Gifts From South Loop, Bronzeville: Steam Baths to Stocking Stuffers

DOWNTOWN — Downtown is one of the prime focal points for holiday shoppers, but it's a lot more than just the windows at Macy's.

Starting in the Loop and moving south, you can find a range of gifts from a co-ed shvitz to a commemorative refrigerator magnet from the Jazz Age — with some truly high-end gifts in between.

Saul Bellow, for one, made Chicago's Turkish baths famous in "Humboldt's Gift," but until now it was a rarity to find one that catered to both sexes at the same time. Yet the Spa at the Virgin Hotel, 203 N. Wabash Ave., has what's called a "hammam," a Turkish-inspired steam bath, and it's co-ed, although "modesty is requested." A visit is a reasonable $15, and e-gift cards are available.

With everything coming up "Star Wars," That's Our Bag, offering "distinctive urban travelware" at 38 S. Michigan Ave., has "Star Wars" carry-ons and suitcases, including one that resembles a rolling R2 unit to trail behind you. They're $139 for the carry-ons, $199 for the suitcases.

Amid all the tourist knick-knack and bric-a-brac shops on Michigan Avenue, the Chicago Architecture Foundation stands out as a store offering quality gifts with the unique stamp of our city. If you're looking for a stocking stuffer, you could do a lot worse than the $29 Louis Sullivan stencil earrings, drawing from a pattern he designed. They're also available online.

Straying into the South Loop, and returning to services, Yoga Six has opened a shop as part of what's called the Roosevelt Collection, at 1136 S. Delano Court, just off Roosevelt Road. Yoga, after all, is almost as hot as "Star Wars" these days. A 10-class card is $189.

Binny's Beverage Depot has come to the South Loop as well, at 1132 S. Jefferson St. And if you're looking for something special, they have a room of rare & collectible spirits (under lock and key) that includes a 50-year-old Appleton rum priced just under $5,000 (by a penny, before tax). Try dropping that on an unsuspecting co-worker in the Secret Santa gift exchange.

Or try pouring it into the $10 blues coffee mugs they have at Willie Dixon's Blues Heaven Foundation, located in the former home of Chess Records at 2120 S. Michigan Ave. They've got T-shirts and other blues memorabilia as well, all going to the foundation.

You can celebrate the season — and a second Michelin star — at Acadia, Ryan McCaskey's wonderfully eclectic restaurant at 1639 S. Wabash Ave. It was just bumped up in the Michelin rating system from one star to two.

Aurelio's Pizza doesn't have any Michelin stars to boast of, but fans of its south-suburban pizza cheered its return to Chicago at 1212 S. Michigan Ave. earlier this year. Gift cards are available to show other Chicagoans just what the city's best pizza might be.

And finally, for the jazz fan in your life — especially the budget-conscious jazz fan — you can get a refrigerator magnet for the old Sunset Cafe at Meyers Ace Hardware, 315 E. 35th St. That's the site of the Sunset Cafe, where Louis Armstrong united with Earl "Fatha" HInes and changed jazz history in the middle-late '20s. Other pieces of memorabilia are available at more cost, but there's no beating the refrigerator magnet at $2. At that price, you can get one for every stocking you'll be stuffing this year.