Things to Do: Shopping

Shopping in Hyde Park often involves books. With 12 booksellers within its perimeter plus an annual Children’s Book Fair, the neighborhood is a magnet for book lovers of all sorts.

Other standout shops in Hyde Park include Busted Bra Shop, The Velvet Connection, and Toys et Cetera, begun in 1976 by a mother searching for creative and educational toys for her own children, in the Hyde Park Shopping Center.

One of the neighborhood’s largest food store is Trader Joes as well as a Whole Foods. There are several smaller food stores like Harper Foods and University Market on 57th Street, Open Produce, 57th Street Wines and other convenience stores as well. For fresh produce, head for Hyde Park Produce on 53rd Street or, from June through October, visit the Sunday Farmers Market in the Hyde Park Bank parking lot.

Not to be overlooked among Hyde Park’s unique shopping destinations are the stores connected with museums and other cultural attractions. Worth a look, for example, are the gift shops at the Museum of Science and Industry, the DuSable Museum of African American History, the Oriental Institute, Robie House and Kilimanjaro.

For more on shops and services in the neighborhood, please refer to the Chamber’s Business Directory.