HEARTH & HOME
MEET ME TRAVELS
B y T r i s h M u y c o - To b i n
I
f you know where to look, you’ll find there’s so much more to Chicago
than just deep-dish pizza, the Cubs and the Magnificent Mile.
And even if you’ve made your way beyond Michigan Avenue
and the Loop, the winds of change in the Windy City are in
perpetual motion - an intrinsic trait dating back to the city’s
earliest years - that there’s always something new to discover.
From its beginnings as a small trading post, Chicago was ideally
positioned to serve as a hub to facilitate the country’s westward
expansion in the mid-19th century. In the years following its
incorporation in 1837, city records show Chicago experienced
phenomenal growth, quadrupling its population in just two decades,
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GAZELLE
and becoming one of the world’s largest cities in less than a century.
It was also during this time that European immigrants began to settle
in the neighborhoods surrounding downtown, bringing with them an
Old-World gumption that would give each community a distinct feel
and flavor that lasts to this day.
Just northwest of downtown is Wicker Park, and just like most of
Chicago’s environs, it’s had its share of the good, the bad and the ugly
over the years. These days, much of the area is a Chicago Landmark
District, and is home to the most sought-after dining spots, the coolest
cafés, the swankiest bars, and trendy boutiques, galleries and specialty
stores that are too many to mention. It seems Wicker Park can do no
Architecture
Chicago
Chicago