Are there many coffee shops in Chicago that aren't big chains like Starbucks?

I am crazy about the coffee shop in Edgewater/Andersonville called The Coffee Studio http://www.thecoffeestudio.com/ -- terrific coffee and noshes, free internet for an hour, and they stock some of the best boutique treats in Chicago, too (Terry's Toffee, Katherine Anne's... ) Check it out! (PS - I have no affiliation with this business - I just personally love it!)

Tons! While you're certainly going to find more than a couple Starbucks and Caribou Coffee's around (although Caribou is closing most of theirs or converting them into Peet's Coffee) you'll also find some really cool, quaint coffee shops. I've felt very welcome in some, and sorta like an outsider in others. I think it really depends on how you approach them. Red June is really good, as is Ipsento, which are both in Bucktown, but there are a few in the Loop and pretty much every neighborhood as well. It's not Seattle, but Chicagoans love their coffee!