Chip mentioned Helix, which has a store near Oakbrook. It is closer for you, but they don't have much there. Once you get to Oakbrook though, the distance to the main store in Chicago is marginal.
I bought Alien Bees online, and although I have been very happy with them, I might have saved some money if I had just went with Hensel in the first place.
I have two B-800's with two stands and two umbrellas. Adding a softboxes to this system would cost about as much as a Hensel Porty. Although the Hensel would have only one light, the portability, power, versatility, and ruggedness of the design make up of the light. With the Bees I'm limited to AC outlets which I find terribly limiting. You can get batteries for the Bees, but I don't think they are waterproof like the Hensels are though.
The bottom line is Alien Bees are great to start with, but a portable system will likely serve those without indoor studios much better. So spend the extra cash up front and get a good professional system that you can travel with.
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