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Categories: Hobby Shops, Tutoring Centers
Neighborhood: Wicker ParkDivision (Blue)
Mention Yelp and get $30 off your first tutoring session, and a discount for prepayment. Ask for details. Sessions tend to run $80-190.
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this store is awesome. it's worth the extra few blocks down milwaukee for the sheer entertainment. not to mention that it's great for random gifts... rubber banana pot holder for housewarming gift, bucktooth binkie for new baby. if you know someone with a sense of humor, they'll love something from the boring store. they also have published a guide to chicago based on grade school students recos... such a fun new-to-chicago item.
the atmosphere isn't quite what it is at the pirate store in san francisco but i got such a kick out of all the spy gear and other fun stuff in this store.
and of course, all the proceeds goes back to tutoring programs, which makes it all the better.
"Yelping cannot be practiced or forced. Yelping will come only when provoked."
-Dave Eggers, How we are Hungry
Shhhh...don't tell anybody I told you this...but The Boring Store on Milwuakee is more than what meets the eye. Brainchild of Dave Eggers, The Boring Store is a part of a national movement of storefronts hiding 826 tutoring and writing programs behind their counters.
Beyond the sundry of spy supplies and assortment of literature penned by Eggers to Chicago youth is a brightly-hued room filled with tables and books where the magic happens.
For the 6-18 crowd, 826Chi offers after school tutoring, writing field trips, classroom support, writing workshops of all shapes and sizes, and publishing opportunities. For the altruistic, if not alternative, adult crowd, you can find fulfilling opportunities to give back while having a little fun (Scrabble for Cheaters or Prom, anyone?)
And though I love Yelp, might I suggest you pick up a real city guide written by the shorter Chicago crowd?
A Sunday Afternoon Hotdog Meal - http://www.826chi.org/...
Learn more about the 826 vision here:
http://www.ted.com/ind...
More updates when I start volunteering more regularly....
While I am by default automatically suspicious of anything connected with those self-important post-ironic circle jerkers at McSweeney's...
I must admit that the Boring Store, along with the mission of 826CHI, has won me over. So much so that I signed up to volunteer.
The premise is simple: A store that sells items that aren't as they appear (many of them also sold at the MCA under the guise of "good design"). Definitely quirky, but in the best possible sense of the word.
As a San Francisco native (and English teacher) I'm well acquainted with 826 Valencia, Dave Eggers' original tutoring center and writing workshop for youth. I knew that there were branches in other cities, each with a different theme (ours is pirates, and I think one of the others is a superhero supply store). Still, when I saw a giant sign proclaiming I was at "The Boring Store," I was a bit taken aback. After reading the fine print, I realized this had to be 826 Chicago.
If you're a spy, this is the place for you -- disguises, secret safes, and all manner of spy gear can be obtained. When I stopped in, a man was giving away free ice cream. Sweet!
This is one of those cool things I don't know you'd find outside of Wicker Park. A "cover" for a tutoring non-profit, this store is full of spy gear... like cameras that squirt water, a can of Pepsi that doubles as a safe, etc. You won't find any high tech gear here.
Its a good cause, and they offer a lot of the toys for sale to benefit the actual program of helping children improve their writing. I picked up a few books here that I haven't had a chance to crack open yet, but they look very promising -- insightful, hilarious, and amusing the way only writing from grade schoolers can entertain.
Cute store concept !
Nice lil date place to mess around and be goofy and put on funny glasses and mustaches. So if you are walking by stop on in and have fun !
Liked all of the spy themed toys and gadgets, but especially loved the selection of hard to find McSweeney's Quarterly's.
I also liked knowing the proceeds from our purchase were going towards supporting 826 Chicago.
There is a reason why this store is named what it is. Anyone with an IQ of over 1 will figure it out.
They have quite possibly the most unique "spy" equipment/toys, gift ideas, and books I've seen. And yes, I do get around.
The short-story books for sale are written by the children that they tutor for reading and writing. And, yes the store is 501(c).
The Boring Store is the Chicago branch of the nationwide chain of tutoring centers/writing workshops started by Dave Eggers. Each branch has a theme, and in Chicago, it's spy gear. They sell rear-view sunglasses, secret message kits, walkie-talkie pens, and have an excellent collection of mustaches. Behind the store is the drop-in tutoring center, which is also used to host free writing workshops for area children. I've taken my students here to attend some, and the volunteers really had it together. They were competent, energetic and clearly cared about their work.My kids had a great time, and they loved seeing their stories published in books for sale in the store.
This is NOT a Boring Store Review!!!!
(its secret...so SHHH!)
As a kid, I had to rely on bad technology for my spying endeavours. Our "cordless" phone would come in loud and clear on my "digital" stereo on channel 103.3 FM and I would listen to my sister's phone conversations to her boyfriends. She then found out and beat me to a little sister pulp. What entertainment!!
If I had the BORING store in my life at that time, I would have been such a better spy and probably wouldn't have gotten beat up so much.
They have everything a young spy-ster needs from grapple hooks (yes!) to mustache disguises. Fake safes for stashing evidence and neat mirrors for side viewing.
This place is super fun and supports a great cause for young writers. Definitely check this place out!!
Nothing to see here.
Who you callin' a spy? Another place that deserves praise for the concept alone. This is the face of '826chi', a non-profit mentoring program for student writers.
The store has 'spy' equipment like the stuff you used to be able to order out of the back of comic books and some actually really boring (but useful) stuff...boxes etc. I walked out with a few cloth shopping bags imprinted with the "Boring Store" signage that never fail to inspire inquiries at the checkout counter.
They also have great books. I later bought "A Sunday Afternoon Hot Dog Meal," which is a guidebook to Chicago in short stories and illustrations written by local grade school students.
Whoever created the Boring Store put a lot of thought into the concept, and it shows. I love the sarcasm that drips from every crevice of this "spy shop." The staff plays along, answering the phone "The Boring Store" in such a dull tone that you can't help but laugh. The signs are clever, the layout is easy to follow, and the inventory is selective enough that you can peruse everything. And the best part is that the proceeds help fund local charities. What's not to love?
I don't know a more reputable place in Chicago to purchase a ditch.
This place definitely isn't Sears.
A two-way radio is a two-way radio, and anyone can do a stake-out with the simplest of items. But when one needs those specialty products to give a client what they really need? Disappearing ink message boards? Trenchcoats? Things with secret compartments ("You put your weeeeeed in there, man!)? The Boring Store is the way to go.
Items so clever, even my partner couldn't translate the coded messages I was sending her. It didn't really help the case, but I digress.
Granted, it's not the top tier gadgets Bond uses. I was hoping to find a surveillance bug shaped like anal beads (don't ask, it's a "sting" operation), but no dice. But that fucking sell-out has more corporate endorsements than wristwatch cameras crammed up his wound up sphincter. How do you think he gets all that hot tail? He pays them off, duh. But on a Keith Mars budget, this place goes above and beyond.
And whatever, I'm doin' it for the kids!
The 826CHI kids, that is, a branch of the 826 Valencia tutoring program started by Dave Eggars--writer and brainstormer of the hipster literary institutions McSweeny's and The Believer. All proceeds from the spyware go towards keeping the kids off the streets and making them the next Dennis Lehane.
I cannot tell you anything about this store, even if you beg, bribe, or compliment me! (okay, compliments may do the trick.) and I BEG YOU not to read the rest of the reviews because it will ruin the surprise that is the BORING STORE!
All I can say is, this is a LOVELY little surprise.
The people behind this are genius and fabulous.
And this is one of the coolest things I've seen in a very long time!
(and no, I do not personally know anyone who works here.) :)
The best part is shining a UV light around the story and seeing all the pervy things and phone numbers people wrote all over the displays, like my friend's cell phone number I.. I mean he.. wrote.
Excellent place to pick up disguises and secret squirrel communicator decoder cereal box whiz-bangs.
hm.
It's a unique and inspired concept (thus a couple of sparkly stars) to fund a writing program,
and as a designer I like the idea of the paired down ACME-inspired packaging and their execution is well developed,
but after perusing through a bunch of hipster chatskies with sniffs of amusement and a little perplexity, I found a book that I'd actually wanted to read for some time.
I took it up to the register and proceeded to wait - forever and a day - while the two personnel made casual small talk with the girl in front of me (the only other person in the store)
They made no acknowledgment of my presence or the fact that I was waiting.
I get it. You're not in any hurry to conduct yourself like a mainstream retail shop and hey, man, if I, like, want the book badly enough I'll just stand there while you revel in the attention of someone who thinks you're cool and groundbreaking and not just a whacked out kid...
but I'll also go buy the book at Borders who has a little more respect for my time and the fact that I can't stand around all day while you talk about a pair of kaleidoscope binoculars that give you x-ray vision.
This fantastic little store has everything in it that I yearned to own as a kid, and going in here brings back good memories. I have yet to buy anything for myself here but I've gotten a few surprise gag gifts for the closest people in my life who can appreciate all the quirky things this store has.
Great cause, great books, amazing birthday gifts and clerks with a passion for the cause (and their dedicated clientele) make this a not-so-secret spy-lover's dream come true. Another fun reason to head south on Milwaukee.
As I'm writing this, I'm wonder if my computer will self-destruct because I was not at liberty to say any of this...
Quite literally stumbled upon this cousin store to SF's Pirate Shop / 826 Valencia while walking the neighborhood to get from A to B. With a little free time on your hands and a little curiosity in your head, you'd do well to pass a few minutes in here.
Lots of cheapy, hardeeharhar tchotchke like "personal alarm systems" (ie yellow plastic whistle), cell phone covers (ie nerflike banana), and strawberry flavored gummy T-bone steaks. It's cute. Not as fully outfitted as the Pirate shop but what can you do. Most importantly, they serve the community as a children's writing center offering workshops, etc -- just like the original SF Pirate Store. A+.
GO DAVE EGGERS! Yet another one in a series of AMAZING tutoring programs by this fantastic writer (who qualifies as a Bay Area writer, btw). Now there is a Pirate Store/kids writing center in SF, a Superhero Supply Store/kids writing center in NYC, and a SECRET Spy Supply Store/kids writing center in Chicago.
I have endless respect for someone with enough balls to make really geek-cool places that are not only super cool on their own, but also serve higher level social functions, like teaching kids that reading and writing is pretty awesome.
My secret spy tendencies are craving this store to open a location in San Francisco.
Go-go Gadget GO!
The Boring Store, Chicago's only Secret Agent Supply Store, moonlights as a not-for-profit after school tutoring program for kids ages 6-18. Located in Wicker Park, the center gives kids and adults a jolt of imagination every time they drop by and see the disguise kits and hidden cameras.
Every item sold in the store goes towards funding new programs for the kids.
Take a look around with this photo essay:
http://www.methodsrepo...
Cute cute cute!!
I wish I knew more 7-10 year old kids because this is the kind of store I would Love coming to buy gifts for any and all occasions.
If kids are still like my bro and I when we were young they dig anything that makes you feel like a real life spy. This store doesn't dumb down children's toys. Even as an adult reading the boxes you feel as if you have been transformed into a super spy hero in an action packed movie (with a bit of sarcasm and comedy mixed in).
Plus, all the money goes towards a non-profit organization for kids. You can see in back the coolest workshop classroom where kids come in for tutoring.
Check it out, even if you have no 7-10 year olds in your life, you are sure to enjoy it nonetheless!
I have read about this place when it opened and when I was in the area and saw the signage...did it fool me??
NO!
this place is a spy kids dream come true.
They don't have waterproof notebooks, a banana cell phone disguise, a fake mustache sampling station, or far too many spy accessories that require you to plug them into your computer's USB port. And you can definitely count on not having fun while browsing around this store.
Worst part: the old-fashioned cash register at the counter.
The Boring Store REALLY IS well-disguised. I knew all about it, and the 826 organization, long before moving here, but the first time I walked down Milwaukee, I saw the cardboard boxes stacked in the windows and walked right on by. Whoops! When I came back with intent to actually find it, I almost didn't make it through the door because I was laughing at the array of security cameras trained on the entrance.
Well, they have everything a young spy could want, including wallets with moustaches on them. See, if it's disguised, nobody can tell it's a wallet and then it won't get stolen. In addition to the gadgets and gizmos of espionage, they have a table of many of the publications of McSweeney's and from the various chapters of 826. (See also: http://www.mcsweeneys.net)
If you're interested in 826 Chicago and their writing tutoring center and workshops, be sure to check out the website. It really is an awesome program. You can fill out a volunteer application online to lend a hand. And if you have kids, TAKE THEM HERE!
i love mcsweeney's and all of their amazing storefronts.
seriously, i don't know where i would be without the boring store's wide variety of holes, pits, ditches, etc.
If you are looking for a small gift for someone this place is perfect. You can find most of the stuff here at Target for a little cheaper, but if you buy it at Target your no supporting the writing center. I was able to pick up some great gifts here for my little brothers.
Got to love the fake mustache selection!
This place does not exist. It's a figment of you imagination.
This is not a spy store either.
I love the sign out front that says "Fresh Grappling Hooks." I love all the oh-so-useful items like message encoders and invisible ink. I love all the actually useful ones like USB-powered paper shredders and the kitschy ones like mix-tape flash drives. I love the books they publish with writing from local students. I love the hilarious signs, the million and one cameras all over the place, and the packaging on all the spy gear -- "This is not a spy cam" or "I had never heard of binoculars, either." I mostly love their mission, funding a creative writing and tutoring program. What a great store!
This place is adorable and great for small gifts for friends. From the spy watch to reflective mirror glasses, this place has a number of items to delight a person who still loves gadgets and childlike behavior (the many magnets that tote items and animals with mustaches for instance). If you ever need fake mustaches for a swanky-fun mustache party (try it, they're fun), this is the place to go. One can even sometimes find sarsaparilla flavored gummy mustaches.
Have even taken various friends here just to peruse and read the descriptions on the boxes. The staff can be amusing at times as well, some successfully engaging and leaving friends and myself with chuckles.
You can also feel great about helping an organization that has children being tutored in the back.
This place is nothing short of AWESOME!!!!! I was compelled to walk in after strolling past their attention-getting sign. As soon as I went in, there was a staff member there who was very friendly and greeted me. He proceeded to tell me what they're about-they offer free tutoring for kids and help them publish their writings. (They have an area in the back viewable by customers where they tutor.) I bought one of the books, and so far it's one of the best I've read!!!!!! All or most of the profit made from the boring store goes to tutoring. What an awesome cause!!!!! Not to mention the guy there was hillarious and had lots of personality. It's an ecclectic kind of place, anyone and everyone should stop-in there at least once!!!! (My favorite was the banana which was really a cell phone disguise-AWESOME!!!!) GO THERE!!!!!!!!!
The Boring Store is supporting a great cause. Its fun walking around and checking things out but it seems like its lacking more cool stuff. They have an awesome name and witty signs throughout the store. Its just they're not as spytastic as I thought it would be. Damn expectations... but we still managed to walk away with a few things...
THIS PLACE IS AWESOME! perfect gift shop. the owners are very nice. totally worth a stop in.
Such a great concept. I love that they are raising money to fund their writing program. (It's been a while so I forget the exact details about the non profit organization.) Amongst all the kitschy random products they have, they also have a book of compilations written by those who participate in the program. Very moving and it definitely made me open my eyes to various situations that others might have to endure. Anyways, the products here are definitely fun and you can kill some time just trying to figure out what everything really is. Employees are beyond helpful and only made the experience that much better.
I love this place! Have a friend who's hard to buy for, but has a sense of humor? Just have an hour or two to kill on a weekend afternoon? This is the place to browse! Don't let the name or storefront mislead you - hilaious treasures lie within. The spy paraphernelia is awesome - from fake mustaches, secret stash soda cans, wigs, hats and guidebooks. And when you're done, talk to the super friendly staff about what they're really doing here. The Boring Store is the front for a 826 writing workshop. Whatever you're here for, you'll have a great time.
This is the best concept for a not-for-profit. I was so excited to learn that it was the front to a writing program for CPS students. I was so happy I purchased a banana cell phone cover. Such cute gag- gifts.
When I first walked in, it didn't seem like there was much to look at, just some boxes with a few little toys and odds and ends. First impression was soo wrong. After being there for over 30 mins (giggling for most of that time) I found myself trying to decide between buying the AquaNet safe or the (see behind you) mirror glasses. Especially had fun trying on the fake mustaches - with a mirror nearby to check out which one fits the best. Good place to spend some time browsing and laughing at silly gadgets. And a great place to get stocking stuffers for the family... And it all goes towards a worthy cause.
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