Jano Montano
Trendy, innovative neighborhood in Chicago
Wicker Park is a small park situated in west Chicago, a district that is currently becoming a very fashionable area of the city. This neighborhood was originally inhabited by the Central European immigrant middle class and today it is a multicultural neighborhood that young people have made into a bohemian area. At first glance, Wicker Park isn't anything extraordinary. Large expanses of two or three floor buildings from the early to mid-twentieth centuries accommodate small family businesses and seems a bit like parts of Brooklyn, NYC. After looking past the seemingly griminess, however, you realize there is something here that is nowhere else in the city, at least on such a large scale.
There are loads of small, local businesses run by young people who sell extremely avante-garde furniture, clothing and other things. The window displays alone are enough to bring you into the store. The restaurants and bars also tend to be small. You can get here by taking the blue line to the Damen station which leaves you right in the heart of the neighborhood. In short, it's a great area to discover innovative aesthetics and bold ideas. There are some other independent places on the Magnificent Mile but this is another place of the city to check out.
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