Crate & Barrel, which has two Manhattan locations (one uptown, one downtown), has a fun, young vibe, and carries products that are both classic and contemporary. The shop has durable dishes that are right on the money–you can find 16-piece dinnerware starter sets for $75–and their glassware is fab (try $2 for stemless wine glasses). And if you need cookware, bakeware, cutlery, or other kitchen accessories, you can find them here. Crate & Barrel also has good couches, desks, chairs, and dressers, although the furniture is a bit pricey. (Crate & Barrel couches, for example, are about $1400 and up, whereas Room and Board couches are around $1000. Essentially Crate & Barrel is on par with Pottery Barn in terms of how much you are going to spend.)

And we’ve also got a ‘lil C&B secret for you: For more modern looking stuff at sometimes more modest prices, try CB2.com, Crate & Barrel’s new-ish online/off-line store (CB2 actually has a Chi-town retail location; sorry, but why does the, um, Second City get a CB2 before we do?).

Crate & Barrel is filed under urHOME: Kitchen (Dishes), urHOME: Kitchen (Cookware), and urHOME: Furniture. CB2.com is filed under Web Only.