jm954

Wicker Park is a neighborhood on the North Side of Chicago and is one of the most loved, hated and well-known parts of the city. In the 1980s and early 1990s, the neighborhood cost a fraction of what it does today to live in and was home to a thriving artistic community. However, as Chicago began a phase of rapid growth in the mid 1990s, Wicker Park fell victim to gentrification. Property values increased, the city of Chicago began growing, and the neighborhood found itself populated by an influx of young professionals and families, often moving there from outside the city. No other in the neighborhood has such a large percentage of young people. An array of businesses whose variety is only rivaled in the Loop itself moved into the area. Art galleries, record stores and any sort of strange shop or store a person could think of line the commercial streets. At all hours of the night, the streets of Wicker Park are buzzing with activity. Bars and restaurants are open all hours of the night and day. Taxicabs and cars never stop moving, and the pedestrian traffic alone at North & Milwaukee is overwhelming. This intersection in particular feels more like Lower Manhattan than Chicago, Illinois. The neighborhood's namesake park is gorgeous, and many residents visit it every week, if not every day. Some people might find the non-stop flurry of activity to be taxing, but for young people who have a steady income, there isn't a more vibrant and exciting neighborhood in Chicago.