Chicago Shopping Guide - State Street

Macy’s
There are a couple Macy’s locations in Chicago, one in the Water Tower Place on the Magnificent Mile and another at 111 North State Street. Macy’s State Street site is in the old flagship Marshall Field’s department store, which was an institution of Chicago retail since its establishment in the early 1900s. The building is a beautiful twelve-story granite structure, most recognized for its ornate green clocks that hang over the sidewalks at the northwest and southwest corners. Inside, an impressive 6,000-square-foot mosaic Tiffany & Co. dome sits atop a five-level atrium and a secondary atrium scales 13 stories in the northwest section of the building.

Every winter, the street level windows are decorated in theme to tell a traditional story through carefully crafted miniature sets and cool animatronics. On weekends it can be tough to navigate the sidewalks outside Macy’s because so many people come to see the intricate window displays. The Walnut Room becomes a sought-after holiday dining spot as soon as the gigantic, three-story Christmas tree is put up in the center of the restaurant and the entire department store buzzes with energy as Chicagoans and out-of-towners rush to complete their gift lists.

Filene’s Basement
Like many popular retail outlets in Chicago, Filene’s Basement has a Magnificent Mile location and a store in the State Street shopping district. Both sites offer customers designer fashions for bargain prices. Anyone who refuses to pay full price will love Filene’s extreme discounts. Shoppers can purchase items from all the name brand clothiers for much less than their retail showrooms. The only catch is – you’ll need to give yourself extra time to weed through the racks and racks and racks of cut-rate clothing. The store has such a wide range of styles and designers it can take a while to sort through the excess to locate what you need. For the most part, though, a single find can make the entire visit worth while, sometimes saving you hundreds of dollars!

Loehmann’s
151 N. State Street
(312) 781-1000
Loehmann’s is another super big, discount department store that fits right in on State Street with the likes of Filene’s Basement, Nordstrom Rack and T.J. Maxx. Similar to its neighbors, Loehmann’s stocks designer labels for lowered prices. The bright, double-story showroom has extra-tall ceilings and lots of windows to create an inviting atmosphere for bargain hunting. Most of the clothing is trendy and fashionable, although there are some more conservative fashions for sale as well. Loehmann’s rotates in seasonal items with the changing weather, so it pays to stop back by every few months to check out the new merchandise. In addition to apparel, Loehmann’s has accessories and shoe sections that can help complete an outfit without costing an arm and a leg.

Sears is a well-known name in Chicago (e.g. Sears Tower) however the Sears retail stores have come to be recognized as an all-around, one-shop stop for everything under the sun. Freshen up your wardrobe, redecorate the house, deck out the basement, landscape the back yard – this mega-store has all your needs covered. The company’s flagship building was located on State Street at Van Buren from 1932 to 1986. After almost 20 years, Sears returned to State Street with a brand new facility at Madison in 2001. Now the multi-level downtown outlet has been reinstated as the thriving Chicago institute it once was decades ago.

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