Damen and Lawrence

Ten years ago, when this reporter first rented an apartment near Damen and Lawrence, there wasn't a whole lot to talk about. An aging Sears store, a couple of grungy bars, corner convenience stores -- but the location was a great place to live and commute downtown, given the proximity to the Damen "El" stop at Damen and Leland, or the Ravenswood Metra stop a few blocks away. You simply cabbed to the nearby Lakeview and Andersonville neighborhoods to get your shopping and dining fix.

Over time Ravenswood has gentrified, and has brought Damen and Lawrence with it. There are now two Chinese restaurants, two Thai restaurants and a Moroccan eatery. A newish consignment shop changed ownership a few months ago, making the Damen corridor south of Lawrence a good spot to sip coffee, check out vintage dresses and send your guy to one of Ravenswood's better sports bars, the Rail.

ShareWear Consignment
4703 N. Damen
(773) 596-5537
www.sharewearchicago.com

Owners Cheryl Bowman-McPherson and Tracey Robertson have something special for fans of stylish consignment stores: The small store packs wonderful dresses, shoes, hangbags that will have you -- or the woman in your life -- happily browsing for a while. You'll find higher-end stuff here, like Gucci and Prada and vintage dresses. The store accepts consignments, though it's picky about labels and quality. Oh, and there are men's items too, including some very cool black leather jackets.

Hours: 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday; noon-5 p.m. Sunday; closed Monday.

Ravenswood Antique Mart
4727 N. Damen
(773) 271-3700

Want to add some style to your home? You gotta stop in here. Owner John Vlachos and the vendors who sell their wares at his shop are always combing for new antiques in top-notch condition, including housewares, furniture and jewlery from lots of eras: art deco, moderne from the 1940s, '60s pop, Scandanavian pop and the 1970s. And the store is clean and bright, not at all junky or smelly like some antique stores.

Hours: 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Friday; 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday-Sunday.

The Rail
4709 N. Damen
(773) 878-9400

This spot used to be Simply Ray's, which was OK but nothing special. As the newly reopened Rail, it's cleaner and more inviting, with its dark wood interior, dim lights and bountiful bar menu (and food is served till 1 a.m., a plus for night owls). It's a good place to watch a game, too. There are specials every night, including 10-cent wings on Monday and a Bloody Mary bar on Sunday.

Hours: 4 p.m.-2 a.m. Monday-Thursday; 11 a.m.-2 a.m. Friday; 11 a.m.-3 a.m. Saturday; and 10:30 a.m.-2 a.m. Sunday.

Sweet Occasions and More
4639 N. Damen
(773) 293-3080
www.sweetoccasionsand-more.com

Here's how to placate your child -- or your sweet tooth -- if you're checking out the above-mentioned consignment shop and antique store. Pop in here, one of a handful of "Sweet Occasions" locations, for ice cream, soy ice cream, or a generous slice of red velvet cake made by a local baker -- oh, and there's homemade quiche, too. Yum.

Hours: 6:30 a.m.-11 p.m. Monday thru Friday; 8 a.m.-11 p.m. Saturday; 8 a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday.

Marrakech Expresso
4747 N. Damen
(773) 271-4541

This casual restaurant is the place to go for a delicious meal -- and bring your laptop and take advantage of the couches and wi-fi offered. Try the zaalouk (eggplant with mashed tomatoes and spices, kind of similar to baba ghanoush); the coucous is excellent, as is the beef kebab.

Hours: 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday thru Friday; 10 a.m.-midnight Saturday; 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday.