this has been my favorite place on earth for several years, there's never a dull moment here; it…read moretakes a bit of searching but there are tons of treasures to be found also: this is probably not the place for you IF... 1. You're not really artsy 2. You can't overcome functional fixedness 3. You can't wait in line for more than a few minutes 4. You don't think employees shouldn't take a well earned break 5. You expect to see new items for sale constantly in a typical consumerist fashion their slogan is "make art, not trash" for a reason! Just saying...

This is my favorite place to take visiting grandchildren. I give them $10 - $20 each and let them…read morebuy a bunch of stuff. Then they spend the rest of the day creating something out of it all. They love it and are so proud of their creations!

Plenty of discounted items to choose from in all kinds of categories…read moreNormally the staff is very friendly and helpful, however today the cashier, a rather large woman, was a bit rude to a man in front of me in line trying to make a return\nTo

The next big in neighborhood savings. Ollie is an economical outlet with most name brands at great…read morediscounted prices. The cashier was courteous and helpful.

The Lincoln Square Shopping Center is home to the Lazy Daisy Cafe where I had breakfast on a trip…read moreto the University of Illinois. While Lazy Daisy was good, there is not much more at the mall that interested me. While waited for our table at Lazy Daisy, we walked around the shopping center. There was a second hand store for arts and crafts projects which was cool but there doesn't seem to be much else going on at the mall. Still, there must be some stores worth checking out because the parking lot was nearly full.

Lincoln Square was a shopping center that has been around for over 50 years. Though it doesn't have…read morethe big name stores it use to, They have a lot of small businesses that need support of the community. There are several categories of businesses: Health & Wellness, Retail Shopping, Restaurants, Business offices, & Community Services. I was very surprised when I realized how many business was here in the shopping center. The even have some empty spaces that are available to lease to start a business in. Very happy to see that they are still operating.

The best part of used bookstores is the element of serendipity. I find books I have loved that I…read morenever knew existed, and would never have known to search for them. New bookstores, in my view, are very limited in scope -- the owner has a particular taste, majority of titles (not counting classics) have been published in the last 1-5 years, from major publishing houses, almost everything has been on the NYT besteller's list. Very little element of surprise, few hidden gems. Used bookstores have so much more serendipity, so many hidden gems, so much more variety. And Priceless Books has this element of used bookstores, but twice as much as any other used bookstore I've been to. And I've been to a lot! On every road trip, if I'm just passing through, I check out their used bookstores. This one's special. Yes, it's messy and there's piles of books on the floor blocking the path (definitely not a wheelchair friendly store). Yes, you have to crane your neck to view titles up on the shelf. Yes, the store clerk is not gregarious (but does have a twinkle in his eye). But it's worth it! I have found so many books that my here that my life feels more complete having read them, and I never would have known of them if not for this store. This can be said of many a used book store, but Priceless Books just has more of it, and it's something special.

Every university town requires a shambly old bookstore with overflowing shelves whispering wisps of…read morearcana to all who pass its portal. This is Urbana's. My favorite thing about this particular emporium of tomes, though, is that the kindly gentleman who owns it is a dead ringer for a beloved childhood fictional character, Professor Branestawm.

quality of products good variety endless…read more cost a bit higher than i would like owner very nice pod casa

I pass this place all the time. We decided to stop in today on impulse. I was so impressed with the…read morevast quantity of stuff they have here! There are no clothes at this second hand store but everything else is abundant. If you're into antiques, I would definitely come here. They have everything from inexpensive jewelry to high end antiques. The aisles are overflowing with cool stuff! Every single nook and cranny is filled with neat knick knacks! The owners are not only knowledgable about their antiques for sale but also very knowledgable about Urbana history. It was great chatting with them! The only criticism is that their items are a little pricey in my opinion but it's all in great condition so you don't have to do any of the digging you do at other second hand shops.

Rocky is as friendly and helpful as one can be. Great shopping experience and I would definitely go…read moreback. It's obvious the vendors carefully curate and while some items imo are overpriced, many items are very reasonable.

I have never had a pleasant shopping experience at this location, which is unfortunate because it…read moreis one of a few consignment stores in CU. Also, I frequent thrift stores in the area and have repeatedly seen an item at Goodwill or Salt n Light show up at Crossroads for a much higher price, without being cleaned or repaired at all. Disappointing that some people will take resources from their own community for profit

We made an impromptu stop here after visiting the Goodwill and were pleasantly surprised…read more We found the store to be clean, well organized, and easy to shop. Things weren't crammed together on racks and shelves and you didn't have to dig through things. Prices were good and they have a room full of groceries at reduced prices. Fresh popcorn was popping as well. Not sure if this was free to customers or if it was for sale. Would return again if I were in the area. Shopping carts available. 4/5 stars because once the parking on the side of the building is full you have to park across the street (at least that's what we did).

Great donation base and good thrift store prices. We've found some excellent quality used items.read more

Nice little store that manages to do a lot with the square footage…read more What's here: you can bring your own containers and tare them for use in the bulk section, the cashiers are able to ring up properly. All the basics are here, the selection isn't huge. Before the mall changed leadership they had a great community bulletin board by the mall entrance into the store, not sure if that's still there. Community health: all staff and many customers are masking! This is great, since Urbana is currently at high community levels and masking indoors is recommended.

So excited to stop here during our road trip because I knew they would have allergen-friendly items…read morethat might be tough for me to find other places. Plus I knew they would have ready-to-eat prepared foods that we could grab and go. In fact, they have a microwave you can use right at the end of the registers. My kids had a lot of fund finding the ingredients for homemade trail mix in the bulk bins too. We bought gluten-free snacks and prepared foods too. I don't mind bagging my own groceries because I do that at Aldi frequently. I love the idea of having an ownership stake in a co-op! How great. My kids said it felt like a mini-Whole Foods.

Store review: Big lots is a hybrid marshall's but slightly…read morelower quality and more like a Kmart but better organized. Lots of home good items with some brand news, but not high end with groceries as well. Staff is friendly and easy to check out. The aisles as others have stated are sort of cramped. I can't say I will come here often, but I will come to browse once in a while. Pros: cheaper home good items, not high end like TJmaxx or home goods though, they have a little of everything Cons: small aisles Hidden deals: 1. Sign up for big rewards card to have easy receipt look up, email ads, special offers for members. You can sign up through the website.

This is the dirtiest Big Lot I have seen so far! From the floors to the shelves to the parking lot!read more