Lakeview is fun, freaky and fashionable. It feels like the downtown area of a Provincetown without the tourists and summer residents. On a nice day, you’ll see more than a few young mothers with strollers, and dogs, lots and lots of dogs. 
Lakeview has its own distinctive shopping neighborhoods. The Belmont area is a popular destination for shoppers looking for edgier clothing and accessories, and club-going younger fashions.
For colorful clothing, accessories and gift stores, East Lakeview/Boystown is a prime spot to visit. For the upscale experience, local shoppers can find designer labels and fashionable finds in the popular Southport Corridor. For all things Cubby, head over to Wrigleyville, where sports and souvenir stores are prevalent, especially across the street from Wrigley Field at Sheffield & Clark.
Although The Gap and American Apparel have stores in this area, it's not filled with national brands and big box stores. Lincoln Park is better suited to these tastes.
The real charm of the neighborhood is in the eclectic independent stores.
2006-2007
Store openings: Anthropologie, Cerulean I, Ciao Bella, Krista K Maternity & Baby, M2 Boutique, Mint Julep, Tula, Uncle Dan's
Store closings: Elizabeth Marie, Shane
Belmont Avenue
On Belmont, you are likely to pass a group of young professional women on their way to brunch, or a herd of teens with hair spiked to the extreme.
Catering to this diverse customer base is the area's unique stretch of stores showcasing alternative styles (punk, funk, or vintage), and affordable trendy clothes for the club-going twenty-somethings. 
Most must-see stores along Belmont are located between Sheffield and Halsted Streets. The anchor store of this neighborhood is The Alley in the Alternative Shopping Complex at Belmont and Clark, where you will find leather jackets, funky shoes, “smoking accessories,” band shirts, hair dye, body piercings, and more.
Love vintage? Don’t miss out on Land of the Lost, a small shop towards Broadway with fun clothes and great 80's nostalgia. The street also has its share of fun music and novelty stores.
What you’ll find here:
Accessories: DSW
Clothing/Accessories: Amigos and US, Fashion Tomato, Hollywood Mirror, Hubba Hubba, Jive Monkey, Land of the Lost, Medusa’s Circle, Never Mind, Never Mind Details, Pink Frog, Ragstock, Shanghai Gallery, Something Old Something New, The Doc Store, Tragically Hip
Dept. Stores: Marshall's
Home Furnishings: Beyond the Wall, Futonair, John Galt Gallery, Linens N Things
Specialty/Gift Stores:Amigos and US, The Alley, Architectural Revolution, Chicago Comics, Graffix, Grooving High, Hollywood Mirror, Metal Haven, Saturday Audio Exchange
East Lakeview / Boystown
The Gay Pride parade sashays up Broadway and down Halsted once a year, but every day of the year there's evidence in the surrounding neighborhood that Boystown is not just a movie orphanage. 
The welcoming rainbow-clad golden pylons on Halsted Street are a colorful sign that this is a gay-friendly zone. More evidence could be the number of feather boas sold here.
As in every Chicago neighborhood, local stores cater to local tastes. And the neighborhood's lifestyle preferences are celebrated by shops that carry everything from adult toys and novelty gifts to "in" clothing and accessories.
A number of home furnishings and specialty stores, including Equinox and Guava Imports, cater to universal tastes. But regardless of your style or lifestyle preferences, you won't have any difficulty finding that feather boa for the next parade.
What you’ll find here:
Accessories: The Silver Room
Art Galleries: Leigh Art Gallery, Rubin's Chicago Room Gallery
Clothing/Accessories: American Apparel, Bad Boys, Beatnix, Brown Elephant, The Gap, Ninety Ninth Floor, Shirts Illustrated, Universal Gear
Home Furnishings: Addendum, Apt. No. 5, Bed Bath & Beyond, CLODY, Equinox, Guava Imports
Specialty/Gift Stores: Batteries Not Included, Cupcakes, Cupid’s Treasure, Gaymart, The Gourmet Grape, Pleasure Chest, Selected Works, Unabridged Bookstore
Southport Avenue Corridor
Southport is an upscale village in the middle of a large city, with lots of charming, independent boutiques offering unique clothes and gifts as their main attraction.
More family-oriented than its neighbors to the north and east, baby boutiques and dessert cafes make clear that young mothers are Southport’s most frequent shoppers.
This area of Lakeview, on North Southport, has become a hot destination for trendy shops. Want the latest in designer denim, or the must-haves from head to toe, stop into Flirt, Krista K, Jake, or Red Head Boutique.
For the little ones, you can’t miss Beansprout or Petite Feet for clothing and accessories. And when it's time for a relaxing lunch or sweet treat, Southport Grocery and Cafe is a great place for both.
What you’ll find here:
Art Galleries: Bell Studio Gallery
Accessories: Bourdage Pearls, City Soles, Click Shoes, Custom Eyes, Dilani, M2 Boutique, Oreste Jewelers
Children/Baby: Beansprout, Petite Feet
Clothing/Accessories: Anthropologie, Cerulean I, Ciao Bella, Flirt, Jake, Krista K, Krista K Maternity + Baby, Kuhlman, Leahey & Ladue Consignment, Mint Julep, Red Head Boutique, She One, Trousseau, Tula, Xksito Latin Boutique
Gourmet Foods: Ethel’s Chocolate Lounge, Que Syrah, Sensational Bites, Southport Grocery and Café
Health & Beauty: Body Chemistri
Home Furnishings:Alhambra, Fourth World Artisan, Renovation Source, Repose Interior Design Studio, Splendor
Specialty/Gift Stores: Fly Paper, Olly’s Kingdom, Southport Blooms, That’s Amore, Uncle Dan's Outdoor Store
Wrigleyville – Home to the Chicago Cubs
For our purposes, namely shopping, Wrigleyville is that section of the city around Wrigley Field—Addison between Sheffield and Southport, and Clark from Newport to Addison.
Beer and restaurants are ample in Wrigleyville, though shopping opportunities are not. But if you are a Cubs fan, or have one in your life, Wrigleyville is the best place to go.
Cubs paraphernalia of all stripes are available (need a pink Cubs thong?) along with jerseys for other Chicago teams, like the Bears and Bulls. The concentration of souvenir stores, as well as the street carts on game days, allows for quick bargain hunting and price comparisons.
As long as you’re in the area, stop into Strange Cargo, a local favorite for vintage clothing, accessories and collectibles that will take you back to the 70's and 80’s.
What you’ll find here:
Art: Aiko’s Art Materials
Clothing/Accessories: Disgraceland, Strange Cargo
Specialty/Gift Stores: Books & Records, J1Toy, Sports World, Strange Cargo, Winward Sports, Wrigleyville Sports
Neighborhood Associations: Central Lakeview www.mylakeview.com, Lakeview East www.lakevieweast.com,
Lakeview Chamber www.lakeviewchamber.com, North Halsted www.northalsted.com
Nearby Shopping Destinations: Andersonville, Bucktown/Wicker Park, Lincoln Park, Lincoln Square
Photos courtesy of Flirt, Red Head Boutique and Southport Grocery & Cafe.
SeeMore Shopping Contributing Writer - C. Magnotta.
Editorial content is independent of paid advertisers. Any expenses are paid for by SeeMoreShopping. Publ. 10/06.
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