At the end of July, I attended the opening of Virgin Mobile’s flagship retail store in Lincoln Park–right in the heart of Chicago. The store is kind of like a cross between a dive bar and a cool college hangout. Intriguing framed photos line the brick walls. Comfortable couches sit near the entrance. There’s even a shrine dedicated to Lady Gaga in a corner. The place had such a high-end record store vibe that I half-expected to suddenly see Jack Black and the rest of the cast of High Fidelity walk in.

I never thought I’d say this about a store, but it’s the kind of place I could see myself hanging out in for several hours. Check out more pics of the store after the jump.

The chill zone.

A pristine entrance.

Not quite your average store, is it.

For more photos of the store’s unique interior, have a look at this post on Virgin Mobile Live.

By Will Paoletto