Best Buildings Near Chicago's Best Bookstores and Record Stores

TL;DR For book and vinyl lovers, a few Chicago neighborhoods are paradise. Wicker Park has Myopic Books and Reckless Records, Andersonville has Women & Children First, Hyde Park has the Seminary Co-op, and Pilsen has Pilsen Community Books. Here is where to live for a great browse on a slow afternoon.

There is a particular joy in living near a great bookstore or record shop, the kind of place you wander into on a Sunday and lose an hour. Chicago has wonderful ones, and they cluster in a handful of neighborhoods. Here is where to live for the browse.

Wicker Park: books and vinyl

Wicker Park is the best of both worlds. Myopic Books on Milwaukee is a multi-floor used-book institution, and Reckless Records is one of the city's best-known vinyl shops, new and used. Pair that with the neighborhood's music venues and cafes and it is a culture-lover's dream. Buildings near Milwaukee and Division put it all within a short walk.

Andersonville: Women & Children First

Andersonville's Women & Children First is a beloved feminist bookstore founded in 1979 with tens of thousands of titles and a packed events calendar. It anchors one of the most charming, walkable commercial strips on the North Side, a great spot for a reader who wants a true neighborhood feel.

Hyde Park: the Seminary Co-op

Hyde Park, home to the University of Chicago, is a book town. The Seminary Co-op is the largest academic bookstore in the country, with its sister store 57th Street Books nearby. For an intellectual, literary atmosphere, nowhere in the city compares.

Pilsen and Lincoln Square

Pilsen Community Books is a worker-led co-op with a focus on poetry, politics, and translated literature, fitting for the neighborhood's deep arts scene. And Lincoln Square's Book Cellar is the quintessential cozy neighborhood bookstore-cafe.

How to use this

Pick your kind of browse, then live near it. Wicker Park is the all-rounder for books and records, Andersonville and Hyde Park are the bookstore havens, and Pilsen and Lincoln Square offer charming independents. For the music side, see our buildings near live music venues ranking, and for the neighborhoods, our Wicker Park and Bucktown and Hyde Park guides. Then browse current openings and book a tour.

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