Wicker Park, located in the northwest side of Chicago, is bordered by N. Western on the west, N Ashland on the east, W. Division on the south, and W. Bloomingdale on the north.

Wicker Park is full of very elaborate homes…mostly following a Victorian style. In the historic area known as Beer Baron Row, rich brewery owners constructed their mansions…each trying to out-do the others in details and décor. But other areas of the park include the smaller homes, lived in by factory workers and labor activists.

While the rental properties in Wicker Park aren’t much more expensive than other parts of Chicago, they are much harder to come by…hence there’s much more competition and very few empty apartments last for long. One bedroom apartments (very rare) can be had for anywhere from $700 - $1,300. Two bedrooms are more common and run from $800 - $1,800. And three bedrooms range from $900 - $2,500.

 

Apartment sizes and condition contribute to the wide price ranges. More often than not, the two bedroom apartments offer tight living quarters with eat-in kitchens, wide-plank hardwood floors, and vintage styles. The vintage three bedrooms are often much larger and usually feature a dining room. The largest price-jump comes for the newer construction condos for rent, where modern living design and more floor space make the rental space more desirable, harder to find, and more expensive.

As Wicker Park increases in appeal and affluence, the neighborhood property values continue to increase. Condos generally sell in the $350,000 - $500,000 price range, but one can still sometimes find a bargain for as low as $300,000. The value of single family homes varies according to condition and size, ranging from $500,000 - $1,000,000. The Victorian mansions sell for much more. 

 

The multi family units (often converted into condos) usually start at $350,000 for a 2-flat, and $700,000 for a 3-flat. Because of the diverse housing stock, many of the multi-family homes sell for even more.

Wicker Park offers its residents access to several elementary schools, middle schools, and high schools. This includes A N Pritzker School and Wicker Park School (both of them at the same address on W Schiller St. On N. Milwaukee Ave, amongst the retail businesses, rests Richard Milburn High School. And on W. Wabansia Ave., is Jonathon Burr School.

The dining in Wicker Park is as diverse as the housing stock, offering residents and visitors everything from Mediterranean cuisine at Sultan’s Market to All-American-Barbeque at Honey 1 Barbeque. Chinese restaurants include Papajin and Chois Chinese Restaurant. And people can find Mexican food at over 20 different locations including El Chino Tacos, El Mexico Moderno, and Salud Tequila Lounge.

Wicker Park’s nightlife sparkles with fun and culture in places like Lemming’s, where local artists often come to display their work. Danny’s Tavern keeps the crowd alive with underground, experimental DJs and plenty of room (although on weekends it sometimes gets packed). Younger crowds find plenty of dance floor at places like Ohm, where 11,000 square feet of room make it roomy even when it’s crowded.

Wicker Park was named after the 4 acre park donated to the city by the Wicker Brothers. They also owned much of the land surrounding the park.