Urban Remains in
Chicago (IL)

According to a paper sign on the door, they're only open By Appointment, for the "Holiday Month" ("Week" had been crossed out). No mention of this month long closure on the website.

Love this store. You can tell the owner takes pride in the business and is brilliant. I can’t wait to add to my collection!

This is a great shop with some interesting and unique items - I really enjoyed browsing. Unfortunately, it was the opposite when I tried to purchase items. After a series of follow-up visits (2) and calls (4 messages) to buy and pick-up the items I negotiated a purchase price for, I gave up. It is very curious business model.

Best architectural salvage for antique door hardware! Great curated selection of Victorian, art nouveau, and aesthetic pieces from the 1870s to the 1930s. Definitely check it out if renovating a historic house and need period hardware

Some of these reviews are wild. If you can’t figure out the door, why would you pull “so hard the alarm went off”? See a therapist. We bought a bar cart, industrial lamp, and a set of mailboxes from the Southside Masonic Temple that all of ours guests ask about.

Not open at 4pm on 7/15. Update responding to the owner’s comment: The door was not open. There was another couple trying to get in at 4 and she tried knocking/opening the door so much that the security alarm went off. Still, nobody came to the entrance to let us in. To the owner: you clearly have an issue with customers not able to access the storefront. Rather than responding with passive-aggressive comments, wouldn’t your time be better spent fixing the issue?

The items inside look absolutely gorgeous… too bad we couldn’t actually go in to see them! Even though the website said they were open, (we came around 1 on Friday) the door was locked & despite ringing the doorbell several times & waiting, nobody came to let us in. Very disappointing. Edit - I went to 1820, not 1850. And calling reviews “falsified” because you don’t like them isn’t professional. Dropping review to 1-star. You had the chance to be professional, instead you blamed the customer. Again, disappointing, especially as we had planned on making a purchase.

We did enjoy our visit to Urban Remains. But, I only feel it is a 4 star because we drove all the way into the city for what we thought would be a great salvage expedition. The website said that there was 75,000 sqft of treasures. The truth was it was only about 5000 sqft. Update: In all fairness to the owner I went back and reviewed the website and the owner is correct, he does not say how big his shop is. However, as much as we enjoyed our visit and the great treasure we got, I am sticking with the 4 stars. Several items are not for sale and impossible to reach and investigate. I know, ask to see it and the sales person will take it down for you. Well we did ask about 2 tiles, the very nice and kind person took a picture and showed us the information on line. Would we go back, yes.

Was really excited to have found a piece on their website that would have been great on my porch. Unfortunately, this company took my payment and NEVER followed up. After nearly three weeks with no response to numerous emails and voicemails, I had to reverse the charges via AMEX. I hate giving bad reviews, but this one is deserved. EDIT review - since it's not possible to respond to Urban Remain's response. To Urban Remains - the only email I ever received from you was the purchase confirmation. No others exist. Furthermore, I called and left my name and callback number on your voicemail, so even if you had the wrong email address (how could you since I received a receipt), you certainly could have called me to clear this up and you did not! My 1 star review is further reinforced by your reply.

the only thing I can say that was truly pleasant about my experience was the woman on the voicemail. her voice was happy, pleasant, and very professional. as for Any other experience, words cannot describe my disappointment in this company the lack of customer service and childish correspondence. I would have much rather deal with the woman with the voicemail, I think she would be able to run this company much better. I ordered something that was no longer in the condition it was supposed to be in, my credit card was charged immediately, when I asked for a refund I was told that it was refunded to a PayPal account which I DO NOT HAVE. it was my credit card that was charged. I don't like or appreciate the runaround. if the shoe was on the other foot, and they were the customer I'm sure that they wouldn't want to be treated the way I was treated. was really hoping for a great experience, but that wasn't the case.

Zero stars wasn't available but I would have given that rating actually. Should this place be in business? Not clear to me since I drove in from suburbs to visit and when I arrived during hours it was to be open (Friday at 2pm), the door was locked. No sign , no notice on phone nor on website about a special circumstance. I left a vm and waited around for about fifteen minutes. While in the car waiting, I saw a young man come out, shake something out and go back in. I immediately went to the door and found it locked again.I saw movement through the side window the and saw lights on. I knocked and knocked to no avail. Still waiting for a return call 4 hours later.. With two 6"x6" fireplace tiles going for $800 per the company website, I would think this place might emphasize a good customer experience. Silly me to think so. I was looking for fireplace tiles. Good thing there is another salvage place (Salvage One) literally one block over with exceptionally friendly service.

This place is awesome! It’s really cool to browse around and see what you can find and a must visit if you are looking for one of a kind items for your house. Got these incredible tiles that we had set into our fireplace hearth. Check it out, you won’t regret it!

I do not recommend this company at all. I purchased an item in April and never received it. Upon asking for a return, it took over a month to hear back from someone and they let me know "I would receive the payment in the future." It's September, I have not gotten any correspondence from emails I've recently sent or my initial payment. They have a nonexistent customer service team and *seemingly* will not help you if you're asking for a refund.

Like everyone else on an antique search, I was looking for a cast iron fireplace surround. These are obviously expensive to ship, so when I saw one in Chicago (4.5 hr drive), I jumped on it. It wasn't a good deal, it was retail. In fact, it was priced much higher on Etsy than their own website. I had made a query on Etsy and got a pretty short, seemingly annoyed response. I made the purchase on their website for list price which says "we will contact you for shipping or pickup." No one ever contacted me. I emailed them to state I would be picking up on the weekend from another city. No response. We went during their open hours but the place looked totally closed. Upon going inside, we saw no one at the front but walked into the warehouse section. They looked totally puzzled to see me. I felt really out of place. I think the owner was there and didn't say hello or anything. He actually seemed kinda annoyed we were there. They did not know anyone was picking anything up. I wanted to look around while we were there but felt so awkward, like it was after hours or they were closed, so we just left. They did mark the item I bought as "sold" on their site and took it off Etsy. So that's a plus. I love the Midwest architecture and purpose of these efforts. Further, it's a great item. The sales service just leaves a lot to be desired. I was excited to go to Chicago, excited to see the shop, and excited to get my piece. I was just kinda let down that I seemed to be an annoyance.

agree with a lot of the people here talking about the staff and the confusion. I have a long story too but will just agree with the comments on inventory, pricing, etc. I have been going here for 5 years and think the stuff is great, and have purchased a number of items over the years; but the last experience I had might have soured me for good. Too bad. I left a vm for the owner, we'll see if they do anything...

I contacted them to see if they'd negotiate on the price of an old industrial catalog they had listed on their website. The owner, Eric, wrote back with an offer that I countered and then Kendyl replied that we had a deal. Agreed upon price was $250 +shipping. They said they were in the middle of moving locations and had to find it because it was packed away somewhere. 2 weeks went by and I hadn't heard anything from them so I asked for an update. Owner wrote back saying they hadn't found it and would let me know if it showed up. I felt his response was short and rude and not what I'd expect as a customer waiting patiently to pay them $250 for a catalog their website listed as "in stock". Kendyl wrote back about a week later saying they'd found it. I paid the $250 via PayPal and gave my address so they could calculate shipping. They wanted $25 to ship a paper catalog which weighs less than a pound. This could ship priority, with insurance added, for less than $15. But I didn't say anything and just paid the $25 because I was anxious to get my item. Then... Kendyl wrote back saying the owner had let her know that 2 pages had been cut out and she wanted to let me know so I wouldn't be surprised when I received it. That was not ok with me. I had waited a month to even pay for this thing and the day after I send my payment they tell me my $250 collectible catalog had 2 pages cut out of it? So I told them as nicely as I could that I wasn't happy about that and thought it was worth less now that I know it's damaged. So...the owner writes me back saying very rudely that I had already taken up too much of Kendyl's time for "an item that doesn't even pertain to their shop" and he'd be refunding my PayPal payment in the morning since it was almost 5 and he'd be leaving the office soon. So I patiently waited for a month to spend my $250 with them and this is how I get treated? I got misled until the minute they receive my payment by not disclosing the damage except as an afterthought right before shipping. And then I get basically accused of being a nuisance because I was trying to buy an item listed on their website and I guess I was supposed to intuitively know they were moving and it would be too much work for Kendyl to find it? And how does an item thats listed on your website for sale not pertain to your shop? Plus you're at the computer right now, why can't you refund my payment today? You're the owner, not an employee that clocks out right at 5 (he eventually did refund me that day after I wrote back fuming). Long story long, the owner was a complete jerk to me and had no accountability for his poor business practices. On top of that he tried to blame me for the issues for absolutely no reason I can comprehend. So after a month of waiting I get my order cancelled because he thought that would be easier than actually looking himself in the mirror and admitting he made a mistake. For what it's worth, Kendyl's communications were very pleasant and professional. The owners were not, they were always very short and rude like I was some fly that wouldn't stop bothering him. All I wanted was the agreed upon catalog at the agreed upon price, you're the one who made this such an ordeal. I won't be giving them my business ever.

Very cool items, wide variety. Give yourself some time to explore as there is a lot to see. Ask about items... most have an interesting story. Prices may seem too high (yes, some are). But, you have to understand the man hours to acquire, history/uniqueness of an item & the quality is fantastic. Plus, they say they negotiate.... Kinda a Museum of Chicago, where you can actually buy the stuf. Admission is free!

Saw this location on S.E.E. Chicago and had to come. So many awesome things. Prices are high but this is history you're paying for people! The woman working was very helpful and knowledgeable.

Excellent place to find all things old salvaged for reuse. Things like doors, doorknobs, harware, stained glass, woodwork, fixtures, fireplaces, newel posts and basically too many things to name. All items are negotiable. Even if you don't buy anything it's fun just to walk around and feel history through the relics that surround you.

Incredible assortment of unique stuff to browse. Tons of fun. A little pricey, but the staff worked with us on the price. Definitely worth a look if you're in the market for interesting architectural pieces.

If you like industrial... BINGO! Your will LOVE LOVE LOVE it here! Priced like a typical big city (DC, NYC- Brooklyn, BALT, ATL, New Orleans etc.) BUT--->> With that said, the things they have can be priced well and a lot cannot be easily sourced elsewhere. If you want a set of Toledo stools, here you go. You want a wood file card cabinet, apothecary drawers, cast iron table legs/bases, steel Simon dressers(already stripped and polished), iron railing(some cleaned, some not), hardware (most unpainted*) they are a must. If you like quirky one of a kind things, old copper doll head molds, old trade signs, enamel shop signs; they have it. Fireplace surrounds, they have some, old lighting they have it- it's more geared in the industrial Era in style but a few Gothic style pieces have been spotted. Museum quality antiques, old maps, science prints and more. It's worth the time!

beware. we ordered a bunch of stuff and after more than 2 weeks they still had not shipped anything blaming a stock issue. The question is why are they marketing and selling stuff they don't have ! order cancelled.

Me and my boss we're trying to find an old cast iron post for railing. It was an old style so non of our distributors had any. We found this post here. These guys are selling different old (maybe even antique) stuff and they are taking a good care of it. Also a good thing that they are taking payment in check's

Good array of hard-to-find items but the prices are really high and the customer service is terrible. I ordered 2 pieces online and still don't have them over one month later! My credit card was charged immediately, however.

Cool place to explore but prices are unfounded. $150 for a mass produced metal work stool just because it's "antique"? Good for rustic decor but not if your looking for things to refurbish.

This place is great. Even if you don't buy anything, the education you'll get on creative ways to use industrial items is worth it. I wanted everything in this place! Close to The Loop. Seemed like a safe neighborhood. Parked right in front.

Very impolite people, doing you a favor to sell you something, coy about pricing some things (why?) that are on their web site for sale --- and very expensive. Better stuff, less expensive, no hassle at Restoration Hardware. Look up their web site. A lot of stuff there, bits and pieces of old things. I can't imagine how you would use most of it. Go elsewhere. Try Architectural Artifacts. Nice people, have their prices for all to see, pleasant to deal with.