Ope, It’s Lincoln Square

1. Midwest Nice

You’ll start your afternoon on the southern portion of the storybook Lincoln Avenue at Midwest Nice. It’s like this store was meant for this part of Chicago. With equal parts charm and grit, it feels like a typical Chicagoan personified.

This is your classic knick-knack shop perfect for picking up a birthday gift, thank you card or a simple “thinking of you” doodad for your bestie, partner or family member. Here, the opportunities to spoil your crew — or yourself — are endless.

Quirky jewelry is laid out on shelves and tables around the cozy space while prints and canvases of eclectic art cover nearly all the wall space in the shop. The friendly staff greet you as you peruse the merchandise, weighing your options of getting a “Shut the F*** Up About Chicago” sticker, an “Ope” baseball cap or a magnet featuring your favorite Chicago landmark.

If you’re sensing a theme, you’re spot on. This place is heavy on the Chicago pride, just how you like it. But it’s not just performative — most artists selling goods in the store are from Chicago, and if not, they’re from the Midwest.

So you make your way past the giggling trio of mid-20s women admiring the statement earrings near the register, admiring the display of girlhood taking place before you, purchase your treasure trove of trinkets, and happily make your way down Lincoln toward Merz Apothecary.

2. Merz Apothecary

Making the short walk from Midwest Nice to Merz Apothecary and The Shops at Merz, it’s a good idea to really stop and appreciate the scene, but you won’t even need that reminder. Lincoln Avenue is the kind of street where every mom you know would ask, rhetorically, “Well isn’t this the cutest?”

Looking north, the “Lincoln Square” arch greets you, and just beyond that your long-awaited destination glimmers in the sun. You walk into Merz Apothecary, a natural and homeopathic pharmacy that’s been around way longer than those schmucks CVS and Walgreens.

Founded in 1875, Merz Apothecary began as a family-owned business and has only had two families own it since. Peter Merz, the spot’s founder, was Swiss, and the pharmacy has focused largely on rare European goods ever since.

Yes, you can find the heavy hitters like Nivea cream and *** here, but there’s also gems like Santa Maria Novella products, which hail from the world’s oldest pharmacy in Florence, Italy.

Needless to say, the shop is a skincare girl’s dream, but it truly has a draw for everyone. Once again, this is your one-stop shop around the holiday season. Every cream, oil, lotion, potion, fragrance, perfume, cologne, supplement, vitamin, soap and gel you can imagine is within these walls.

The pharmacy side, Merz Apothecary, gives way to The Shops at Merz, which is more focused on rare fragrances, skincare products and makeup.

If you’re overwhelmed by the options, don’t fret. Just ask a staff member for their recommendation, or if you’re lucky, you’ll be there at the same time as the staff pharmacist, who’s available five days a week and speaks three languages to help customers.

3. Vaca’s Creamery

As with any successful shopping day, this one will end with a sweet treat. Stepping into the courtyard on Lincoln Avenue behind a tranquil fountain, you’ll see Vaca’s Vegan Creamery ready to satiate that craving.

There are very few things in this life more blissful than an ice cream cone at the end of a long day, and Vaca’s delivers — even if you’re lactose intolerant.

Riding the wave of the oat milk craze, Vaca’s makes decadent ice cream and other treats that are completely vegan. Yup, that creamy, dreamy, velvety texture is all oat.

The interior is bright and fun, and the floor is dotted with tables for patrons to chat and “mmm” their way through their delicacies. Outside, benches are available, or, take your treat on a stroll to check out the rest of the street in one of Chicago’s quaintest neighborhoods.

As for the menu, the specialty ice creams are the star of the show. If you’re a chocolate fiend, the “Death By…” is a can’t-miss, with your choice of ice cream topped with chocolate sauce, chocolate shell, and chocolate brownies.

If chocolate’s not your thing, peruse the rest of the menu to find what suits you. The “Inner Child” with confetti cookie dough, strawberry sauce, sprinkles and your choice of ice cream flavor might do it, or the seasonally available “Apple Cider Donut Cake,” with apple pie sauce, apple cider cake pieces and, again, your choice of ice cream.

Build-your-own options, pastries and take-home pints are also available.