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player ready...Wicker Park is one of my favorite city neighborhoods. And even though some may say it’s losing its artistic and bohemian charm, I think it still perseveres. The interesting shops and restaurants plus the live music scene make it a great place to explore.
EARLY EVENING
With a full night ahead of us, we stopped at Filter (1585 N. Milwaukee Ave., 773-227-4850), a Wicker Park staple rife with hipsters, coffee and Wi-Fi. We loaded up on caffeine with a soy latte and an espresso macchiato, or as the barista called it, a “real macchiato.”
Perked up and ready to go, we headed to Akira Shoes (1849 W. North Ave., 773-342-8684) and looked through a vast selection of shoes in all styles and price ranges. In addition to shoes, there are also Akira stores that sell women’s clothing, men’s clothing and accessories all on the same stretch of North Avenue in Wicker Park.
Famished from all of the browsing, we walked over to Handlebar (2311 W. North Ave., 773-384-9546), a restaurant and bar with a bicycle theme. The food is mostly vegetarian — but they do serve some fish dishes — and they have a great beer selection. We opted for the Allegash White — a Belgian wheat beer — and the buffalo seitan (wheat meat) wrap with the “everything green” salad.
EVENING
Stuffed from dinner, we were ready to shop and browse again. Reckless Records (1532 N. Milwaukee Ave., 773-235-3727) was the first stop. Reckless has new and used CDs and an abundance of vinyl records for serious music fans and collectors.
We walked a few doors down and stopped in Myopic Books (1468 N. Milwaukee Ave., 773-862-4882), a used bookstore with a vast inventory of mainstream and unique books. The bookstore is open until 1 a.m. Monday-Saturday, a convenience for night owls.
Later we went to The Note (1565 N. Milwaukee Ave.,773-489-0011) to check out Tim Barry, the musician who was playing. The acts here normally range from rock to jazz, and there is a cover charge. Barry, who is the front man for punk band Avail, performed his solo work, which is a mix of country and folk.
Ready to top off our night, we headed to Estelle’s (2013 W. North Ave., 773-782-0450) a no-frills, late-night bar with a great jukebox. The crowd varies, but usually you can find hipsters and artists holed up in one of the booths or chatting with the friendly bartenders.
Good thing we get to sleep in tomorrow.