I happened upon the absolute coolest retail space in Chicago tonight

I made it down to the west loop for orch a little early and the name of this place caught my eye. I had to get closer to find out what the heck it was, because for all the world it looked like a muffler shop from down the block.

They were technically already closed but they let me look around.

As a kid, our family recreation centered around heading out to the newest enclosed shopping mall (my mom was heavily into retail therapy) and I've done some serious work on casting off my consumerist upbringing, but I still have my guilty pleasures . . .

One of them is anything resembling a garden center or aquarium store . . . in the seventies there were a handful of fairly spacious pet stores scattered around which featured a few huge tanks, and actual indoor ponds. I think Scott's in Westchester still fills this bill, and I visited one such in Milwaukee a few years ago, and Chicago Pond and Aquarium at Winnemac and Clark had some wonderful pond installations, but for the most part these kind of stores are a thing of the past. I used to like being dragged to Pier One Imports because the aquarium sections tended to be pretty decent. Would rather have spent a day at any of these shops than at Disneyland or Great America.

Anyways, the place I stopped into tonight was not a pet store, but it evoked that same magical fairlyland feel as the places I described above.

Who can guess what it was?

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Martin Hazard on February 16, 2012 at 7:43pm

Something large and adult themed. Ikea?

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Permalink Reply by Jared on February 17, 2012 at 12:47am

Wal-Mart.

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Permalink Reply by Far'arned Retrogrumpalunkus #63 on February 17, 2012 at 2:42am

Erotic Warehouse

1246 W Randolph St

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Permalink Reply by mindfrieze on February 17, 2012 at 4:26am

Could it be Big Monster Toys? I stumbled upon them years ago, but have never been inside.

Nah, I take that back. These guys don't look like a muffler shop.

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Permalink Reply by Duppie on February 17, 2012 at 5:09am

Publican Quality Meats

825 W Fulton St.

Definitely fits the "pleasure" theme. Also, as a retro-butcher it fits memories from your childhood.

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Permalink Reply by Marcus Moore on February 17, 2012 at 6:08am

Mmm, Wishbone.

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Permalink Reply by Far'arned Retrogrumpalunkus #63 on February 17, 2012 at 6:40am

I don't think I've ever been to the west-loop Wishbone. I like the North Side location though although I always seem to get there when it is closed between meals and am too impatient to wait and end up going somewhere else instead.

Marcus Moore said: