WICKER PARK Wicker Park is a neighborhood within

WICKER PARK • Wicker Park is a neighborhood within the West town Community and West side district of Chicago, IL. • Geography: The neighborhood is west of Pulaski Park, northwest of The Loop, north of East Village and Ukrainian Village, east of Humboldt Park, and south of Bucktown. The borders of the Wicker Park neighborhood are generally accepted to be the Bloomingdale to the north, although historically it has ranged as far north as Armitage at times, Ashland Avenue to the east, Division to the south, and Western Avenue to the west.

TRANSPORTATION • You can go to wicker Park by using the Red line from Loyola station to North/Clybourn Station. Then, taking bus 72 from North Ave. & Clybourn/Halsted to North Ave. & Hoyne. It would take approximately 53 minutes.

HISTORY • Towards the end of the 19 th century Wicker Park became a home for Chicago’s wealthy Northern European immigrants • At the end of the 19 th century the area was included into the Polish downtown that is adjacent to Wicker Park • In the 20 th century Wicker Park became home to many grand churches, built in a Polish Cathedral Style • After World War II the area accumulated a greater Polish population as well as a Ukrainian population adjacent to Wicker Park • In the 1960 s Wicker Park transformed drastically, many residents were displaced • In the 1980 -90 s Wicker Park became known as an art community because of the growing art exhibitions, and festivals • Now Wicker Park is known for its commercial and entertainment establishments • In the September 2012 issue of Forbes Wicker Park was named the #4 hippest hipster neighborhood in the country

POLISH MUSEUM OF AMERICA • One of the nation’s first ethnic Museums • Preserved artifacts are displayed to show Polish history • The Museum itself was established in 1935 and it opened in 1939 • Only a small portion of the Museum’s exhibits are on display at any given time, a lot of it is preserved and stored for research

POLISH MUSEUM OF AMERICA • There are paintings and sculptures dating back to the 18 th century, all made by Polish and Polish American artists • There are examples of polish folk traditions on display: wood work, paper cutting, folk dresses • Military memorandums from numerous wars are also on display: uniforms and flags

LETIZIA’S NATURAL BAKERY • Address: 2144 W Division St, Chicago 60622 • The bakery is affordable. • Our Order: 1. Tomato mozzarella panini 2. The Grazer: fresh spinach, mushrooms, red onions, tomato, balsamic vinaigrette mozzarella on focaccia. 3. Roast Beast: roast beef, spicy horseradish, spinach, mayo, red onion and mozzarella on focaccia.

REFLECTION • Song: I went Wicker Park on Saturday and I really enjoyed it, because I like quiet places and know a new story or history. Wicker Park area is a great place to visit, good cafes and shops on Milwaukee Ave and then you can wander the nearby streets to see some of the historical houses. Wicker Park is a great place for food, drinks and entertainment, . There a lot of museums, so I can learn a lot of things about Chicago in Wicker Park. Yes, I think this is an authentic Chicago experience, because this let me know more about Chicago.

REFLECTION • Roma: This experience did offer surprises. I was not expecting the neighborhood to be so busy. We remained predominantly on Milwaukee Avenue, besides when we ate, there were so many different kinds of stores, galleries and food options all on one street. There were many vintage shops. There were a lot of shopping opportunities on the street. There were many art studios that we passed. I think this was an authentic Chicago experience because we were in a town of Chicago that has such a great history and has changed so much over time. There were people of all different cultures hustling to various places on this one long street. Wicker Park shows both the enormity and liveliness of Chicago.

REFLECTION • Hala: I enjoyed my experience going to Wicker Park. I like seeing new places and get to know Chicago better. You can tell that this is a bit of an edgy neighborhood but it has a trendy, local vibe, a very busy neighborhood. Lots of restaurants, bars, and shops. It is diverse in both culture and class, from Marc Jacobs and Club Monaco to thrift shops. The tree-lined side streets have the most beautiful historic homes people live in which is astounding to look at. I also noticed the mixed culture over there. Yes, I think it is an authentic place because it is park of Chicago and definitely has history in it.

GROUP REFLECTION • It was a very nice experience to do with a group. Especially getting to know new friends. We got the chance to get to know each other and discuss our thoughts together. We would not have enjoyed Wicker Park as much if we had went alone. We talked about our different cultures and the park really projected us coming from different backgrounds.

REFERENCES Images • http: //www. tripadvisor. com/Attraction_Review-g 35805 -d 208740 -Reviews-Wicker_Park-Chicago_Illinois. html • http: //www. choosechicago. com/blog/author/Amanda-Scotese/21/ • http: //decor. thespline. com/just-go-to-the-historic-wicker-park-chicago. html/wicker-park-chicago-rentals • https: //www. facebook. com/letiziasnaturalbakery/ • http: //www. tripadvisor. com/Location. Photo. Direct. Link-g 35805 -d 208740 -i 40522733 -Wicker_Park-Chicago_Illinois. html • http: //www. tripadvisor. com/Location. Photo. Direct. Link-g 35805 -d 208740 -i 40658767 -Wicker_Park-Chicago_Illinois. html • http: //therealchicago. com • http: //www. mode. com/stories/10 -awesome-things-to-do-when-visiting-chicago/9571840 • http: //gaiastreetart. com/Street-Work-2011 • http: //joshuarestrick. tumblr. com • https: //www. triip. me/chicago/best-of-wicker-park-11132/ • http: //www. chicagomonthlyparking. com/2012/03/25/wicker-park-monthly-parking/ Information • https: //en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Wicker_Park, _Chicago • http: //www. polishmuseumofamerica. org