this past weekend i went to chicago with some college friends to run a half marathon. having never been to the windy city, i spent the weeks prior asking around for things to do. deep dish, wrigley field, i got the usual schpeel. when i asked my friend dan at mudhouse if he had any recommendations, without missing a beat he named this fabulous coffee joint i had to check out. nevermind that i don't drink coffee and dan has known this about me for years. it struck me as interesting that people in niche industries like to check out their compadres when visiting other cities. and i'm no different. the only thing i really truly HAD TO DO in chicago was check out a stationery store i've been hearing about called greer.
trekking a couple miles through the rain, greer did not disappoint. and on that especially gloomy day, greer proved to be a warm and welcoming refuge from the rain. the sales people were polite yet kept their distance allowing me to wander and discover all the treats and treasures beautifully displayed. it made me smile to see that greer carried many of the same vendors that we do here at rps (chicago locals la familia green and snow and graham and rps favorite set! editions among them). it was also fun to turn the tables a bit and experience a stationery store as a customer rather than a sales person. i scored some fabulous russell + hazel binders on sale (!) and discovered some new card companies that i'm clamoring to get here. who doesn't need a card with chuck norris telling you that you kick ass?!
while there were two more days to my weekend in the windy city (and that pesky half marathon), my trip felt complete upon leaving greer. i came, i saw, i purchased. good day, indeed.
greer is one of my favorite things about chicago. you're right - the selection is impeccable, they're friendly, and they let you look. so much to see ....
Posted by: jane | September 16, 2008 at 06:48 PM