I’m looking for high school graduation gift ideas for my D from our family and relatives. If they wanted to get her gift cards that she could use at or around UChicago, where would you recommend? I know there is a Target nearby, and is the UChicago bookstore a Barnes & Noble? What else would a student like to have - gift card wise? Thanks!
Baseball tickets
Nearby pizza shops
Nearby haircut / manicure gift certs
City Bus Tour
Uber gift cert
pre-paid taxi to / from airport
Metro pass
When my daughter and I were there in April, we stayed in Hyde Park. Across from our hotel was a Subway, Dunkin Donuts, Chipotle, Baskin Robbins, and a Papa John’s Pizza. Target was just down the block. I would also suggest uber, Amazon or Whole Foods (in Hyde Park). Of course, in the city there is pretty much every store you can imagine. And the book store is a B & N. They took my member discount there.
Honestly gift cards are a poor way to give your child a gift. 1. It assumes that you know what they want or what is best for them, 2. it allows only purchasing at one store 3. they are easy to misplace, and that’s the same as just losing cash. The best thing you can do is deposit whatever money you want in a their checking account and then let them make the decision on how/where they spend it (first steps to becoming an independent adult) If they lose the debit card they don’t lose any money and they can get another one to replace it for free. They can also get cash as many banks now issue debit cards that refund ATM fees.
How about some suggestions for independently owned stores/food places rather than chains? Good way for the new student to explore the area and what’s unique to area around campus. You can get DD, Chipotle, Target anywhere.
Thanks all for the suggestions! I appreciate it! I do like the idea of getting some non-chain ones. CU123, I agree, gift cards are sometimes a poor choice for gifts. My family wants to make a college survival kit for her with a few gift cards included, among other types of items. This would just be a secondary gift. I imagine the bulk of her gifts will be cash.
Speaking of cash, I’m not sure how her current bank treats ATM fees. We may need to open a new checking account for her in Chicago, as the one she has now is at a local bank that’s only in our home state. I read somewhere that students use either Citibank or Maroon Credit Union. Are those still the 2 banks located on campus?
Thanks again!
Noodles, Etc. and The Medici. Both on 57th St in Hyde Park
There is a Citi bank branch on campus and is really close to the Bookstore. Chase has a branch at Kimbark Plaza on 53rd Street, which is off campus but still in Hyde Park. Bank of America only has an ATM at Hyde Park on 53rd Street.
If your child likes to read or are really into humanities subjects, getting a gift card from Seminary Co-op will be a good idea. Seminary Co-op is one of the best bookstores in the entire city.
https://www.semcoop.com/search/apachesolr_search/gift%20card
Amazon is always good as well
The Maroon Credit Union (part of Co-op network) is just on the other side of North residential hall and the North parking structure. There is also an Insominia Cookies right there as well for those late night sugar cravings. And for many retailers, If you lose a gift card and have a picture of it or have registered it, they will replace it for you.
Don’t know what’s in that particular area, but a CVS or Walgreens card is practical for snacks, OTC meds, health and beauty items, etc. And teach your kid to check out the weekly circulars to stretch their dollars (if, like mine, they weren’t great comparison shoppers until it was their own money being spent).
Pret (a manger) is in Reynolds - good for a snack, lunch, treat, coffee/tea etc. They have gift cards. My D is an avid Bart Mart shopper (small convenience store in Bartlett commons) - and you can use maroon dollars there - not sure, though, if you/your relatives can get maroon dollars before school starts (they get attached to their UChi Id - so really easy and no risk of losing).
How about just plain Amazon - or Apple. Works for any college student anywhere. Not local, however.
My son would love to get a gift card to Lyric or CSO and would make it a priority to attend. I tried that with my oldest in NYC with a Broadway.com gift card (enough to bring a friend) and she was thrilled. However, she never got around to redeeming till the following year, when I went out there for family weekend (actually, now that I think of it, I used up her gift card when I scheduled the show. Otherwise it might never have gotten redeemed). For some kids this kind of special extravagance will work, for others it might be a bit much. My NYC kid would have been happier with something from Apple or Amazon.
Can Maroon Dollars be used to purchase books / sports wear etc? Anything other than food/dining. THANKS.
momo2X2018 No, Maroon Dollars can’t be used for those things… Here is a list where they can be used. https://dining.uchicago.edu/maroon-dollars-faq/
For the most part, Maroon Dollars are just like actual money except you can’t spend them everywhere and they disappear in June. So buying anything beyond what the College includes in its meal plans only makes sense for a very narrow set of circumstances.
Getting coffee/a snack/whatever at a campus coffee shop (that isn’t Grounds of Being, which is cash-only)? Maroon dollars stretch your dollar further, if you’re certain you’ll spend a certain amount, because large purchases (usually $100+) come with a bonus and prices will be the same for Maroon Dollars or another form of payment.
Getting random snacks, cleaning supplies, etc. (i.e. 90% of non-cafe purchases) from South Mart? You could get the same thing for 2/3 of the price a block away at the new Jewel Osco using Normal Dollars™.
^ I was on vacation last week and had to translate my chip credits and muggle plastic into the local currency (namely, Batuuan Spira and whatever the wizarding world uses at Diagon Alley) and this Maroon Dollar stuff is even more complicated. A bonus for purchasing $100 of coffee and snacks? I should hope so!
A bonus for purchasing some amount of maroon dollars, to be clear.
^ OK that makes more sense.