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beelove café

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Why it matters: this North Lawndale cafe is run by Sweet Beginnings, a social enterprise of the North Lawndale Employment Network that hires and trains formerly incarcerated residents, sweetening its drinks with honey from its own urban apiaries. It occupies the striking glass-fronted former home of the Community Bank of Lawndale, once the area’s first Black-owned bank. Order the honey latte made with beelove raw honey, and pick up a jar or honey-based skincare to take home. Weekdays 7am-4pm, Saturdays until 2pm.

Women & Children First

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Why it matters: founded in 1979 by Ann Christophersen and Linda Bubon, this Andersonville institution is one of the largest feminist bookstores in the country and a longtime anchor of Chicago’s queer and women-owned business community. The shelves hold 30,000-plus titles, strong on women writers, LGBTQ fiction and a lovely kids’ section. Check the events calendar – author readings here draw big names and loyal locals. Pair a visit with a stroll along Clark Street’s Swedish-rooted shopping strip.

Open Books

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Why it matters: every dollar spent at this nonprofit used bookstore funds Open Books’ literacy programs, which reach over 6,000 Chicago students a year and give away more than 150,000 books. The West Loop shop stocks some 60,000 secondhand titles, including a huge kids’ section, at prices that start at a few dollars. Browse the $5 bestsellers table and the Chicago & Illinois shelf for a smart local souvenir. Closed Mondays, and there’s a second branch in Pilsen if you’re south of the Loop.

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