German roots, indies · N Lincoln Ave
Lincoln Square
Lincoln Ave at Western.
A German-heritage neighborhood whose Lincoln Avenue strip mixes an 1870s apothecary, a European sausage shop, a bookstore cafe and independent toy, gift and kitchen shops. It suits families and food-minded browsers.
Old-world · Food shops · Toys & gifts
- In our directory
- 18 shopseach one verified
- Where
- N Lincoln AveGerman roots, indies
- Right now
- Typical hours10am–6pm
- Getting here
- CTA Brown Line: WesternAt Western and Leland, a block from Lincoln Avenue
The directory
18 shops, all in one place.
Tap a shop or a dot on the map to see it.
Specialty4 places
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Cooking school and kitchen store selling cookware, tools, specialty ingredients, wine, spirits and local beer, with hands-on classes for adults and kids.
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Retail shop of the Old Town School of Folk Music at the school's Lincoln Avenue address, at the south end of the strip; a natural stop for musicians and music gifts.
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Running store for shoes, apparel and socks at the north end of the Lincoln Avenue strip, on the same block as The Book Cellar and Gene's Sausage Shop.
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Fabric shop at the south end of the Lincoln Avenue strip, near the Old Town School of Folk Music; a stop for sewists and quilters browsing the neighborhood.
Food & drink2 places
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European specialty market with 40-plus housemade smoked meats, prepared foods, and imported beer and wine; its rooftop beer garden runs Fri–Sun in warm months.
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Spice merchant on the 4700 block of Lincoln, part of the main shopping cluster beside Timeless Toys and The Chopping Block; a good stop for cooking gifts.
Gifts2 places
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Lincoln Avenue outpost of the gift shop that stocks work by 100-plus mostly Chicagoland artists and makers: prints, jewelry, ceramics, apparel and its own Midwest merch.
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Lincoln Square location of the Chicago gift shop that bills itself as an urban general store, with cards, books, toys, baby gifts and home and office goods.
Boutiques2 places
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Artisan boutique at the north end of the strip selling work by independent makers, including artist prints; it takes part in the chamber's Shop Late nights.
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Eco-friendly and sustainable clothing, home goods and accessories on the main Lincoln Ave strip; the shop's mission includes supporting people with disabilities.
Jewelry2 places
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Independent jeweler on the main Lincoln Avenue block, a few doors from Timeless Toys and Savory Spice, listed in the Lincoln Square Ravenswood Chamber directory.
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Jewelry and accessories shop on Western Avenue just off the Lincoln Avenue strip that hosts local artist pop-ups during the neighborhood's shopping events.
Beauty1 place
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Apothecary founded in 1875 with herbal tinctures still kept in antique jars, plus vitamins, holistic remedies and European skincare such as Dr. Hauschka and Klorane.
Books1 place
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Independent bookstore with a cafe serving coffee, sandwiches, pastries, wine and beer, and a regular schedule of author readings and book events.
Kids1 place
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Independent toy store open since 1993, stocking wooden and educational toys, games, puzzles, LEGO, plush, children's books and arts-and-crafts kits.
Records & music1 place
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Neighborhood record store on the 4600 block of Lincoln Avenue, near Midwest Nice; it took part in the chamber's December 2025 Shop Late evenings with free tote bags.
Fashion1 place
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Outdoor clothing and gear outfitter on the 4700 block of Lincoln, near Merz Apothecary and The Book Cellar; it offers a free Insiders membership program.
Galleries1 place
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Retail gallery on the main Lincoln Ave block selling contemporary and traditional art, handcrafted pieces and decor; a stop for gifts with a one-off feel.
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Insider guide
Shopping Lincoln Square.
The story
Lincoln Square is a German-heritage neighborhood, and its shopping runs along N Lincoln Ave, roughly from Western Ave to Lawrence Ave on the 4500 to 4700 blocks. The strip mixes old-world food and apothecary shops with independent toy, gift, book and kitchen stores.
The 4700 block is the core. Merz Apothecary, founded in 1875, Gene's Sausage Shop, The Book Cellar, Timeless Toys and The Chopping Block are all on it. It suits families and food-minded browsers, with a cooking school, a spice shop and a sausage counter on the same block.
A Little History
Swiss, German and English farmers settled this area in the mid-1800s, growing flowers and pickles, and it was once called the celery capital of America. Streetcars and the Ravenswood elevated line, today's Brown Line, opened it up around 1900; green arches now mark Lincoln Avenue between Leland and Lawrence, next to the Western stop.
What to Expect
At the south end, Tailorbird Fabrics (4528) serves sewists and quilters, and the Old Town School Music Store (4544) is the retail shop of the Old Town School of Folk Music. Nomadic Ant (4604 N Western Ave) sells jewelry and accessories just off the strip. On the 4600 block, Midwest Nice (4619) stocks work by 100-plus mostly Chicagoland makers, and Laurie's Planet of Sound (4639) is the neighborhood record store.
Most of the shops are on the 4700 block. Gallimaufry Gallery (4712) sells art and handcrafted decor, Merz Apothecary (4716) has herbal tinctures, vitamins and European skincare like Dr. Hauschka, and Gearhead Outfitters (4724) has outdoor clothing and gear. The Book Cellar (4736-38) is a bookstore with a cafe serving coffee, wine and beer. Gene's Sausage Shop (4750) has 40-plus housemade smoked meats plus imported beer and wine, and Fleet Feet (4762) is at the north end. The same block has ENJOY (4723), Planet Access (4727) for sustainable clothing and home goods, The Chopping Block (4747) for cookware and classes, Timeless Toys (4749), Stanley Brown Jewelist (4751), Savory Spice Shop (4753) and Raw Edge (4757) for work by independent makers.
Best Time to Visit
Most shops open at 10 or 11am and close around 6pm, and Sunday hours end about 4pm. The Book Cellar stays open to 8pm on weekdays, and Gene's runs 9am to 8pm Monday to Saturday. The Chopping Block's store is closed Sunday through Tuesday. Many shops here don't post hours, so call ahead. From Memorial Day weekend, Gene's rooftop beer garden opens Friday and Saturday 11am to 8pm and Sunday 11am to 4pm, weather permitting. In December, the chamber's Shop Late Lincoln Square evenings run on Thursdays (5 to 8pm in 2025) with in-store specials, drinks and pop-ups.
If You Only Have an Hour
Start at Merz Apothecary (4716) for the tinctures in their antique jars. Walk north to The Book Cellar (4736-38), then go on to Timeless Toys (4749) and Savory Spice Shop (4753). End at Gene's Sausage Shop (4750) for smoked meats to take home.
This week
In Lincoln Square this week.
Typical hours
Most shops keep the hours below.
Hours vary by individual store. Always check with specific retailers.
Eat, drink, stay
Between shops, close by.
Top restaurants nearby
All of Eat →- Bistro CampagneFrench · French bistro with a garden dining room; order the onion soup, mussels steamed in Belgian ale, roast chicken or hanger steak with frites.
- Ardor by ChanceAmerican · Sit-down American restaurant next to the Davis Theater, handy before a movie; the menu runs from steak tartare and ribeye to sea bass and pizzas.
- Artango Bar & SteakhouseSteakhouse · Steakhouse and bar on the north end of the Lincoln Ave strip; Choose Chicago lists it among the neighborhood's main dinner spots.
- The WarblerAmerican · Neighborhood American restaurant with a broad menu built around pastas, a few doors from Bistro Campagne on Lincoln Ave; takes reservations.
- Union Dumpling HouseChinese / dumplings · Inexpensive dumpling spot on Lincoln Ave; its 2026 restaurant-week menu was $16.88, the lowest-priced on the Lincoln Square list.
Ratings are the scores saved in our directory and are not live. Check the listing for the current score.
Getting here
Parking and transit.
- PParkingMetered street parking on Lincoln Avenue and the nearby side streets.
- SCTA Brown Line: WesternAt Western and Leland, a block from Lincoln AvenueCTA fare
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Guides for Lincoln Square
All guides →
Chicago Holiday Markets and Lights, 2026
The confirmed 2026 dates for Christkindlmarket and the Magnificent Mile Lights Festival, plus Andersonville's Julmarknad and Lincoln Square's holiday nights, with what to buy and the shops nearby.
Read guide →
The Andersonville Indie Shopping Walk
One slow afternoon up N Clark Street from Foster to Bryn Mawr: the Swedish American Museum, glögg at a 1934 tavern, Chicago-made jeans and T-shirts, a feminist bookstore, a market of 200-plus local makers, records, toys and cardamom buns.
Read guide →Vintage Shopping in Chicago: Where to Buy and Sell
Wicker Park's Milwaukee Ave resale row, Pilsen's Knee Deep, Andersonville's Brown Elephant, Logan Square's Vintage Frills and the Randolph Street Market.
Read guide →Stay in the loop
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