Like to mix your shopping pleasure with great deals and spectacular outdoor weather? Here’s a rundown of upcoming sidewalk sales this summer:

Evanston (Central Street): Thursday, July 10 – Saturday, July 12, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
What to do: Kids’ activities, Budding Artists Art Fair, Storybook Mom, Antique Fire Truck

Evanston (Downtown): Friday, July 25 - Sunday, July 27, 9 a.m. - 9 p.m.

Glencoe: Friday, July 18 – Saturday, July 19

Wilmette: Friday, July 11 - Saturday, July 12, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
What to do: Music, kids’ activities

Lake Forest: Friday, August 1 - Saturday, August 2

Winnetka: Friday, July 18 and Saturday July 19, 2008
What to do: Jazz music in all three business districts, food, clowns, games, balloons, face painting, etc.

Highland Park: Thursday, July 24 – Sunday, July 27, beginning at 10 a.m.
Where: Central Avenue from Green Bay to Sheridan Road (and First and Second Streets, and Elm Place)
What to do: Prices at 50 - 75 percent off in most places, kids’ activities, etc.

Technorati Tags: North Shore Chicago sidewalk sales, Highland Park sidewalk sale, Glencoe sidewalk sale, Evanston sidewalk sale, Wilmette sidewalk sale, Winnetka sidewalk sale, Lake Forest sidewalk sale

We mean it. Channel that inner smart ass and let us know what you think!

We’ve opened up the “comments” feed on our blog roll for you - our NorthShoreInsider friends. If you read something that makes your ears burn or your heart sing in agreement, post a comment! If there’s a blog about a great restaurant, and you can one-up us, go for it! If you want to chime in with a “OMG! I love that place too!” - we want to see it! From time to time, we’ll ask a question - if you’ve got an opinion, share it!

NorthShoreInsider can only get better when we hear from the people that use it - namely, you. So don’t be shy! To start things off on a summer theme, we’re asking you:

What’s your favorite beach and why?

Post a comment and let us know - where’s the best sand? Who’s got the best looking lifeguards? Where are the kids the friendliest? Best concession stand? Talk! Talk!

Now that Spring in North Shore Chicago has sprung, I needed to get busy and find a piece of replacement glass for our patio table. It was the lone victim of last fall’s “wind event” – you know, that one that tore trees right out of the ground? Much to my dismay, it wasn’t nearly as easy as I thought it would be.

The table manufacturer was nice enough, but required us to order through a retailer. The first store I checked with, Mil-Green (on the southern tip of Glenview), wasn’t all that interested in helping. My second visit to their location went better once I was able to produce product identification numbers. Still, it was going to be about $250 and six weeks for a piece of glass. (If you’re looking for a new patio set, though….yowza! Nice stuff!)

After asking around a bit, I had a couple of suggestions. One was to try Savocchi Glass in Winnetka, and the other was Glass Works in Glenview. Glass Works clearly didn’t feel I was worth writing a quote for a silly piece of 48-inch diameter glass. They told me it would be someWhere between $300 and $400. Since they didn’t need my business, I tried Savocchi. A nicer group of people you won’t find – they were very helpful over the phone, called me back with a quote, called me back to confirm it when I lost it, and measured my table to be certain we had the right size. And I got it all for about $170. Give it another week, and we’ll be eating outdoors again. Thanks, Savocchi!

Savocchi Glass
844 Spruce Street
Winnetka
847.446.3340
E-Mail: savocchiglass@aol.com

Mon-Fri: 8:00 am- 4:00 pm
Sat: 9:00 am - 1:00 pm
Sun: Closed

Technorati Tags: North Shore Chicago glass stores, replacement glass retailers, Winnetka shopping, tabletop glass replacement