Northwestern's Evanston campus sits right against downtown Evanston, and that is where you'll do most of your shopping. The blocks of Sherman Ave, Davis St, Orrington Ave, Grove St and Chicago Ave hold a Target, a Whole Foods, record stores, used books, resale and a run of small independents. The Downtown Evanston directory lists most of them.
Start on Sherman. Target (1616 Sherman Ave) is a small-format store with groceries, a CVS Pharmacy, home goods, clothing and school supplies. A few doors up, Commonwealth Running (1631 Sherman Ave) sells running shoes and gear, and Tennis Ballerz (1623 Sherman Ave) restrings rackets and carries pickleball gear. Campus Gear (1717 Sherman Ave) is the off-campus spot for licensed Northwestern apparel, and Crossroads Trading (1730 Sherman Ave) buys and sells secondhand clothes.
Around the corner, Bookends and Beginnings (1620 Orrington Ave) is a two-floor independent bookstore with more than 40,000 books and gifts. On Davis St you'll find Vintage Vinyl (925 Davis St), Amaranth Books (828 Davis St) for used and rare titles, Watcher Comix (606 Davis St) and Lemoi Ace Hardware (1008 Davis St). Grove St has Animal Records (620 Grove St) and Trophy Pet (624 Grove St).
The Northwestern Bookstore is the official campus store, on the ground floor of Norris University Center (1999 Campus Drive). It sells textbooks, apparel, supplies, electronics, backpacks and gift cards, and there is an Apple Authorized Campus Store inside. Its posted hours are Monday to Friday, 10am to 5pm, closed weekends. The university's page notes that Northwestern is moving to Follett Higher Education as its new bookstore partner, so check the page before a weekend visit or a big textbook run.
For official Northwestern gear on a Saturday or Sunday, walk to Campus Gear (1717 Sherman Ave). It carries officially licensed Northwestern apparel, jerseys, sweatshirts, pennants and gifts, plus Big Ten, pro and Greek-life gear. It's open Monday to Friday 11am to 7pm and weekends 10am to 6pm. The Downtown Evanston holiday guide lists it together with The Basement, its sister shop.
Most move-in lists can be covered in downtown Evanston. Target (1616 Sherman Ave) handles the basics: bedding, storage, toiletries, snacks and a pharmacy counter. It's open seven days with extended evening hours, and it offers Drive Up and same-day delivery.
For tools, hooks, extension cords and cleaning supplies, Lemoi Ace Hardware (1008 Davis St) is the long-running local hardware store. Blick Art Materials (1755 Maple Ave) covers poster board, frames and craft supplies. Groceries: Whole Foods Market (1640 Chicago Ave) is the downtown supermarket, and Target has a grocery section too.
For bigger furniture and kitchen pieces, Westfield Old Orchard in neighboring Skokie has Crate & Barrel, West Elm and an Apple store. CTA bus 201 runs from Howard along Ridge Ave to Davis St in Evanston, and it also stops outside Macy's at Old Orchard.
Records come first. Vintage Vinyl (925 Davis St) has been in Evanston since 1979 and sells rare and collectible vinyl across rock, jazz, soul and classical, plus posters and CDs. Animal Records (620 Grove St) opened in 2024 with new and used vinyl, CDs and cassettes, and it's open daily from noon to 6pm.
For used books, Amaranth Books (828 Davis St) stocks used and rare titles and classical CDs. Bookends and Beginnings (1620 Orrington Ave) is the place for new books. Watcher Comix (606 Davis St) does comics, graphic novels and manga, and Evanston Games & Cafe (1707 Maple Ave) sells board games, RPG books and Magic: The Gathering.
For clothes, Crossroads Trading (1730 Sherman Ave) buys, sells and trades secondhand pieces. Bring clothes in for cash or store credit. Heyday Evanston (522 Davis St) is a vintage collective with clothing and accessories from many vendors. Madison Grace (612 Davis St) and Accents Plus (601 Davis St) carry new women's clothing.
If you have a Saturday, take the train south to Andersonville. Buffalo Exchange (5252 N Clark St), Women & Children First (5233 N Clark St) and Rattleback Records (5405 N Clark St) are all on one stretch of Clark Street.
- Campus Gear (1717 Sherman Ave): an official Northwestern sweatshirt or pennant for the family.
- Eve J. Alfillé Studio & Gallery (623 Grove St): handmade, nature-inspired jewelry for a graduation gift.
- Saville Flowers (1714 Sherman Ave) or FlowersFlowers (1110 Davis St): bouquets for commencement day.
- The Alley Gallery (1712 Sherman Ave, alley entrance): framed prints and posters, plus custom framing for a diploma.
- Gather: Consciously Curated (1509 Chicago Ave): fair trade clothing, home goods and gifts.
- Bookends and Beginnings (1620 Orrington Ave): a book and a card on the way to dinner.
The Downtown Evanston directory lists more than 80 places to eat and drink a few blocks from campus. Two easy picks with posted addresses: Joy Yee's Noodles (521 Davis St), a BYOB Pan-Asian spot with a long menu and smoothies, and Lou Malnati's (1850 Sherman Ave) for Chicago-style deep dish. Lou Malnati's Evanston location takes part in Northwestern's Wildcard Advantage program: 10% off, alcohol excluded, if you mention the discount when you order.
For coffee and sweets, the directory also lists Colectivo Coffee, Philz Coffee, Newport Coffee, Patisserie Coralie and Kilwins in downtown Evanston.
The CTA Purple Line serves campus at the Davis, Foster and Noyes stops. Foster and Noyes are about two and a half blocks west of Sheridan Road. Davis is the downtown Evanston stop and connects to Metra Union Pacific/North trains at Davis St/Evanston station, which run to Chicago and the northern suburbs.
The Purple Line runs between Linden in Wilmette and Howard in Chicago, where you can transfer to the Red Line. The Red Line reaches the Magnificent Mile at the Grand and Chicago stops. On weekday rush periods, Purple Line express trains continue to the Loop, stopping at Armitage in Lincoln Park on the way. For Andersonville, the #22 Clark bus runs from Howard down Clark Street.
Driving? Visitors can park at the South Campus Parking Garage by the Segal Visitors Center or the North Campus Parking Garage. Campus lots need a visitor permit Monday to Friday, 8am to 4pm.