Wicker Park

A long long time ago before Brent and I were married or had any idea we might be, we were dating off and on casually. One summer, I think in 2001, Brent decided to move ot Chicago and live with a friend for three months. I visited twice. One of those times we came to Wicker Park, the neighborhood that is now near our home. Back then, Wicker Park was stil pretty edgy and fun. And on the corner in that building (picture #3) was a coffee shop called Filter. It was THE coolest coffee shop in the city. And since it was my first experience visiting Chicago and getting to know this artist neighborhood, I loved it. Plus our visit symbolized a lot for us. It was the first time, as a couple, we were enjoying life outside of our small town Indiana. I remember looking around at all the people: guys with piercings, girls with tattoos, torn jeans, cool vintage jackets, notebooks, laptops for some, guitars, cigarettes, small groups of kids talking about someone's portfolio, or some hungover musicians finding refuge in a cup of cofee in a tall fancy glass. The furniture was 60's vintage, the lighting dim, the overall mood-well you just felt like you were right in the middle of some sort of revolution. Like this one coffee shop encompassed a colony of people who were changing fashion, ideas, music, culture, politics, sexuality. I mean, it's always changing, regardless of where we are in society. And this place, it was just cool. Recently, however, when Brent and I visited the neighborhood, we found that it is a bank. And ladies and gentleman, I did shed a tear. The neighborhood still houses some of its original business, but there is a lot of change that's already happened including an Urban Outfitters and some Irish bars. It's not the same. I still go and visit a couple of thrift shops that are still standing and I hope that my business contributes to their ability to pay rent as prices go up. But this is how it happens, a neighborhood gets bought out. It's a reality. Our neighborhood now is Logan Square and a lot of artist migrated to this area because rent is still reasonable. I love it it here and I hope that someday we contribute to making it what Wicker Park once was-non pretentious, lively, and fair.