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I'm visiting Chicago this weekend. This will be my first time in your city. Can you suggest some areas of Chicago to check out?

Come on, no new house tours in over a month! Somebody please send in some pictures. Yes, I do have important things to do.

Chris, I would suggest visiting any area in Chicago that is heated.

Chris,

Some Areas of Interest:

Bucktown/Wicker park Area-Art vibe, design stores, boutiques, Great food and drink

River North-Galleries, high end furniture company stores, great food and drink

What else are you looking for?

Hey Chris, thanks for the suggestions. I'm also really interested in kitchen/cookware stores and cheap eats spots.

Is Marshall Fields still a worth visit now that it's a Macys?

Chris,

Sur la Table on Walton is great for cookware. There is also Williams-Sonoma in the 900 N. Michigan building. These are both high-end shopping areas.

Even though it's slightly sad to see Macy's plastered over Marshall Field's it's still probably worth a visit if that kind of shopping is your thing. But more interestingly, the food court in the Marshall Field's building has a take-out place by Rick Bayless which gives you an opportunity to try his food without shelling out the big bucks at his restaurants. In addition, there is also a gourmet noodle shop in the same food court which is run by a pretty well-known Japanese chef Takashi. These are on the 7th floor.

I always like to recommend the Lincoln Square neighborhood to people who are visiting Chicago. It's an old German neighborhood that has little German bars, an authentic German deli, great restaurants and shops. If you can get there by the El that's kind of cool also because it is elevated and you can get a good view of city.

Hope that helps you out!

Frontera Fresco (Rick Bayless'take out in Macy's) is so worth it. The service can be a bit slow, but the Huaraches are amazing. Sadly, it is only open for lunch Mon-Sat.

Cheap eats, huh?

Ethnic:

Salam, 4636 N. Kedzie - topnotch Palestinian hole in the wall on the northwest side. Albany Park

Cafe Marianao, 2246 N. Milwaukee Ave. - no seating, but great Cuban sandwiches and first-rate cafe con leche. Logan Square

Baba Palace, 334 W Chicago Ave - Indo-Pak cabbie hangout in the Loop, open late

Seven Treasures, 2312 S Wentworth - popular for post-clubbing Chinese food, about as cheap as it gets. Chinatown

Healthy Food, 3236 S Halsted St - should be called heavy food, but delicious. Lithuanian food, kitschy atmosphere. Bridgeport

Nuevo Leon, 1515 W 18th St - Mexican a cut abouve the local taco joint. Pilsen

Diners:

Lincoln Restaurant, 4008 N Lincoln Ave - because sooner or later, we all have to eat something named after a Civil War general

Valois, 1518 E. 53rd St. - the only subject of a doctoral dissertation that still serves brisket. Hyde Park

Have fun in Chicago.

I know that there have been plenty of reviews posted already reviewing sofas, but I haven't seen anything about how particular fabric choices stand up over time. I've alreayd narrowed my couch choices down to two options, the Dean from Room and Board or the Huntley Woods from Crate and Barrel. This new sofa will go in our living room and be the main piece of furniture my husband, our shi-tzu, and I sit on / lay on / veg on / nap on / etc.

Can anyone give me some insight on how the following fabric choices last over time:

Room and Board: Bezel, Wayne, Tuscany
Crate and Barrel: Volt, Dansen

any recommendations for a place to buy inexpensive but attractive area rugs that can be cleaned easily (i.e., not wool or cotton)? we have a dog that occasionally vomits etc. but we want something attractive over our hardwood floors. we've tried natural fiber (sisal) - no good. don't like ikea abstract/modern design either. just simple, classy, but artificial.
thanks
jens

My husband and I have the full Huntley sectional in Tussah Jewel. I looked on their website and Tussah looks to be about the same texture as the Volt fabric. We've had our couch for about 10 months now and it looks like brand new. Granted, we don't have children which makes maintenance a lot easier, but there isn't a stain on it (at least, if there is you can't see it!) and the fabric wears well. No fraying, thin spots in the fabric, and no fuzzies from where the fabric has been rubbed.

Aside from all that, it's about the most comfortable sofa ever made and we pretty much live on the thing. Great to flop into after a long day at work!

Thanks Kaelin - that's exactly the kind of feedback I'm looking for. We are replacing a chenille couch where after 7 years the chenille has completely shredded in certain places. I don't mind replacing a sofa every 7 years, but I don't want to do it every 2 years.

Keep in mind "Tussah" may refer to tussah silk - (a type of silk cultivated after the worm hatches, as opposed to before it hatches) which may mean it is somewhat delicate and sensitive to UV (fading).

The best way to tell how it will hold up is to find out what fibers it is made of - looks like you will need to ask R&B directly, as they don't list this on their website. You can order samples too of these fabrics, so I would recommend doing that first before deciding on anything for sure.

I would recommend doing the same thing with Crate and Barrel - find out the fabric make-up and get a sample... when you find out the fabric make-up come back and ask us what that means as far as how it holds up!

I did get fabric samples from Room and Board already and have ordered samples from Crate and Barrel. Here's the info on the Room and Board fabrics:

Tuscany - 50% Acrylic, 38% Polyester, 12% Cotton
Wayne - 39% Polyester, 37% Rayon, 24% Cotton
Bezel - no information

I also would like to throw the Airbrush material into the mix from Room and Board, and again this swatch has no content info.

Thanks for all the help with this issue, I really appreciate it!

Just to add a general fabric recommendation:
Covering a couple of our chairs in ultrasuede or, it's less expensive equivalent, I think it's barksuede, has proved to be a very happy choice for our 2 cat, 2 kid household. Our cats aren't interested in it as a scratching post, their hair doesn't really stick to it and it's easy to mop up spills. Only a couple of small stains in 5 years of heavy use.

I know bedroom month has passed, but I recently discovered FOLD bedding. I love it (the various designs from the premium and original collections, the simplicity, the colors) and it turns out to be just the thing I've been looking for, but way out of my budget. Anyone know where I can find similar bedspreads or duvet covers for way less? Or any DIY suggestions?

I'm definitely feeling Elizabeth's food suggestions especially Salam and Valois. It's important to go to Valois in the morning though to get the real feel of the place.

I know you didn't ask for coffee shops, but I'm giving em anyway ranked from my favorites.

1) Intelligentsia Coffee Shop 55 E Randolph st - Right across the street from Macy's, they do coffee the best. Almost all the independent shops carry it.

2) Bourgeois Pig 738 W Fullerton Ave - Excellent paninis, really really great paninis.

3) Grind Cafe 4613 N Lincoln Ave - Really quiet place, always packed but a seat will appear by the time you order.

4) Beans and Bagel 1812 W Montrose Ave - They have a couple locations, great food also and really nice people.

5) Filter 1585 N Milwaukee Ave - Probably the hippest coffee shop in Chicago. Really great place, check it out.

6) Medici 1327 E 57th St - Not the best cup of coffee, but the best atmosphere in Hyde Park. Make sure to go in the restaurant part.

OK, my laptop battery has been sitting in my computer for over 36 hours and the charge still reads 0%. What am I doing wrong?

Sandy, all upholstery fabrics have some type of durability rating attached to them by the manufacturer. Some will express it in phrases like "medium to heavy duty upholstery" and others might give actual numerical ratings (there's one that represents how many mechanical "rubs" a fabric can take before it wears through, for instance). In any case whoever is helping you with upholstery at Crate & Barrell or Room and Board should be able to provide you with information about the comparative durability of the different fabric options. I hope that helps.

Cloverstar - I Googled barksuede but only found information relating to shoes. Your cat comment has me intrigued since I have two - can you provide any more information?

I've just discovered Apartment Therapy (love it) while looking for new digs in Chicago. I'm moving in the next few months from St. Louis and am having a difficult time figuring out where I want to live. The most important thing to me is proximity to work and modern amenities. I'm happy in a small studio apartment but NEED a washer and dryer, gym, central AC, etc. Can anyone recommend a specific building or neighborhood that would accomodate those needs (plus being stylish as well) that is close to the Loop/Michigan Ave? Most of my time spent in Chicago has been shopping in those areas, so I'm feeling a bit intimidated about looking outside of it.

Best,
Katie