CHICAGO NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS: Lincoln Park, Bucktown and Wicker Park, Lakeview, Edgewater, Chicago Loop, Portage Park

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Lincoln Park: The Lincoln Park Cultural Center is ready for a little sprucing up. The 90-year-old building, located at 2045 N. Lincoln Park West, is part of a program called “Save Chicago’s Treasures”. The 26 million dollar program is geared towards long-awaited repairs for 20 Park District buildings. Mayor Rahm Emanuel gave a statement, saying, “Some of our field houses are more than 100 years old. This is why ‘Save Chicago’s Treasures’  is so critical. Maintaining the city’s historic neighborhood gems are the essential investments that improve the quality of life for residents, build strong neighborhoods, and create a better Chicago.”

Bucktown and Wicker Park: The Wicker Park area continues to boom, with another restaurant opening in May. Chef Zoe Schor has managed famous kitchens around the country, including California’s Bouchon and Chicago’s own Ada Street. She will be opening her first restaurant, Split Rail, at 2500 W. Chicago Ave. Schor describes her concept as “New Americana” and will be serving re-imagined comfort food. One dish already on the menu is a pretzel Jell-O salad, traditionally made with baked pretzel crust, Cool Whip, and strawberry Jell-O. The restaurant space is 4,000 square feet and will seat up to 100 people, including a private dining area for 40. Find more information on their website.

Lakeview: Are you a baseball fan? A self-proclaimed foodie? Well, you’re in luck. Wrigley Field is debuting a slew of new food choices at the park this season. During the off-season, renovations included adding an 8,870 square-foot kitchen. Executive chef David Burns says, “We really focused on adding diverse flavors, super fresh ingredients and creative new dishes to our menus, blending the best of Chicago’s food culture and restaurants.” Wicker Park’s “Pork and Mindy’s” is one of the new additions. Their menu includes a buffalo chicken sandwich with gorgonzola and ranch, as well as brown sugar coated bacon bites. Sheffield Counter will be serving up gourmet hot dogs, among them the Bao Wao, topped with pickled daikon, carrot, sriracha aioli, cilantro and mint. Get yourself to Wrigley for the Cubs home opener against the Los Angeles Dodgers on April 10 and try some amazing new food!

Edgewater: A new bakery is coming to the Edgewater neighborhood this Monday. Edge of Sweetness Bakery is located at 6034 N. Broadway. Doors open at 7 am on Monday and the shop will be open until 8 pm. A ribbon cutting ceremony will be held at 3 pm. One unique feature of the bakery will be the featured art. Teachers and students from Senn High School’s magnet fine arts program will provide rotating art. The bakery is completely full-service and will serve cookies, bars, brownies, custom cakes, scones, cinnamon rolls, and more. Gluten-free options will also be available. Find out more on their website!

Chicago Loop: It may not feel like it now, but summer is coming! And with summer comes a host of outdoor activities, festivals, and concerts. Millennium Park is hosting a series of free concerts this summer. The first concert is on June 12 at 6:30, with blues artist Otis Taylor headlining. Concerts are every Monday and Thursday evening through August 21. There will be no concerts during Lollapalooza or Taste of Chicago. Other bands include The Tomeka Reed Quartet, Hurray for Riff Raff, Big Thief, and Honeysuckle. Find the full line-up here!

Portage Park: Saturday is supposed to be absolutely beautiful here in Chicago, so what better time for a pub crawl? The second annual Jefferson Park Forward Pub Crawl is a five-hour, five-stop trek through the Jefferson Park neighborhood. Tickets are $20 online or $25 at the door. Each guest will receive a 22-ounce mug that can be filled at any of the participating bars. The crawl begins at 2 pm at Jefferson Inn (4874 N. Milwaukee Ave.). Rex Tavern (4933 N. Milwaukee Ave.) is next at 3 pm, followed by The Windsor Tavern and Grill (4530 N. Milwaukee Ave.) at 4 pm. Head to Babe’s on Milwaukee (4416 N. Milwaukee Ave.) at 5 pm and finish the evening out at Hops & Barley (4359 N. Milwaukee Ave.) at 6 pm. The money raised during the pub crawl will be used to buy gardening tools for upcoming landscaping projects by Jefferson Park Forward.

RACHEL HOOVLER & DEAN’S TEAM CHICAGO