Located just 15 minutes from the Loop, Wicker Park is a vibrant neighborhood where both old and new creative collide. This hot spot features a mixture of trendy restaurants, dive bars, vintage shops, hip coffee houses, small music venues, art galleries, and book and record stores. With access to The 606, Wicker Park Farmers Market, the park that gave the area its name, Wicker Park, there’s always something to do from day to night.
According to the Wicker Park/Bucktown Chamber of Commerce, the Wicker Park District has officially existed since 1837. The land was mostly prairie before the Chicago Fire of 1871. Due to the fire, there was a ton of rebuilding and a need for new construction. Homes and buildings began to emerge along Milwaukee Ave, and quickly, Wicker Park grew to be a popular neighborhood in Chicago.
Whether you’re looking for a vintage loft above the many shops along Milwaukee Ave., a mix of updated modern finishes with a cozy historic vibe, new construction with contemporary and crisp designs, or a charming single-family home, there is something for everyone in Wicker Park.
Wicker Park has everything you can imagine when it comes to the many restaurants that feed this eclectic neighborhood. With options like Japanese, Italian, vegan and natural, Mexican, Mediterranean, contemporary dining, and the many BYOB restaurants, your taste buds are in for a treat.
– Discover what makes Machine Engineered Dining & Drink a neighborhood fine dining hot spot (and date spot with the in house florist!)
-Tacos are a way of life, am I right? Don’t miss the patio at Big Star or the delicious seafood and passion fruit margaritas at El Barco Mariscos.
– If Italian is more your speed, you can’t miss the homemade pasta making window along Division St. at Tortello.
A night out in Wicker Park can be what you make it. Whether you choose to check out a local dive bar, discover one of the several speakeasy-inspired bars, enjoy local live music, dive into some local sports bars, or enjoy some craft cocktails with a view from The Up Room on the Robey Hotel’s rooftop. Here are some of our favorite Wicker Park watering holes.
– Enjoy the outdoors inside at Paradise Park.
– Beer connoisseur? No problem! Check out Bangers & Lace or Tapster for ever changing beer options.
–The Violet Hour’s speakeasy vibe and carefully crafted cocktails are sure to woo.
– Looking for more of a lively scene? Debonair Social Club and Whiskey Business have you covered there!
The intersections of Milwaukee Ave., North Ave., and Damen Ave. create ‘Six Corners,’ the epicenter of Wicker Park. With each avenue adding extra zest to the neighborhood, they collide, creating a bustling area full of restaurants, bars, galleries, boutiques, pop-up shops, art shows, and everything in between. In just a short time, discover the neighborhood favorites like one of the coolest tri-level used book stores and poetry venues, Myopic Books, and music venues featuring iconic artists and local favorites like Subterranean and Bourbon on Division. Enjoy some of the best vintage shops like Kokorokoko or Vintage Underground and unique stores like Gemini Shop, or Penelope’s sprinkled throughout this neighborhood.
Walking Score:
Bike Score:
Transit Score:
The Loop: 15 mins by car and 10 mins by train
Union Station: 15 mins by car and 20 mins by train
Millennium Park: 15 mins by car and 15 mins by train
Metra: Clybourn Station, located at 2001 N. Ashland Ave.
Car or Taxi: Located off the Kennedy Expressway, I-90/94 with access at Division St., North Ave., and Armitage Ave.
Bike: Wicker Park is one of the best neighborhoods for biking with plenty of bike rack options, bike lanes, and the best part of biking in Wicker Park- The 606, an elevated modern bike path that will take you east and west through other neighborhoods.
CTA Blue Lines: Division and Damen
CTA Buses:
–#9 Ashland Ave
–#50 Damen Ave
–#49 Western Ave
–#56 Milwaukee Ave
–#70 Division St
–#72 North Ave.