As destination neighborhoods go, inseparable twin trendsetters Bucktown and Wicker Park have risen from artsy up-and-comers in the ’80s to established havens of hip for three-plus decades. That kind of staying power doesn’t subsist on one cool club or Michelin-starred meal. A thriving shopping scene, big on boutiques, addresses a gamut of wants and needs with goods carefully curated to meet discriminating consumers.
Are you developing a palate for natural wines? Are you a devotee of the fiercely fringey corners of modern culture? Craving designer duds? Or do you just want to go to a local market stocked with items a cut above supermarket standards — and eons past the usual convenience store?
Wicker Park and Bucktown have you covered with unique boutiques such as these:
- p.45 — Since 1997, p.45 has prided itself on “a well-edited collection of emerging and nationally recognized designers.” Fashionistas have taken notice, as the shop has been featured in Vogue, Elle and Glamour, among others.
- Olivia’s Market — A Bucktown go-to for grocery shopping since 2004, Olivia’s Market can help you fill your pantry, finish a meal or arrive at a friend’s party with the perfect bottle. Artisan cheeses, house-made sandwiches, hard-to-find meats and cheeses, ethnically diverse specialty foods, and daily deliveries of fresh produce make this a much-beloved spot — as does its smartly stocked liquor section.
- Quimby’s Bookstore — Looking for independently published or small press books, comics, ’zines and collectibles? Quimby’s Bookstore proudly stocks the “unusual, the aberrant, the saucy and the lowbrow.” Its embrace of the weird — many of its works are self-produced by writers and sold on consignment — has been a successful formula since 1991.
- Asrai Garden — This is the kind of place that defines Wicker Park, while defying categorization. It’s part florist, part apothecary, part fine jewelry store. Looking for some unique tableware? A handmade leather clutch? Botanical oils or imported toothpaste? Discoveries await on every display.
- Red & White — Beginning as one of the first natural wine retailers in the U.S. in 2008, Red & White added a wine bar in 2018 and quickly landed on foodandwine.com’s list of the 15-most-important natural wine bars in America. Red & White stocks wines made using hand-harvested grapes; native yeasts in fermentation; and no herbicides, pesticides or chemicals in the vineyard.
Want to Go Big?
Sometimes, a big chain is a must. OK. Mariano’s Bucktown covers the groceries. Lowe’s of Wicker Park has all things home improvement. You can find shops for adidas, Nike and The North Face. There’s a Walgreens and a Mattress Firm. You can find them all on the Milwaukee Avenue corridor that bisects Wicker Park and clips the southwest corner of Bucktown.
Making the Move
If you’re ready to jump into life as a resident of Wicker Park or Bucktown, Mo2 Properties can connect you to luxury rentals in those areas. A leading real estate and property management firm for Chicago’s finest neighborhoods, we’re the perfect fit to help you find the perfect place. See our available rentals here.