Wicker Park/Bucktown

"Bucktown gets its name from the large number of goats raised in the neighborhood during the 19th century. A male goat is a buck." (Wikepedia)

Location: WickerPark is a Chicago neighborhood northwest of the Loop, near Bucktown. The borders of the neighborhood are generally accepted to be Ashland to the east, the above-grade Bloomingdale Line to the north, Division to the south, and Western Avenue to the west. These boundaries are not hard and fast, and may change slightly over time. Bucktown is a neighborhood located in the Logan Square community area in Chicago northwest of the Loop. Its boundaries are the Chicago River to the east, Western Avenue to the west, the above-grade Bloomingdale Line to the south and West Fullerton Avenue to the north.Bucktown is directly north from Wicker Park.  (Wikepedia)

Transportation:  Bucktown and Wicker Park are readily accessible on the Blue Line (Damen stop ) as well as the North Ave and Milwaukee buses.

Description: In the late 1980's, Wicker Park created new affordable-housing construction that coincided with the arrival of artists attracted by the neighborhood's easy access to the Loop, cheap loft space in the abandoned factories, and distinctly urban feel.  Today, the neighborhood is best known for its numerous commercial and entertainment establishments and being a convenient place to live for downtown workers due to its proximity to public transporation and the loop. Bucktown is primarily residential, with a mix of older single family homes, new builds with edgy architecture, and converted industrial loft spaces. In the last quarter of the 20th Century, a growing artists' community led directly to widespread gentrification, which brought in a large population of young professionals.(Wikepedia)

Food and Drink: Wicker Park has recently increased business activity, with many new bars (another Small Bar being one), restaurants (Filter cafe a good spot to start for coffee), and stores opening to serve these individuals. Bucktown: many bars and restaurants in the vicinity

Grocery Stores: There is a significant amount of shopping on Damen Avenue from North Avenue (in Wicker Park) going North until a few blocks north of Armitage Avenue.

Other: Double Door a great site for music lovers

Courtney's notes: Wonderful apartments, too many shops and restaurants to choose from. An American Apparel shop, several Akira men's, women's and shoes/ accessories, Myopic Books a great place to browse for used books, plentiful art studios and too many noodle, Thai, sushi joints to count! A ton of young, hip, trendy people flock to the area in the evenings and on weekends.