CHIGuide
A Saturday Afternoon In Wicker Park
photo credit: Sandy Noto
Day trips are great, but sometimes you just want to spend your Saturday in the city - preferably while avoiding crowds of tourists. And one of our favorite areas to do this is Wicker Park - a neighborhood where you can bike along the 606 trail, check out breweries, and visit some of the best restaurants in the city. So if you’re looking to spend a Saturday drinking interesting beer, eating delicious food, and maybe even playing some mini-golf, we planned the day for you.
Getting There
Parking is tough to find in Wicker Park, so you probably don’t want to deal with a car. And even if you did decide to drive, your afternoon will be a lot more relaxing if you’re not being held hostage by the Park Chicago app. Luckily, one of Chicago’s million Divvy stations is right on Milwaukee and Damen. And if you don’t want to bike, you can just take the Blue Line to the Damen stop.
Stop One: Walk (Or Bike) Along the 606
After hopping off the Damen stop, head north to the Damen Access point of the 606. What’s the 606 you ask? It’s an abandoned rail line that is now an elevated pedestrian walkway and bike path full of art installations, green space, and overall tree-filled prettiness. Stroll or bike around until you get hungry, then head back to Damen.
After the 606, wander south and take a left on Milwaukee. You’re a ten-minute walk from Dr Bird’s - a wonderful Caribbean spot that sells Jamaican patties. Pick which one you want from the case (we like the spicy beef, but the spinach or cheese are great too) and make an important decision: Grab a seat inside with your patty, or go across the street and eat them next to the fountain in the Polish Triangle park.
Here’s your chance to relive your middle school days, but with more cocktails and zero Mom embarrassing you by dropping you off while blasting Wilson Phillips. Right on Milwaukee Ave is Big Mini Putt Club - an indoor miniature golf course. It has nine holes for you to hide (or reveal) how competitive you really are, and also serves drinks, which are scientifically proven to make you a better golfer.
Continue west on Milwaukee, which is full of cute stores and local restaurants for you to pop into. Like Antique taco, which has margaritas and delicious tacos on handmade tortillas (our favorite is the crispy fish and the carnitas with bacon.) Or head into Reckless Records - a record store that will make you think of High Fidelity, which, by no coincidence, was shot in Wicker Park. It will also make you buy a record despite not owning a record player.
Pizza and beer is a combination that fuels much of the Midwest. Piece is a brewery that serves excellent pizza and makes great beer (mainly bold lagers and ales), and coming here for either one is always a good idea. The chewy New Haven-style pies here are large, and there’s a lot of seating, so you probably won’t have to wait too long for a table. There are a lot of TVs, too, so if you decide to just hang out here for the rest of your weekend, we support you.
