I've been lucky enough to work with these fabulous people twice. Once on a textile piece and again…read morewith an Ambrotype, similar to a daguerreotype. As it happened, we did not end up conserving the textile piece because it was so badly damaged, but the experience was so positive I brought them an Ambrotype I'd received. The image quality had suffered a great deal in the 160-plus years it had been kicking around my family. Our goal was to stop any more damage occurring to image on the glass and, if possible, clean and/or brighten the picture. Well. The Conservation Center did a MAGNIFICENT job! It's stunning! A beautiful portrait of a woman circa 1860. The care, the craftsmanship... it's clear my little treasure was just as much a treasure to them as well. And with their help, the image of a that long-gone matriarch will preside over the family for at least a hundred more years. I cannot recommend The Conservation Center enough. And, I shall be bringing them another piece to look at.

I just had a portrait of my Great Grandparents restored at the Conservation Center in Chicago. We…read moreare so pleased with the results. This portrait was over 100 years old and had a lot of damage to the portrait and frame, especially water damage. The restoration is truly remarkable! Such care and consideration were given us especially when working with us on the pricing! I am so grateful to Ms. Maria Orachek! She was wonderful to work with us. This portrait now belongs to my disabled son, and it has made him so happy. I am happy to write this review for The Conservation Center and their entire staff. They deserve a full 5-star review! Winnia and Mark Brooks

I love it! I was…read morelooking for public gardens to visit a month or two and learned about this one. I don't get to Elgin often--I think I've been here twice, maybe three times since I've lived in Chicago. But I knew it would be on the way back from Galena so I wanted to stop, and it was easy enough to find (with GPS, obviously!). The garden is the epitome of community effort. What was once a vacant lot in Elgin is now an extensive and beautiful area, replete with beautiful botanicals. The city donated the lot, and the community put in the sweat equity. An elementary school plants annuals... annually, and schools are involved in educational endeavors here. It's truly a thoughtful design, taking into account the area, native species, and working with the ecosystem. There are several stone benches in the garden as well as a wooden bench. In addition, in each of the collections of flowers are signs with information about different types of butterflies. It's pretty and tranquil, and worth a visit if you like green spaces. I hope these community beautification projects catch on. It would be nice to see some more informal green spaces in Chicago, too.

The store is absolutely beautiful. The rug selection is one of the best I have seen in the area. I…read morebrought two antique rugs in 1 silk and 1 wool to be evaluated for cleaning and repair. I left both and was thrilled with the results. They were extremely helpful and communicative about the status of my rugs and what would be best to maintain their integrity. Highly recommend!!

I had several valuable rugs cleaned. The owner was incredibly helpful and knowledgeable giving me…read moretrusted guidance on some of my older pieces. The rugs turned out beautifully and brought back color I had completely forgotten about. Highly recommended!!

FYI Had a rectangular antique oak kitchen table with one leaf and chairs contracted to repair; the…read morelegs were loose and wouldn't tighten. I also wanted a couple of chairs tightened, as they were loose. One guy came to my apartment, informed me that the table was from the 1970s, which I know for a fact was my great-grandmother's from 1918 or so. anyway. He didn't fix the leg correctly, as it was still loose. He told me to let it sit for a day. I did. When I looked at it the next day, it was still loose, and when I attempted to move it back into place, the entire leg broke off. I called them, and he came back out, did something to fix it, but it is still loose and not fixed correctly. They did work for me in the past, framing, rushing a chair, but this time I just ate the money. The chairs are ok now, but the leg, I guess, he just couldn't admit it was beyond his scope. I didn't call again. Id rather eat the money I spent on this than have this guy return.

ALC- you guys rock!…read more Joe and Mike so delicately dealt with my massive, antiqued mirrors and art. They put up large, heavy mirrors, as well as large and fragile oriental art. They did the work in approximately 3.5hours. ALC charges by the hour, at a rate of around $180/h. Thank you Joe and Mike!

The nicest people run this place! I had reupholstered one of a pair of chairs and I just couldn't…read moreget the second one right. They actually made me feel good about the work I'd done and finished the chair for me! A lot of people wouldn't have come in on someone else's work but I got the feeling that they actually wanted to help me get it right.

Brought three counter barstools to recover. Everyone was very helpful, work was done as promised…read more They look magnificent and very comfortable. We are so happy that they turned out so nice. No need to go anywhere else for this type of work.

I wanted to send a note that this company has done a great job for me…read more A couple years ago I needed a quick appraisal to put a deal together and they did a very good job on time ! I Had a need for a appraisal in Niles last week called and spoke to a very helpful man who's name was brad. He got me all set up just like before and I got the appraisal back today right on time. Being on time good work and fair pricing as far as i'm concerned it's like winning the triple crown. Pleasure to work with

I had my condo appraised with IAS appraisals last month and I've been meaning to write a review…read morebecause I was really happy with the outcome. It took just a few days for my assessment to come in and the appraiser was very friendly!

Children's Theatre of Elgin was a wonderful and enjoyable acting experience for our daughter from…read moreage 8-15 I think. They learn the satisfaction and all the elements of putting on a great musical theatre performance. It helps build confidence for all their future endeavors in life. I highly recommend it!

The charm of this old warehouse building on Kimball Avenue may lie only in its silent and…read moredilapidated reflection of a bygone industrial age. But inside the doors of the Quilombo center, the vast room's spirit is firmly alive in the present- the recently polished hardwood floor shines in the scant winter light; plants and wall-mounted berimbaus decorate the walls; a wall-length window reveals an abandoned and graffiti-stained freight train forgotten on the Bloomingdale Rail. I can't speak personally to the quality of most of the Brazilian-themed classes offered here- capoeira, brazilian jiu-jitsu, belly-dancing, hapkido. But even after a midwinter blizzard day when it's hard just to get down the street, Felipe Fraga's energy propagates across a group of mostly beginners until a surprisingly lively batucada takes form- each student of his beginner's Brazilian percussion class locking in their individual roles on the surdo, agogo, tamborim, and chocalho. "I want to play faster," he pines, even as we witness a reawakening in a country largely lacking the rhythmic roots of its tropical neighbors to the south. The beginner's class makes way for the advanced class, a saxophone arrives, and Felipe's wish comes true.

I'm a big fan of Quilombo Cultural Center. Friendly people there who ALWAYS have great programming…read more This is the place for traditional capoeira angola in chicago - period