There are still some useful and fun places to shop in Glen Ellyn.
10,000 Villages is always fun-and great for gifts. I f I need anything fixed in my house I have Soukup's. Table Clothes is great for kitchen (and other) house needs. I got stuff there for my daughter when she moved into a new house.
Now there's Dancing Lights. Solar lights for the yard are useful as well as candles for cool evening atmosphere.
Cabernet & Company has wine tastings. Groceries from McChesney & Miller.
Maybe someday when I'm so rich that I can buy so much stuff that I can't fit it into my house I'ii need more places.

quote:

Originally posted by GE Fan:
the Village should take it.

Just the thought of those knuckle heads trying to run anything makes my skin crawl.

Last year I discovered that Soukups had a variety of garden supplies that one would need to start their spring garden. After selecting many bags of their products and wondering how I was going to get it to my car, they informed me of their back door pickup! So, now I go in, shop around and pay. Then I do the rest of my shopping downtown while leaving my goodies at Soukups. When I am done shopping downtown, I drive my car around to their back (through the Civic Center's parking lot) and they load up my car. It is by far the best way to shop!

If you didn't know it, our downtown is a very fun place to shop for small goodie items for favors. I had a budget of under $15 for 20 favors and decided to see if I could find anything downtown. I found so much that I had a hard time deciding! Between AliKat, Knickers, Giggles~N~Gaggles, Renaissance Art Studio and Georgia Rae, I had plenty to pick from. I stopped going to more stores because I was already having a hard time. I also bought several $20 prize items from these stores as well. Just so you know I did not buy junk, I'll let you know what I bought: From Renaissance Art Studio: $6 memory books. These are the little books covered with custom material that closes with a ribbon around it. Inside, it folds like an accordion and has 10 little frames for wallet size pictures. From Giggles~N~Gaggles: $8-$12 gifts of candles and purse holders (if you have ever seen some of the restaurants that provide clips on the table to hold purses, these are now sold at Giggles~N~Gaggles in great designs), from AliKatI think $12) little perfume bottles, from Georgia Rae: reusable grocery bags in really fun prints.

My other great discovery was the Running Store. I wanted to buy my husband something for his new running hobby. I was out at Dick's Sporting Goods and found a gps watch for around $400. I came home, researched them, and called The Running Store. They carried a gps watch with better customer reviews for far less- and much better customer service!

While we still need a ton more work downtown, there are some real treasures. Sometimes it does take an effort to see what our downtown has to offer, but once you do, great discoveries await!

Soukup's and Young's are definitely 2 assets.
Too bad Soukup's spearheaded the opposition to the redevelopment of the parking lot. But otherwise, their service is tough to beat.

I love the Running Store and I don't run. I have purchased shoes, gear, heart rate monitors, etc... everything across the price point spectrum for Mr. 144 and no matter what I'm spending they are always wonderful.

I also get great service at Geische (sp).

The Sweet Shop (sp) does cute gift bags at every price and are very helpful. I have bought their 1.00 gift coins (big red plastic circles) for a ton of parties, stocking stuffers, just because...kind of things.

Giggles and Gaggles did a perfect job on a large, constantly changing custom order for my daughter's dance team and I have sent many people their way.

In general I have received quality service from every store I've been in in the CBD. I try to go there first when someone will fill the need and it's in my budget.

I have never been to Wheaton Meat Market, although I have heard the virtues of the establishment from many, and as long as the butchers at McChesney don't retire I never will.

quote:

Originally posted by Dinsdale:
Soukup's and Young's are definitely 2 assets.
Too bad Soukup's spearheaded the opposition to the redevelopment of the parking lot. But otherwise, their service is tough to beat.

Based on their inability to keep any inventory, It'd be ironic for them to shutter. Wouldn't it?