DePaul's Lincoln Park campus is an urban campus centered on Fullerton and Sheffield, so everything in this guide is within walking distance: about a mile or less, on the campus's own blocks of Halsted, Armitage, Webster and Clark. Walk south from the Fullerton L and the shops start a few blocks from the quad.
Halsted, Webster to Armitage. This is the stretch closest to campus. Lilliput Books (2150 N Halsted St) is a small community bookstore with fiction, cookbooks and a Chicago history shelf. Next door, The Kismet Table (2142 N Halsted St) sells pantry goods, cheese, cookbooks and housewares. Baggu (2118 N Halsted St) opened its second Chicago store here this summer, with nylon bags, socks and toiletry cases. Farther south, Leonidas Chocolate Cafe (1964 N Halsted St) sells boxed Belgian pralines.
Armitage, Halsted to Sheffield. Turn west on Armitage for the neighborhood's main shopping row. Lori's Shoes (824 W Armitage Ave) is the stop for marked-down footwear. Rothy's (846 W Armitage Ave) sells the brand's shoes and bags and takes back worn pairs for recycling. Across the street, Todd Snyder (815 W Armitage Ave) is menswear with a Suit Shop for alterations. Serena & Lily (853 W Armitage Ave) shows furniture and bedding, Gorjana (903 W Armitage Ave) sells gold jewelry, Hotel Chocolat (900 W Armitage Ave) has a wall of chocolates, and Art Effect (934 W Armitage Ave) mixes women's clothes, jewelry, gifts and home accessories.
Clark and Diversey. East of campus, Clark has the doughnut and bakery stops listed under Eat Nearby, and the closest Trader Joe's is on Diversey.
For official DePaul gear, go to the DePaul University Bookstore (2419 N Sheffield Ave), on campus and run by Barnes & Noble. DePaul lists it at that address with the phone number (773) 325-7700. Hours are not posted on the pages we could load, so call ahead or check depaul.bncollege.com, the store site DePaul links from its campus pages.
Besides textbooks, rentals and e-books, it carries university apparel and gifts. Faculty and staff get 10% off textbooks and 20% off general books with a DePaul ID, and alumni can sign up for Barnes & Noble's loyalty program for discounts on apparel. If you're downtown, the Loop campus store is in the DePaul Center at 1 E Jackson Blvd.
For groceries, the closest store we could confirm is Trader Joe's (667 W Diversey Pkwy), northeast of campus near Clark. Its store page lists daily hours of 9am to 9pm, and it is the easy run for snacks, frozen meals and fridge staples. For a bigger stock-up, Whole Foods Market Lincoln Park (1550 N Kingsbury St) is south of the Armitage shops, a bus or bike ride rather than a stroll. It is open daily 8am to 10pm and has a hot bar, bakery, self checkout and an Amazon returns counter, handy for sending back the extra desk lamp.
Closer in, The Kismet Table (2142 N Halsted St) is good for stocking a first kitchen: pantry goods, housewares and cookbooks. For bedding and decor you want to see in person, Serena & Lily (853 W Armitage Ave) has furniture, bedding and free fabric swatches.
For fresh food, two farmers markets run until late November. The Lincoln Park Farmers Market sets up Saturdays 7am to 1pm at Armitage and Orchard, and Green City Market (1817 N Clark St) runs Wednesdays and Saturdays 7am to 1pm, with flowers, coffee, cheese, meat and baked goods.
Lilliput Books (2150 N Halsted St) is the neighborhood bookstore, a few blocks from campus, and it runs book clubs. For shoes on a budget, Lori's Shoes (824 W Armitage Ave) is the walkable pick. Baggu (2118 N Halsted St) is where to get a backpack-sized tote or a toiletry case for the dorm bathroom.
For a nicer piece, Todd Snyder (815 W Armitage Ave) can tailor a suit for an internship interview, and Rothy's (846 W Armitage Ave) sells washable flats and sneakers. Art Effect (934 W Armitage Ave) is the local boutique for women's clothes and jewelry. Lincoln Park itself is light on thrift and records; for those, see the last section.
- DePaul University Bookstore (2419 N Sheffield Ave): official DePaul apparel and gifts for the grad or a proud parent.
- Gorjana (903 W Armitage Ave): gold necklaces, bracelets and earrings, with free gift wrap.
- Art Effect (934 W Armitage Ave): designer jewelry, gifts and home accessories in one stop.
- Hotel Chocolat (900 W Armitage Ave): a wall of more than 100 chocolates to take away.
- Leonidas Chocolate Cafe (1964 N Halsted St): boxed Belgian pralines and macarons.
- Lilliput Books (2150 N Halsted St): a Chicago history or architecture book for a parent heading home.
- Levain Bakery (849 W Armitage Ave): a four-pack of cookies for the hotel room.
Coffee and pastry. Paper Tiger Cafe (628 W Webster Ave) opened in May and bakes its own croissants and banana bread. On Webster west of campus, Floriole Cafe & Bakery (1220 W Webster Ave) does pastries, quiche and soup, Wednesday to Sunday 8am to 2pm, and Sweet Mandy B's (1208 W Webster Ave) next door sells cookies, cupcakes and pies. On Armitage, Maison Parisienne (901 W Armitage Ave) has croissants and sandwiches, Tuesday to Sunday 7am to 6pm.
Doughnuts on Clark. Firecakes Donuts (2453 N Clark St) is open daily 6:30am to 7pm and also pours coffee. Farmer's Milk Cafe & Bakery (2460 N Clark St) sells cakes and pastries across the street. Beacon Doughnuts sits in the alley off Armitage at 810 W Armitage Ave.
Cheap eats. Athenian Room (807 W Webster Ave) is a casual, low-priced Greek spot for gyros and the chicken kalamata dinner. John's Food And Wine (2114 N Halsted St) is partly counter service. Dimmi Dimmi Corner Italian (1112 W Armitage Ave) does tavern-style pizza, with walk-ins at the bar.
Parents' dinner. Café Ba-Ba-Reeba! (2024 N Halsted St) serves tapas and paella, Beaumont's (2020 N Halsted St) has mussels and a walk-in bar, and Armitage Alehouse (1000 W Armitage Ave) does pot pies and a wagyu cheeseburger, with reservations opening 21 days out.
The CTA Red, Brown and Purple Lines all stop at Fullerton. DePaul says to exit there and turn left (west) to Sheffield Ave. The #74 Fullerton, #11 Lincoln and #8 Halsted buses also serve campus, and Divvy bike stations are nearby.
The Armitage shops have their own Brown and Purple Line stop at Armitage and Sheffield, one stop south of Fullerton, so you can walk down and ride back with bags.
Driving? Visitors can use the Clifton Parking Deck (2330 N Clifton Ave), where a validated ticket gets discounted parking. Street parking on Armitage and Halsted is metered and fills up on weekends.
For thrift, vintage and records, take a trip to Wicker Park, where the shops cluster near the Damen Blue Line stop. Buffalo Exchange (1478 N Milwaukee Ave) and Crossroads Trading (1519 N Milwaukee Ave) sell resale clothing and buy it too, so bring what you've outgrown. Reckless Records (1379 N Milwaukee Ave) sells new and used vinyl, and Myopic Books (1564 N Milwaukee Ave) has three floors of used books, open daily until 9pm.
For running shoes, ride the Brown Line north from Fullerton to the Southport stop for Southport Corridor, where Fleet Feet Lakeview (3359 N Southport Ave) sells shoes and gear.