Favorite Spots to Hit When Thrifting in Irving Park, According to Shelley Jacobs
We asked a local for her weekend afternoon activity of choice, and she hit us with the ultimate guide for thrifting in Irving Park (with a lunch spot, of course). Have you seen Shelley on Instagram? Her page @chicagoismyboyfriend highlights fun things to do in our beloved city!
Shelley Jacobs the human behind Chicago is my boyfriend, is having a love affair with Chicago. Whether it’s wandering Pilsen’s colorful streets, indulging in the cuisines of Chinatown, or weaving through the vintage shops in Wicker Park, she brings the city to life in a whole new light. She introduces you to Chicago’s best-kept secrets.
From Shelley directly:
"Secondhand shopping is my favorite pastime. Nothing beats the thrill of finding a unique piece and creating my own sense of style around it. I am allergic to anything mass-produced, so most of my home decor and clothing is secondhand, plus it feels good to know I’m giving these pieces a second life in a sustainable way. Irving Park is one of my favorite places to spend the day resale shopping. Here are my favorite spots, along with the best place to grab lunch while you’re there."
THE LOCAL'S LIST is our new weekly series where we tap locals to share their favorite spots, personal recs, and the kind of tips you usually only get from a friend.
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The New Lincoln Antique Mall
Location: 3115 W. Irving Park Road
"This place is beautifully curated and has something for everyone. If you’re looking to create a gallery wall, this is a great place to start - they have one of the best selections of vintage art and wall hangings I’ve seen."
Bobs Blues and Jazz Mart
Location: 3419 W. Irving Park Road
"Run by the son of the late owner of the iconic Jazz Record Mart and Delmark Records (one of the oldest operating jazz and blues labels in the U.S.) this shop carries on a Chicago legacy. The catalog runs deep in jazz and blues, obviously, but you can find all the other genres here, too, and a wealth of Chicago music knowledge from owner, Bob Koester, Jr."
Apricot Vintage
Location: 4108 N. Pulaski Road
"This vintage clothing shop has a huge thoughtfully curated selection of true vintage clothing. They recently expanded into the space, meaning there’s now double the racks to dig through."
Unique Thrift
Location: 3748 N. Elston Avenue
"I love ending the day at the thrift store. Vintage shops always give me loads of inspo but my budget won’t allow me to take home everything I want. Enter Unique Thrift. Take your ideas there and you’ll be amazed at what you can find while spending very little. Even better: bring a donation and they’ll give you a 20% off coupon. Hard to beat that!"
Luella’s Southern Kitchen
Location: 4114 North Kedzie Avenue
"Luella’s has long been a Northside staple on and worth the trek outside of your neighborhood. The hospitality is warm and the fried chicken is even better. Plus it’s byob!"
Got a better take?
Disagree with Shelley? Think we missed something? Email us at [email protected] (subject: IRVING PARK THRIFT) and put us on.
More Local Picks
This guide is part of The Local's List — a series where we ask people who actually live here to share their favorite spots, routines, and opinions about the city. This is our first one, but there’s more coming.
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