.
Beyond their selection of books on Chicago, Lake Claremont Press also has a community book box. The box is usually out on the sidewalk or propping their door open, ready for anyone to contribute to or take from. Take a book or leave a book; it's all free. I've scored some great stuff out of this box . . . new paperback fiction, classics in hard cover, reading copies, poetry, literary magazines, the latest People magazine, etc. And now instead of taking my read books to the used bookstore (for a one dollar credit), I leave them for someone else to enjoy.
Lake Claremont Press is usually open early in the morning Monday through Friday and stays open until six or seven in the evening. I hit the book box whenever I need a new read on my way to the train (Lake Claremont is just steps from the Rockwell brown line stop) and I buy a book whenever they have something new (LOVE the new Cook's Guide) or I need a quick gift. read more