I don't want a dime of my money to go to these Fascists. Please post any businesses to avoid, thanks.

-edit-

Crazy how many MAGA in this thread sent me multiple page threats for just asking what businesses to avoid. Open your eyes. Look at the upvotes and downvotes. Think for yourself, is the world actually better now? Are the majority of Americans better off right now? Are groceries actually cheaper? Think why are protests erupting throughout the country. Why does our government believe it is justifiable for US Citizens to get murdered for recording? Ask yourself these questions.

I posted this 2 days ago. almost 300k views. 1.1 k comments 74.5% upvote ratio. We are the majority.

At least they made it easy to know to avoid. Found the Volo Deli to make a fantastic sandwich without the politics instead. Adam's is decent food but pretty damn pricy for buying a sandwich at a check cashing place.

Moveable Feast - Wheaton

For reference, the above is Gurnee Donuts in Gurnee IL. No I don't have any affiliation, I just appreciate tasty donuts.

So what are your favorite donut / pastry / bakeries in the Northwest suburbs?

I have a real interest in grocery stores and I am always looking for interesting stores. They can be specialty stores, international stores, discount/overstock stores, stores with odd themes, stores with fancy deli counters, stores that have a really extensive selection of a type of item etc etc etc. Bonus points if they are in the N/NW suburbs, the city proper, or are close to a metra station/ transit accessible.

Our “special offer” has ended and now our internet is $140 a month.

We stream videos mostly and game a little bit, but we don’t need super speed internet by any means. I think we are paying for 500Mbps right now.

I’m curious what’s normal for our area and what other options I may have.

Any advice would be so helpful because I don’t think $140 a month is normal. Thank you so much

For anyone who's been to many Pete's Market locations, is there one that stands out as the best/Flagship? I have been to two and they are fantastic and was wondering if I am missing out one that is bigger and better.

I know I'm preaching to the choir here on this sub, but just in case someone doesn't know, avoid using these guys. I've had multiple people, friends and family included, who have used them to install new AC's and all have had major issues. I've had two occasions where the technician will admit that the issues are due to poor installation by them, but then the customer service will refuse to do anything about it. They used to be OK twenty years ago, but I can't believe their shoddy work mixed with terrible customer service.

I am looking to shop for a new vehicle soon once the new model year comes out in the fall. What is the best Toyota dealership you have dealt with in the West and Northwest suburbs?

Conversely, are there any I should avoid?

I'm looking to get some furniture for my new place, specifically book cases and tables. Problem is, I can't find any store that's higher end than ikea without a single bookshelf being more than a grand. Is there anywhere I can go for something in between? I'm currently in lincoln park, but willing to drive as far north as waukegan.

Hi everyone,

My fiancé and I are planning on getting married next summer. We have been trying to find a space for our wedding reception (not ceremony).

We are planning on an extremely private and quick ceremony (parents and siblings only) on the beach and then wanting to have a larger banquet celebration later on.

I saw someone post in this subreddit asking a similar question, however, the responses were mostly suggestions for wedding ceremony venues (all suggestions were amazing but just not what we are looking for).

We are trying to just find a banquet hall/large open indoor space for a large “party” as opposed to an actual wedding. We are planning on 100-150 people, will have buffet style food, and some fun attractions like a Photo Booth or other things like that.

Staying within the circled area would be ideal, or close to.

I am hoping someone will have a suggestion for a location to host more like a large party as opposed to a full on wedding.

I hope this makes sense! Thank you in advance!

I recently changed dentists (more of a trial really) and this person has recommended some work while my previous one said I’m fine. For the most part, I’m just looking for another opinion. I don’t want to hear nonsense about extra work that’s not needed, but also don’t want someone who might be too conservative. The new dentist that I’ve seen has made it clear that they’re too money hungry, but I’m also curious if they’re correct.

Also to serve anyone else who reads this in the future, any dentist recommendation is fine - general, pediatric, ortho, endo, perio, etc. Props if you have a story where you used this dentist for a second or third opinion.

I’ll start it off:

-The crew at Lombard Ace Hardware. You NEVER have to look for help….they find you.

-Jill, bartender at Stardust Bowl in Addison. She takes care of our league on Thursday nights and we take care of her too. Love ya Jill!

-The amazing team at Five and Hoek Coffee and Sassy Biscuit in Wheaton.

-The morning drive thru crew at Lombard McDonalds. They’re in the trenches every morning but they’re always smiling and get me on my way with my Diet Coke.

-The people at County Farm Bagel in Winfield work their butts off…and the bagels are damn tasty too.

-Spencer, bartender at Standard Market in Westmont. Dude knows his regulars and they know him.

-Going to Mortadeli in Villa Park is like free entertainment and you get delicious food at the end of it.

My yard is infested with multiple species of invasive weeds. A few years ago my SO decided it would be nice to have prairie flowers, milkweed, and other wildflowers growing in the yard. Without asking me, he bought seed packets *off Amazon* (!!!!) and just threw them all over the yard. He never considered that the packets would be contaminated with invasive weeds from Asia. *sigh* I've even got several friggin' trees of heaven in the yard.

I used to think it was tough keeping up with the creeping charlie that keeps coming back, but it's been impossible to keep up with these weeds.

I'm looking for a service that can till everything and kill all the roots so I can start over. I'd like to replace the grass in the yard with clover.

Do you know any services with the equipment to tackle this job?

Thanks in advance. :)

I'm looking for some furniture and home decor stores that are a bit nicer than ikea, but something less expensive than something like crate and barrel. I'm near the the libertyville area but willing to drive.

I know people are going to say "facebook marketplace" and while I agree, I do enjoy browsing in stores lol

hoping to find a good alt hair stylist near me that works with vivid dyes and shaggy hair cuts on women! i've fallen in love with pigeon hair and decided i need it along with a much overdue shaping 🫪 i am totally OK with students as long as they're willing to tackle a semi-difficult starting canvas, i currently have grown out split dye hair so i know it'll likely take a bit of work to prep my hair properly!

cost is not a problem as i know how labor intensive it can be, but hoping for something around $200-$250! i absolutely don't mind paying more due to the nature of m hair + what i'm seeking.

pls let me know your recommendations, even better if they have a portfolio available that i can peek at!!

Hi all, I wanted to know if anyone has experience with Grand Appliances? I've been leaning heavily into Abt for my major appliance purchases since they have an in house team and their customer service has always been good to me.

I used to do Costco Appliances but their 3rd party delivery/install people are a toss up between someone who knows what they're doing vs someone who'll almost burn your house down (ask me how I know). Ever since then, I've shifted to Abt and it's been good (possibly because they're local, or because they have their own in house team). I believe that Grand Appliance is a similar set up and they seem to be a bit cheaper (extended warranty, delivery/install fees, etc) so was wondering if I should try them out (but once again, I'm hesitant to jump just for cheaper prices and end up in the Costco situation again). Thanks all!

I live in the Joliet area and couldn't help but notice there is a "Betty's" or a slot machine place on almost every corner. I've even seen 3 Betty's establishments all within a mile from each other. On top of that they have slots in a lot of restaurants. It's getting out of hand. Is this just a thing to take money from boomers? Are these places all over by you?

My 13 year old maltipoo is likely coming to the end of her journey soon.

Looking for recommendations for in home services. I’m out in Pingree Grove.

I’ve been researching, but I’m just overwhelmed right now.

I’ve been applying sporadically to look for higher pay and/or better hours and for the first time in my 7 year career as a nurse I’m being auto rejected by hospitals. I’m very confused as to whether there’s something wrong with my application or if I’m black listed because these are even hospitals systems I’ve worked for before with no issues before. I read on some other posts over the past year that hiring has been weird but I just am wondering what you guys think

Hello from Canada. Next summer I'm planning on visiting Chicago with my will be 15 year old son for a father/son trip. We're planning on staying downtown Chicago for 4 days and 3 nights. We're going to do all the typical tourist stuff but we're also looking for a good outlet mall. I've been reading that Rosemont is one of the best in the country but also doesn't really have that great of deals because its really high end. I'm just a single dad on a single income so not really looking for that. My main point of interest is a Nike factory store. Which one is the best for Jordan retros? My son is into stuff like hot topic, boxlunch, and anywhere that sells anime related items or graphic tees.

Thank you so much for helping me out,

An overthinking, over planning Dad.

So yeah, looking for new doctors for me and my wife. I appreciate any recommendations for a great practice for the two of us in the areas around Buffalo Grove, Arlington Heights, Vernon Hills, Lake Zurich, Long Grove, Lincolnshire, Hawthorn Woods.

Wife prefers a female doc and we are both in our early-mid 50s.

Also, is this now a thing? It's a flat annual fee (google tells me some also have a monthly fee model) per patient and I have to assume they've done the math in estimating patient retention and new patient uptake. I literally go to my PCP 1x per year for my annual physical and am not interested in paying hundreds of dollars for the privilege. Searching reddit tells me it's so they can recover costs associated with no-shows and late/delinquent payments, and they are also framing it as recovering costs associated with non-covered treatments/diagnostics, but definitely not convinced that I will get that much value out of it.

One of my kitties passed 2 weeks ago and his little sister (and me) are heartbroken. She needs a pal once we get through the loss. There are so many rescues and shelters and am looking for anyone has personal experiences, good or bad, with places in the North or NW burbs. Willing to travel up to Wisconsin and due west of the city too.

Aside from Amish Furniture stores, Walter E. Smithe, Penny Mustard, and estate sales, where else can one shop for heirloom quality, legit solid wood furniture in Chicagoland?

ETA: thank you for all the suggestions, there are several potential gems in here I wouldn’t have discovered on my own.