Wicker Park & Bucktown

Wicker Park and Bucktown are the Northwest Side’s shopping, restaurant and nightlife district, centered on the six-way intersection of Milwaukee, North and Damen. Wicker Park is the southern half, with Victorians on the streets around the park itself and boutiques along Milwaukee and Division; Bucktown runs north of North Avenue to the Kennedy, with the 606 elevated trail cutting across it at Bloomingdale Avenue. Both sit inside the West Town community area, and both have been expensive for a long time. The crowd is young, the bars stay open late, and the Blue Line takes you downtown in 15 minutes.

Where it is

The neighborhood runs from Division Street north to Fullerton and from the Kennedy Expressway west to Western Avenue, with North Avenue as the line between Wicker Park and Bucktown. The Blue Line stops at Division, Damen and Western, and the Damen stop opens onto the Six Corners. The 56 Milwaukee, 72 North, 50 Damen and 9 Ashland buses cover the rest, and the Kennedy’s North Avenue and Division exits are the way in by car. Metra’s Clybourn station on the UP-North and UP-Northwest lines sits at the east edge of Bucktown.

What to know if you’re moving here

Expect to pay for the location, and expect noise on the main streets.

• Housing is Victorians, converted lofts and a lot of new construction, built from the 1880s on, with typical prices of roughly $350,000 to $2 million as a broad editorial estimate as of September 2026.
• Street parking is tight near the Six Corners and most residential blocks are permit zones; buildings with a garage or a deeded spot are worth the premium.
• Public schools fall under Chicago Public Schools, with Pritzker, Burr and Pulaski as the neighborhood elementary schools.
• The 606 raised property values along Bloomingdale Avenue, and the blocks nearest the trail are among the priciest.
• Milwaukee, Division and North avenues are loud on weekend nights; the side streets a block or two away are much quieter.
• The drawback is the cost per square foot, which is now close to Lincoln Park for less green space.

What to do if you’re visiting

Get off the Blue Line at Damen and walk; almost everything is within ten minutes of the Six Corners.

• Locals will tell you Big Star on Damen is the taco and whiskey patio that fills every warm night.
• Ask around and you hear that Dove’s Luncheonette on Damen serves Tex-Mex diner plates at a counter, and Stan’s Donuts & Coffee across the street covers the morning.
• Anyone who lives here knows Kokorokoko and Lost Girls Vintage are the vintage shops to start with on Milwaukee and Division.
• Regulars will say Lao Peng You on Chicago Avenue is the hand-pulled noodle spot worth the walk south into Ukrainian Village.
• Most first-time visitors learn that Kasama on Winchester is the Filipino bakery by day and tasting menu by night that put the neighborhood on national lists.
• The 606 trail runs 2.7 miles from Ashland to Ridgeway and is the best way to see Bucktown’s backyards on foot or by Divvy.