Wicker Park & Bucktown

The vibe

Wicker Park and Bucktown sit on either side of the six-corner intersection where Milwaukee, North and Damen all crash into each other under the Blue Line tracks. Twenty-some years ago this was where the bands lived. Now it's boutiques, cocktail bars and chains, with enough of the old weirdness hanging on to keep it fun. Bucktown, north of North Avenue, is quieter and leafier, more greystones and strollers. Wicker Park is the loud half.

High, the move is to wander. Milwaukee Avenue is one long browse of record shops, bookstores, vintage, bars and taco counters, and the Damen Blue Line stop drops you in the middle of it.

Best munchies

Big Star near the six corners is the anchor: tacos, a big patio, open late, and as good at midnight as it is at seven. The blocks around the intersection have slice joints and taco counters that keep the lights on for the bar crowd, which makes this one of the easiest places in the city for Wicker Park late night food.

Walk south into Ukrainian Village for Kasia's Deli and a bag of pierogi. Bucktown has neighborhood brunch spots and pizza places stacked along Damen. For the full rundown by craving, see the Chicago munchies guide.

Things to do baked

Dig through crates at Reckless Records on Milwaukee, a Chicago record store institution with new and used vinyl and staff who know everything. Dusty Groove, just south on Ashland, is a soul, jazz and funk paradise. Myopic Books is a multi-floor used bookstore with creaky stairs and the exact amount of dust you want. Go in, go up, sit on the floor with a book about something you've never thought about.

Then get on the 606. The old rail line runs right through Bucktown and Wicker Park, a raised path over back yards and side streets. Sunset walk, east to west, and you'll be in Humboldt Park before you know it.

Movies and music

The bar-with-games scene is strong here. Emporium Arcade Bar has a Wicker Park location full of pinball and old cabinets. A short ride south, the Empty Bottle on Western in Ukrainian Village has been one of the best small rock clubs in the country for decades. For movies, the Logan Theatre is two Blue Line stops up.

Best lake or park spot

Wicker Park itself, the little triangle park the neighborhood is named after, has big old trees, a fountain and benches for people-watching. For a longer walk, the 606 is right here. The lake is a ride away, so this is a park-and-trail neighborhood, not a beach one.

A perfect baked day in Wicker Park

Start late, because nobody in Wicker Park is up early. Get off the Damen Blue Line, grab coffee and walk Milwaukee Avenue southeast, ducking into whatever record shop, vintage store or bookstore pulls you in. Myopic's upper floor is a good place to sit for twenty minutes with a book you'll never buy. Around golden hour, climb up onto the 606 at the Damen entrance and walk west over the rooftops until the sun drops. Loop back down to the six corners for tacos on the patio at Big Star, then a few games at the arcade bar. If it's a weekend, the bars will still be going strong when you call it. Get a slice for the train.

The long-tail version of this neighborhood, the stuff people search for, is easy: Wicker Park late night food is tacos and slices around the six corners, things to do in Wicker Park are records, books and the 606, and Bucktown is where you go when you want the same thing at half the volume.

Getting there and getting around

The Damen Blue Line stop is the center of everything, with Division and Western stops on either side. The Blue Line runs all night, which is the single best thing about living here. The 606 has access ramps every few blocks, and Divvy bikes are everywhere. Driving and parking around the six corners is a nightmare on a good day, so don't. You're not supposed to be driving anyway.

Sesh notes for Wicker Park

Wicker Park and Bucktown are two-flat and three-flat country with a growing pile of new condo buildings, which means shared back porches, gangways and neighbors who can smell what you're doing. If your unit has a back porch out of public view and your lease allows it, that's the summer spot. Keep it off Milwaukee and Damen, where the sidewalks are packed and everything is public. In winter, the arcade bars and record stores make this one of the best neighborhoods to be out in the cold, since you're never more than a block from somewhere warm.

The good and the annoying

Next door

The neighborhoods that border this one, or are one quick ride away.

Before you go, read the Chicago munchies guide, best late night food in Chicago, things to do high in Chicago, hosting a Chicago sesh. And see all twelve neighborhood guides.