Best Shopping Malls, Outlet and Places in Willow Springs Area

"Water Tower Place is a 74-story skyscraper on North Michigan Avenue along the Magnificent Mile. The building is home to an eight-level shopping center located at the northern tip of the Magnificent Mile that boasts 758,000 square feet of retail space filled with over 104 stores, a myriad dining options, a theater that is part of Broadway in Chicago and the Chicago Sports Museum. The center is home to stores such as American Girl Place, Sephora, Forever 21 and its new beauty boutique."

"There's more than shopping at Water Tower Place, an eight-level shopping center located at the northern tip of the Magnificent Mile. In addition to 104 stores, there are myriad dining options, a theater that is part of Broadway in Chicago and the Chicago Sports Museum. Shops like a massive Lego Store, Macy's, Forever 21 and Sephora share space with foodlife, which features 14 kitchens serving food made from scratch daily."

"Water Tower Place is located in the vicinity of The Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago Sports Museum, universities, and a spacious park. The mall got its name after a nearby water tower was built in 1869. It is located in a nine-story skyscraper that was opened in 1976."

"900 North Michigan in Chicago is a world-renowned skyscraper that stands 871 feet tall and is the eighth-tallest building in Chicago. Completed in 1989 by Urban Retail Properties, 900 North Michigan was built as an upscale sister building to Water Tower Place one block away and was the second vertical mall built on the Magnificent Mile. The skyscraper is home to an upscale shopping mall known as 900 North Michigan Shops spanning more than 450,000 square feet of space with luxury stores like Bloomingdale's, Gucci, MaxMara, Kate Spade New York, Micheal Kors, L'Occitane and J."

"The 70+ stores in this upscale shopping center are focused on the luxury lifestyle. The anchor is Bloomingdale’s and retailers include such high end boutiques as Crosell & Co., Galt Toys + Galt Baby, and kate spade new york. Shoppers at 900 North Michigan Shops can get a pre-spree workout at Equinox Fitness Club and a post-shopping fix at Baisi Thai or Allium Restaurant & Bar in the Four Seasons."

"Shopping at 900 North Michigan is one of the coolest things to do in downtown Chicago. Not only does it offer amazing views from its pillar-like towers, but since it’s all indoors, it’s perfect for a cold or rainy day. Hundreds of retailers call it home."

"Now open This unique museum, dedicated to work by self-taught artists, has reopened to the public. Intuit has taken several new precautions, including directional signage, reduced touch points, and enhanced sanitation. They’ve even re-installed their exhibition Outsider Art: The Collection of Victor F. Keen to increase spacing and allow more distancing."

"This is a term coined by its founders to describe art created by self-taught artists or those without any formal training. The focus here is on artists who for any number of reasons exist outside of mainstream art. The permanent collection features artists including Minnie Evans, Miles Carpenter, and William Hawkins."

"Looking for brand shops for clothing, sporting goods, home supplies and more, under one roof?. Head to The Maxwell. It is smaller (around 10 stores) but complex."

"If you need custom T-shirts or bulk T-shirts at warehouse prices, then Cannon’s T-shirts and More is the place for you to be."

"Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Roman Boed used under CC BY 2.0. Bloomingdale’s needs little introduction. One of three such sites dotted around the city, the store at 900 North Michigan Avenue is well-placed in downtown Chicago for those looking to pop in while sightseeing or visiting the lake front."

"Circle back toward the river, making a quick stop inside Macy’s State Street which is designated as a National Historic Landmark thanks to magnificent touches that make it feel more like a museum than a department store. Of note are the Great Clocks which weigh seven tonnes each, granite pillars that are the second-tallest of their type in the world, and the ornate Tiffany Ceiling which was painstakingly designed from 1.6 million pieces of hand-fired iridescent glass."

"Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Ken Lund used under CC BY-SA 2.0. One of two Macy’s outlets in Chicago - the other is located on the Magnificent Mile - this world famous department store brand features a range of men’s and women’s clothing alongside kids, juniors, and home selections. A host of big-name designers are represented, including Ralph Lauren, Estee Lauder, and Calvin Klein."

"Further down Randolph is Macy's on State Street, another stunning landmark building boasting seven floor of retail space and great dining options. Across the way, Block 37 is a five-story modern urban mall boasting its own gourmet food hall Latinicity and new Dine-in AMC Movie Theatre."

"Express is an international fashion chain with women’s clothing and men’s clothing for work, play and all kinds of parties. Shop Express for women’s jeans, leggings, dresses, sweaters and shirts, and men’s jeans, suits, graphic tees and polos, plus shoes, jewelry and other accessories..."

"When it comes to the best restaurants in Chicago, fancier isn’t always better. This low-key space offers industrial décor to augment its extensive menu of Thai favorites, all available for dine-in or delivery. With group packages available, you can feed the whole crew a delicious spread at prices everyone will love."

"Thai is that kind of food that you and your family go after a long week and just need some bonding time. The food is incredible and the center of the restaurant has cushions on the ground to sit in so you really feel comfortable and quaint. What to order: Pad Thai"

"But this is America, and if a Chinese restaurant wants to have sushi and kalbi, and it’s good, who are you to stop them?. Besides that mix, follow’s owner Dee Kang’s journey from a Chinese-Korean family to Japan and then Chicago. Dee’s is no secret to Lincoln Park locals, who have kept the place open since 1983."

"Glazed and Infused’s classic doughnuts are sugar heaven, but their specialty doughnuts for holidays and special occasions are the real treat. The jumbo sprinkle doughnut is also a great birthday surprise."

"Restaurants Bakeries Bridgeport. This iconic Polish bakery closed in October 2019 after decades of serving pączki, doughnuts, cookies and other candy-colored sweets to its fans. Thankfully, new ownership swept in and restored the spot to its former glory."

"If you’re wondering what happened to Bridgeport Bakery 1.0, it closed. But thankfully version 2.0 has the same delicious treats as the original. And while they have a lot of baked goods besides donuts, we like coming here for their long johns and bismarks."

"Pablo Picasso produced this monumental piece of public art for Chicago in the mid-1960s. Standing in Daley Plaza, the Chicago Picasso weighs almost 147 metric tons and stands over 15 metres tall. Since it was unveiled in 1967, the work, rumoured to depict French model Lydia Corbett who sat for a series of drawings for Picasso in the 1950s, is a landmark for the city and something for kids to clamber on."

"This massive cubist sculpture by Pablo Picasso was the first major piece of public artwork of its kind in downtown Chicago, and today, this Daley Plaza piece is a major landmark. Choose your selfie position — “The Picasso” looks quite different depending on where you stand."