VRmage. 242 N Milwaukee Ave. ivision Blue Line. 1 312 265-6666. ttp://www.myspace/com/vrmage. -Th 9AM-10PM, F-Sa 9AM-midnight, Su closed. 10/game, $5/hour internet. PCs with internet access are available, but they're something of an afterthought to the LAN gaming parties and stand-in virtual reality "pods." The staff are eager to help the uninitiated.
Events & Festivals
<listing name="Around the Coyote Festival" alt="" directions="Damen Blue Line" address="Flatiron Arts Building at 1935 1/2 N Milwaukee Ave, and buildings nearby" phone="+1 773 342-6777" email="" fax="" url="http://www.aroundthecoyote.org/" hours="Twice per year, winter and fall" price="Day Passes cost $10 and cover admission to most venues, although some tours cost an extra $10; All-Access Weekend Festival Passes are $40, which include the Opening Night Party and all venues"> Once ''the'' independent art festival in Chicago and now more hit-and-miss, but it's still a huge collection of new visual art, music, theater (on stages and streets), film and video, jewelry for sale, and Wicker Park eclectica, curated by artists from around the city. Plenty of food and beer are around (especially beer).</listing>
Buy
The intersection of Milwaukee, North, and Damen is the indie Magnificent Mile. Start at the six corners and explore from there — you'll find plenty of cutting-edge fashion boutiques heading north on Damen, and more in both directions on Milwaukee, along with national chains like American Apparel and the Levi Store.
You're also liable to do well searching for vinyl records here, both in Wicker Park and Ukrainian Village.
Books
The Boring Store. 331 N Milwaukee Ave. ivision Blue Line. 1 773 772-8108. ttp://www.826chi.org/. 2-6PM daily. Most certainly ''not'' a secret-agent supply store, as the Chris Ware signs take pains to stress. Inside, proceeds from the sale of ''perfectly normal'' items like cough silencers support a non-profit writing/tutoring center for kids founded by Dave Eggers of McSweeney's fame.
Myopic Books. 564 N Milwaukee Ave. amen Blue Line. 1 773 862-4882. ttp://myopicbookstore.com/. -Sa 11AM-1AM, Su 11AM-10PM. Justly beloved used book store with cats, clutter (80,000 books worth), and ''great'' hours. They occasionally host Experimental Music Mondays and poetry readings on Sundays, but with three floors, there's always a quiet corner.
Quimby's Bookstore. 854 W North Ave. amen Blue Line. 1 773 342-0910. ttp://www.quimbys.com/. -F 12-10PM, Sa 11AM-10PM, Su 12-6PM. Lots of edgy books, indie comix, and hip zines (hand-stapled and well-polished alike). If somebody out there is publishing about it, Quimby's probably has it.
Clothes
Alcala's Western Wear. 733 W Chicago Ave. 1 312 226-0152. ttp://www.alcalas.com/. ,Th-F 9:30AM-8PM, Tu-W,Sa 9:30AM-7PM, Su 9:30AM-5PM. One perfectly reasonable reaction to the trendy fashion in Wicker Park is to go country. Alcala's has been in the neighborhood for a long time, back when the Mexican cowboy look ruled the local scene. The big, family-owned store has a ''ton'' of leather boots & jackets, not to mention 5,000 hats.
Andina Buenos Aires. 740 W Division St. ivision Blue Line. 1 773 227-6225. ttp://www.shopandina.com/. u-Sa 11AM-7PM, Su 11AM-5PM, M closed. Small boutique featuring stylish, sturdy Argentine leather handbags and accessories.
Beadniks. 937 W Division St. amen Blue Line. 1 773 276-2323. ttp://www.beadniks.com/. -F 11AM-9PM, Sa 11AM-10PM, Su 11AM-7PM. Beads for the true bead fiend, both ready-made and ready to be made. There are classes for beginners on Tuesday nights (7-9PM, $60), and occasional workshops — check the calendar.
Hejfina. 529 N Milwaukee Ave. amen Blue Line. 1 773 772-0002. ttp://www.hejfina.com/. u-M 12-6PM, Tu-Sa 11AM-7PM. Great clothes boutique for men and women, with work by local designers mostly in the Swiss Moderne style.
Ouest. 751 W Division St. 1 312 421-2799. 1 312 421-0590. ttp://www.shopouest.com/. -F 11AM-7PM, Sa 11AM-6PM, Su noon-5PM. An upmarket women's clothing boutique focused on classic French designs.
Penelope's. 913 W Division St. 1 773 395-2351. ttp://www.penelopeschicago.com. -Sa 11AM-7PM, Su 12-6PM. Good-looking clothes — Penelope's carries younger, hip brands for men and women, but it's quality stuff, made to last. They have some good handbags, messenger bags, and cool gifts as well.
Saint Alfred. 531 N Milwaukee Ave. amen Blue Line. 1 773 486-7159. ttp://www.stalfred.com/. -Sa 12-8PM, Su 12-6PM. Collectible sneakers both classic and modern are sold here, along with cool kicks and other gear by local designers.
Silver Room. 442 N Milwaukee Ave. amen Blue Line. 1 773 278-7130. ttp://www.thesilverroom.com/. -Th 11AM-8PM, F-Sa 11AM-9PM, Su 11AM-6PM. Need a great gift for someone back home (or yourself)? Silver Room has cool stuff for men and women — good purses, hats, jewelry and accessories. The staff make shopping here a pleasure.
Una Mae's Freak Boutique. 528 N Milwaukee Ave. amen Blue Line. 1 773 276-7002. ttp://www.unamaesclothing.com/chicago/. -F 12-7PM, Sa 11AM-8PM, Su 11AM-6PM. Vintage clothing store run by nice people. Una Mae's has been around for a while, and they have great items for men and women, particularly from the 1960s and 70s.
Music
Dusty Groove America. 120 N Ashland Ave. ivision Blue Line. 1 773 342-5800. ttp://www.dustygroove.com. 0AM-8PM. This record store is regarded as one of the best in the country for R&B, soul, and jazz.
Permanent Records. 914 W Chicago Ave. 1 773 278-1744. ttp://www.permanentrecordschicago.com/. u-Th 11AM-8PM, F-Sa 11AM-9PM. This may be the friendliest, most down-to-earth record store in Chicago. They stock mostly vinyl and used CDs, but will order anything on request, and have a rack of vintage clothes at the back of the store.
Reckless Records. 532 N Milwaukee Ave. amen Blue Line. 1 773 235-3727. ttp://www.reckless.com/. -Sa 10AM-10PM, Su 10AM-8PM. Hipster music shop with plenty to sell and no particular interest in selling it to you (there's a reason "High Fidelity" was set here). Zines and vinyl spruce up the CDs and DVDs.
Others
Odd Obsession. 822 N Milwaukee. amen Blue Line. 1 773 276-0894. ttp://www.oddobsession.com/. -Sa 12-10PM, Su 12-9PM. Ultra-eccentric video rental store. YouTube pales, cuts its hair and goes to law school next to the rarities found here. It_fs cheap, too.
Rapid Transit Cycling Shop. 900 W North Ave. 1 773 227-2288. ttp://www.rapidtransitcycles.com/. -Th 10AM-8PM, F 10AM-5PM, Sa 10AM-6PM, Su 12-5PM. Plenty of streets in the area have nice, wide bike lanes, and considering the state of parking, this is a great place to have a bike. Rapid Transit is a family-owned shop that sells equipment and can do quick repairs.
Rotofugi Designer Toy Store & Gallery. 953 W Chicago Ave. 1 312 491-9501. ttp://rotofugi.com/. -Sa 12-8PM, Su 12-5PM. Now is battle coming tofu robot, plush ninja, Glow Kaiju Eyezon. It is the proposal of bad weather for justice. CAN YOU DO NO LESS?! Right here to bring you.
Eat
Budget
The twin low-price culinary delights around here are the bakeries of Wicker Park and the delis of Ukrainian Village, many of which have been in business for several decades. The Uke also has some great Ukrainian grocers, particularly on Iowa.
Alliance Bakery & Cafe. 736 W Division St. ivision Blue Line. 1 773 278-0366. ttp://www.alliance-bakery.com/. -Sa 6AM-9PM, Su 7AM-9PM. 3-7. Just a look at the whirls of frosting and gingerbread fortresses in the window tends to bring a smile. The tarts, cupcakes, and coffee back that up. Alliance has been here for more than 80 years. There's a pleasant, inviting cafe next door with free wi-fi.
Caesar's Polish Deli. 01 N Damen Ave. 6 Chicago bus. 1 773 486-6190. u-F 10AM-6PM, Sa 8AM-noon, Su,M closed. 4-8. A great place for self-catering, Caesar's has a wide selection of home-made pirogies, with both savory and sweet fillings, as well as a good selection of fresh foods, and prepared products imported from
Dive bars
Beachwood Inn. 415 N Wood St. 1 773 486-9806. -F 4PM-2AM, Sa 3PM-3AM, Su 3PM-2AM. A good, down-to-earth dive bar — dark, kind of dirty, offering cheap beer and a solid jukebox. Nothing trendy here, just the kind of neighborhood bar that brought people to Wicker Park in the first place.
Club Foot. 824 W Augusta. 1 773 489-0379. u-F 8PM-2AM, Sa 8PM-3AM. Friendly punk/rock/ska hipster bar with games and pop knick-knacks in Ukrainian Village.
Gold Star. 755 W Division St. ivision Blue Line. 1 773 227-8700. u-Th 4PM-2AM, Sa 4PM-3AM. An old, speakeasy-era bar among the Division nightlife that now caters to a younger crowd, but hits all the marks: cheap beer, a good jukebox, pool, and cheap beer. (Also cheap beer.)
Happy Village. 059 N Wolcott Ave. ivision Blue Line. 1 773 486-1512. -F 4PM-2AM, Sa-Su noon-2AM. Yeah, it's a ping-pong dive bar. God bless America, and the beer garden too, which is the best on (well, off) Division — like walking into a backyard family reunion.
Innertown Pub. 935 W Thomas St. 1 773 235-9795. u-F 3PM-2AM, Sa 3PM-3AM. It's hard to say exactly what sets it apart, but with the fall of Tuman's, any survey of Ukrainian Village residents would place the Innertown first among dive bars. (Excepting the neighbors, that is, who are trying to get it closed down.) It's not easy to find but it's a landmark, so follow the noise or spend the cheap-beer savings on a cab.
Phyllis' Musical Inn. 800 W Division St. 1 773 486-9862. u-F 3PM-2AM, Sa 3PM-3AM. Everyone feels welcome at the Musical Inn. Outdoor seating is packed on Division in the summer, which is why this is one to know — few people are aware that a great beer garden lurks behind the tall stone fence next door to Phyllis', which looks like a garden variety dive bar at first glance. (Befitting the name, there are bands here sometimes.)
Rainbo Club. 150 N Damen Ave. amen Blue Line. 1 773 489-5999. u-F 4PM-2AM, Sa 4PM-3AM. An old bar — the classic neon sign tips that right away — with a few literary references in its history. In a neighborhood of hipster dives, this is ''the'' hipster dive, but at least you can say you've been.
Music venues
Debonair Social Club. 575 N Milwaukee Ave. amen Blue Line. 1 773 227-7990. ttp://www.debonairsocialclub.com/. u-F 9PM-2AM, Sa 9PM-3AM, Su closed. The emo-rap electro kids like it here. There are two floors of video walls, color lightboxes, ferocious deployments of lacquer, and DJs who fly around the room. It's all a little stressful, but perhaps you're into that sort of thing.
Double Door. 572 N Milwaukee Ave. amen Blue Line. 1 773 489-3160. ttp://www.doubledoor.com/. -F 8PM-2AM, Sa 8PM-3AM. 3-20. No music venue in Chicago has a better location than the Double Door, right at the six corners of Wicker Park and the Damen train stop. The sound system is good, too. It's run by the owners of the Metro in Lakeview, which means that the roster of bands can seem like the Metro's leftovers — jam bands, local bands, and the occasional 90s alt-rock refugee.
Empty Bottle. 035 N Western Ave. estern Blue Line, transfer to 49 Western bus going south. 1 773 276-3600. ttp://www.emptybottle.com/. -W 5PM-2AM, Th-F 3PM-3AM, Sa-12PM-3AM, Su 12PM-2AM. 10-15, Mondays free. To Chicago as the Knitting Factory is to
<listing name="Eckhart Park Library" alt="" directions="Chicago Blue Line" address="1330 W Chicago Ave" phone="+1 312 746-6069" email="" fax="" url="http://www.chipublib.org/002branches/eckhart/eckhart.html" hours="M,W 10AM-6PM, Tu-Th 12-8PM, F-Sa 9AM-5PM, Su closed" price=""> In the Eckhart Park field house.</listing>
<listing name="Midwest Branch Library" alt="" directions="66 Chicago bus" address="2335 W Chicago Ave" phone="+1 312 744-7788" email="" fax="" url="http://www.chipublib.org/002branches/midwest/midwest.html" hours="M,W 12-8PM, Tu,Th-Sa 9AM-5PM, Su closed" price=""> Near Ukrainian Village.</listing>
Stay safe
Wicker Park keeps a slightly rough appearance, but that's mainly for the enjoyment of the younger residents. Use common sense while drinking and you'll have nothing to worry about. (Don't leave valuables in cars, though.) Ukrainian Village is much the same, but stay alert around alleys while walking on side streets. In that distinctly Chicago fashion of invisible barriers respected on both sides of the law, crime stays almost exclusively on the west side of Western Avenue. But if you parked on the west side of Western, take care while walking back to your car after dark.
Get out
Pilsen is the most-quoted inheritor of Wicker Park's original bohemian mantle, and makes for an interesting contrast.
If, on the other hand, it is the demise of Wicker Park's Puerto Rican community that you are lamenting, retrace its migration west along Division Street into Humboldt Park on the Far West Side — the best Puerto Rican food in the city awaits.