I came to Topdrawer on the suggestion of a friend, and I'm really glad we found it. Topdrawer…read morespecializes in notebooks, pens, and stylish Japanese items. The employee working was really helpful and kind. He answered all our questions (a lot of, "What is this [stylish Japanese item]?") and even gave us a tip on some amazing donuts around the corner (unfortunately they weren't open that day). The shop is wonderfully curated and stocked with products I've never seen before, which is always a delight. The sheer number of different pens and notebooks may overwhelm those of us who love those things! I had to stop myself from trying every single pen (which were then put in a bin to be sanitized). The selection of Japanese house slippers was also really cool. They also have all kinds of bags, bento boxes, a whole display of eyewear, and a ton of travel tools! I'm a little sad I didn't get this pen holder that slides onto your notebook cover so it's always easily accessible. So smart! Smart is a good way to describe this store. It's very sleek, minimal, and stylish; almost a little too stylish for me! However I felt comfortable and welcomed shopping here, and would recommend Topdrawer to anyone who appreciates well made products and design.

I recently purchased a Kaweco pen from this store that was sold to me in damaged condition. When I…read moreopened the box, the pen had several deep scratches and the seal on the rollerball was broken. Therefore, I attempted to bring it in for exchange. There was a short time lapse between purchase and request to exchange, so I assume the store manager thinks that I damaged the product-- and therefore would not exchange it. They will not take responsibility for selling me a damaged product, and insist their customer service policy does not support this scenario. Based on this negative experience, I do not recommend shopping here. Which is unfortunate because I truly love the store and the brands it sells.

It's been years since I have been to Paper Source and was happy to stumble upon one with my girls…read more The staff was very welcoming and the selection is great! We loved the ability to test out pens and markers before purchasing them. While many novelties were to be found, there are a lot items that I can use for work. We hope to come back to purchase teacher appreciation gifts for the kids' teachers before the end of the school year.

Service staff and selection are excellent. Have had consistently good experiences with this store…read morelocation and its products over the past several years.

I adore this spot…read more The only thing that could make this place better would be more fabulous things for me to buy. Although I'm pretty sure my husband would disagree. The staff is so kind and helpful. I do wish they had a bathroom. But really. It's okay. Cuz my guys just went to Starbies and brought me back a drink. I also wish they had a lot for parking. I don't care... they still get five stars from me.

Paper Source is a good place to find nice, thick wrapping paper, stationery, cards, and all the…read morethings you need for gift giving purposes (you might even find the gift itself here). I'd been to the ones on Southport and on Wells but it was interesting to see the difference in merchandise here. It makes sense--this location seemed to have more office-type merchandise, and for a location in the Loop what better place to sell office supplies? Heck, I even had to stop myself from buying some of the cute office stuff they have here, and I only work two days per week in the office and still don't have my office space fully set up at home. If you need a last-minute card, even if it's beyond the standard congratulations or birthday, this is a great place to stop. And it's directly across the street from the Clark postal station, so may as well get it in the mail immediately before you forget! They had several board games. I'm a board gamer but usually don't play the ones that get mass market attention, and I saw some more niche ones like Steam Up which was truly surprising. I'm not sure who's coming here to buy them but I am totally in favor of stores supporting small publishers. I also saw journals, notepads, coffee cups, and so on. There's no parking here given its location in the loop. Train, bus, and/or foot will be your options.

I needed quick turn around for a baby shower and hostess gift. I received immediate and friendly…read moreand helpful service. WOW! Beautiful selection! Wrapped and out the door in minutes. Thank you, Smitten!

If you're in search of Jellycat plushies, this is the spot! There's a wider variety as the holidays…read moreare coming up!

Cute as hell gifts! Stationary, stickers, and cute kitschy things (compliment) I could have spent…read moreall day in there

Went walking around Lakeview and Inkling's unique items caught my eye from the window. There are…read morequite a bit of cute and quirky items that have some personality. When you're thinking about holiday gifting items, there's a great variety of decor, trinkets, and jewelry to consider. It can be a bit visually overwhelming to look at everything, but it's well organized by content so it's very doable. The staff I interacted with were very kind and pleasant given it was a busy weekend. Prices aren't terrible, but everything is expensive these days. Will definitely be interested to see what Inkling has in store throughout the year! I'll be back to see :)

Atlas Stationers? Oh, you mean STATIONARY HEAVEN?…read more On Sunday morning, all was quiet in the West Loop. Around 10 AM (a little after opening), I walked in & was surprised to find a vibrant little community of early-rising, stationery enthusiasts, just my kind of people. The store was lively but not crowded, so shopping was very comfortable and fun. First off, the staff here is PHENOMENAL! So kind, conversational, knowledgeable, helpful, & attentive. Possibly the best customer service I've ever received. If you're a stationary enthusiast or stationary-curious, this is a great place to be. I've seen this store's TikTok account before, so I expected it to be a big chain given its popularity, but it's actually a family-run business since 1939! They even have a nice online store you can check out. Everyone has their preferences, but this store checked all the boxes for me. On top of excellent service, they had an INSANE SELECTION! Stickers, pens, journals, leather journal covers, washi tape, and ALLLL the stationery goodies. The cost is comparable to other stores (online & otherwise), which is great. They even offer frequent events & workshops. Stores like Topdrawer are very popular, but they just never spoke to me. Atlas Stationers is a gem that I can't rave about enough. Even when I'm not in the store, I frequently check out their website or TikTok. I love the little community they've built!

One of the nicer stationary stores in the area…read more Whether you're looking for a shiny fountain pen or regular pen. They have it all here. Spacious and bright store. Prices are fair. The staff were nice and friendly. Street parking.

I love a great local small business and these guys have such a great selection of cards that are…read moreunique and many are blank on the inside that you can customize. My wife loves the anniversary card i got because it stood out versus prior years of the standard looking cards

This establishment is a great place to pick up something unique for yourself or someone you need to…read moreimpress with a thoughtful, witty, or intelligent gift. They have a great selection of unique greeting cards and Chicago related items for the home. They have inclusive branded merchandise for everyone. The store is smaller but, if you take the time to read and look at everything you may be there a while and totally enjoy it.

I love The Fig Tree! I always make a point to visit there when I'm in the West Loop. It is a great…read moreplace for gifts! I usually grab a few things to keep on hand because they have such great crowd pleasers. I think their card selection is great. There are so many beautiful cards available. The employees are always very nice and they kindly offer gift wrapping. It is also dog friendly, so I've brought in my dog a few times and he loves getting fussed over. I would highly recommend the Fig Tree! It is one of Chicago's best gift shops, in my opinion.

The Fig Tree is a cute shop in the West Loop that I've tried to get to for some time. It's not very…read morelarge but they have a wide variety of gifts and even souvenirs. They have some great Chicago-related merchandise: Glasses, coasters, kitchen towels, and so on. I was surprised to see an area with children's items like onesies and t-shirts and some small toys. They had a lot of cards, as well as a big section of socks. A lot of snarky and irreverent items too. This shop isn't easy for me to get to--I live on the north side and so it's nowhere near my neighborhood, and the couple other times I've attempted to visit here there was no parking around, so I'm not sure I'll be able to get back anytime soon. I would recommend it though and will be back if I'm around.

New finds and great things from Tokyo and the world !…read more We had a great experience. Good for the family. Fashion, food, stationary and travel.

This place reeks of sewer. That put me off so much I just couldn't really breathe and I find…read morebreathing is kind of essential to be able to enjoy an experience. In addition, their cute notebooks with creamy smooth paper were unpriced, and the staff weren't paying attention to the customers trying to catch their eye / chase them around the store to ask questions. They had some cute $195 tote bags, but they looked like they may be sprayed with waterproofing forever chemicals. They had cute $16 handkerchiefs, but there were like 75 colors to choose from, and I just couldn't decide on one. Also, they were $16. For a handkerchief.

Super neat shop! We loved the greeting cards, art books, pins, Chicago postcards, and especially…read moreloved the more unique objects for sale, like the NASA-patched toddler bomber jacket and wooden tree swings! Staff was super friendly and helpful. Everything was displayed beautifully. Very tidy and organized. I bought a funny greeting card and it was packaged up in a cute paper popcorn bag! A lovely touch.

This place is crazy unique. One of the best fun/funny gifts stores anywhere. High quality stuff,…read morebeautifully curated, great interesting and hilarious. And if Dame Joan Cusak is there, you will have a quintessential Chicago experience. 10/10, would recommend!