BUCKTOWN/WICKER PARK NEIGHBORHOODS OF CHICAGO:

BASICS:

Wicker Park / Bucktown is said to have the third largest concentration of artists in the country. In recent years the area has become more gentrified with young urban professionals, small families and "people in the know."

HOUSING:

The Wicker Park/Bucktown area has many handsome greystones, single-family homes, and a treasure trove of Victorian style homes. Many of the popular cottages, coach houses and two-and three-flat buildings have tripled in value in less than a decade. A high percent of Bucktown's most charming old cottages and coach houses were built between 1870 and 1919.
Developers quickly followed the new residents into the neighborhood, rehabbing vintage buildings and building new loft condominiums where vacant lots once stood.

LOCATION:

Bucktown and Wicker Park are often used interchangeably. These adjoining neighborhoods stretch from Division Street on the South and Fullerton Avenue on the North; and between the Kennedy Expressway and Western Avenue. Technically Bucktown is the neighborhood North of North Avenue, while Wicker Park is to the South.

HISTORY:

The Wicker Park District has been part of Chicago since its incorporation as a city in 1837. The furthest northwest point of the city was North Avenue and Wood Street. In 1847 the city's western boundary moved to Western Avenue. By 1853, the heart of what would become the Wicker Park District: North, Milwaukee, and Damen, was occupied by homes on the corners of North and Milwaukee and by a public well on the northwest corner of North and Damen. A vibrant community, the Wicker Park District became home to many families that would become vital to Chicago's growth and prosperity. Included in the list of well-known people are the Pritzkers, Uihleins, Crowns, Carl Laemmle (Universal Studios), Michael Todd, Saul Bellows, and Nelson Algren. While the city's northern boundary moved to Fullerton Avenue in 1863, Wicker Park's northern boundary was Armitage. Bucktown stretched north from Armitage.

The neighborhood called Bucktown was named for the goats that were raised there in the 1830's.

SHOPS:

The Bucktown/ Wicker Park shopping experience is highlighted by offbeat furniture, clothing and antique stores.

DINING:

Milwaukee Avenue, which runs through this area, is lined with some of the area's best bars, cafes and restaurants. The national food magazine Bon Appetite has recognized Wicker Park as the new mecca for some of the best restaurants in Chicago.

BUCKTOWN/ WICKER SPECIAL EVENT:

In early September Bucktown host it's increasingly popular annual the "Around the Coyote Festival Gallery Walk."

The Around the Coyote Festival showcases the talents of one of the nation's largest concentrations of visual artists, in the Wicker Park and Bucktown neighborhoods north-west of Chicago city center.

Around the Coyote first took place in 1999, to draw attention to the large and diverse arts community in the Windy City, little known at that time even to locals. Two hundred artists took part in the first event and over the years the festival has grown to include more than 800 artists, attracting thousands of visitors each year.

ZIP CODE:

The zip code for Chicago's Bucktown / Wicker Park neighborhoods include 60647 and 60622.