Bucktown
First known as Kozie Prery (Goat Prairie) to its original Polish inhabitants, the shorter and much catchier moniker, Bucktown, soon prevailed as the neighborhood's nickname. This was a no-brainer for Bucktown's 19th century residents, who were largely goat herders. The term for a male goat is “buck” and the new “town” designation suited their rural yet developing lifestyle. While it has been a long time since Bucktown was home to any livestock, traces of the 1800s can be seen in the neighborhood's architecture and the small town community feel that persists among the old churches, grassy parks and tree-lined side streets.
In recent years, Bucktown has thrived as an artists' community with dozens of art galleries and several important annual art festivals attracting thousands of visitors to the area every year. Around the Coyote has been a Bucktown attraction since 1989 when the festival was founded in an effort to showcase the talent of the neighborhood's emerging bohemian artist community. Around the Coyote was modeled after Parisian arts festivals in which participants travel on walking tours of the area’s galleries. Likewise, the more stationary and only slightly older (by four years) Bucktown Arts Fest is another great way for Bucktown residents to check out the local talent and mingle with fellow residents. Run by volunteers and held at Holstein and Senior Citizen Parks, the Bucktown Arts Festival features not just local artisans and craftspeople but also musicians and poets, and it celebrates the independent spirit of the Bucktown art community.
Damen Avenue runs through the heart of Bucktown and serves as the neighborhood's commercial corridor. Small boutiques, trendy restaurants and friendly neighborhood bars line Damen Avenue from the neighborhood's northern Fullerton Avenue border to North Avenue on the south ending at the famous, if not infamous, Milwaukee/North and Damen intersection. Although the character of this busy, high traffic intersection has changed over the years, it remains the hub of a thriving nightlife scene with urban hip and city grit giving way to more upscale retail stores and restaurants. "Americanized" Thai food is the fare at Thai Lagoon which has called Bucktown home for over a decade. Tucked away on side streets, Danny's is a comfy and sometimes cozy neighborhood spot and The Charleston is a good place for Bucktown residents to catch live jazz. For the latest men's and women's fashions and also footwear Akira has three Bucktown locations to cover all your bases. Quimby's Bookstore has something to offer those with a more eclectic taste in reading material. This neighborhood comic and zine store stocks its shelves with a variety of left-of-center books and magazines and regularly hosts readings by authors.
Housing prices in Bucktown have been on the rise in the last few decades as gentrification has changed the character of the neighborhood from working class and bohemian to upwardly mobile, but the old architecture mixes seamlessly with more contemporary housing stock ensuring that the Bucktown neighborhood retains much of its original Old World charm.
Bucktown is accessible by car and CTA. The highway runs along the neighborhood’s north and east borders and connects drivers with downtown. The CTA Blue Line Damen stop at Milwaukee/North and Damen will put you in the heart of the action. This Chicago neighborhood is also easily reached by both the Fullerton and North Avenue buses that run along Bucktown's north and southern borders as well as the Western and Ashland buses, which operated along Bucktown's western and eastern borders, respectively.
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Bucktown Restaurants & Bars |
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Bucktown Resources |  |
Bucktown Shopping |
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Bucktown Entertainment |  |
Bucktown Schools |
Dining
in Bucktown
| Artful Dodger Pub 1734 W. Wabansia 773-227-6859 |
Bar Louie 1704 N. Damen 773-645-7500 |
| Charleston Tavern 1643 W. Cortland |
Lemings Bar 1850 N. Damen |
Lincoln Tavern |
Quencher Saloon 2401 N. Western 773-276-9730 |
| The Map Room Club 2100 W. Armitage 773-252-7636 |
Cafe De Luca 1721 N. Damen Cuisine: American 773-342-6000 |
| Zoom Kitchen 1646 N. Damen Cuisine: American |
Roong Thai 1633 N. Milwaukee Cusine: Thai 773-252-3488 |
| D'Vine 1950 W. North 773-235-5700 Cuisine: French |
Feast 1616 N. Damen 773-235-6361 Cuisine: American, American Nouveau |
| Cafe Absinthe 1954 W. North 773-278-4488 Cuisine: French |
Club Lucky 1824 W. Wabansia 773-227-2300 Cuisine: Italian |
| Irazu 1865 N. Milwaukee 773-252-5687 Cuisine: South American |
Le Bouchon 1958 N. Damen 773-862-6600 Cuisine: French |
| Meritage Cafe 2118 N. Damen 773-235-6434 Cuisine: American |
Pacific Cafe 1619 N. Damen 773-722-4342 Cuisine: Pan-Asian |
Resources in Bucktown
| Banks Cole Taylor Bank 1965 N. Milwaukee Mid America 2300 N. Western |
Library Damen Avenue Library 2056 N. Damen |
Entertainment
in Bucktown
| Crumbling Bucktown 579 N. Milwaukee |
Margie's Candies 1960 N. Western |
| Green Dolphin Street 2200 N. Ashland |
Get Me High Lounge 1758 N. Honore |
| Hideout 1354 W. Wabansia |
Lemmings 1850 W. Damen |
| Leopard Lounge 1645 W. Cortland |
Liar's Club 1665 W. Fullerton |
| Red Dog 1958 W. North |
Subterranean 2011 W. North |
Shopping
in Bucktown
| Bleeker Street Antiques 1946 N. Leavitt |
Eclectic Junction 1630 N. Damen |
| Gypsy 2131 N. Damen |
Jean Alan 2134 N. Damen |
| Pagoda Red 1714 N. Damen |
Pavilion Antiques 2055 N. Damen |
| Red Balloon Company 2060 N. Damen |
Yadifacts 1864 N. Damen |
Schools
in Bucktown
| Casimir Pulaski Academy 2230 W. McLean |
Pedro Albizu Campos High School 1671 N. Claremont |
| St. Mary of the Angels School 1810 N. Hermitage |
Thomas Drummond School 1845 W. Cortland |
| William H. Prescott 1632 W. Wrightwood |
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