CHICAGO NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS: Bucktown and Wicker Park, Lakeview, Lincoln Park, Lincoln Square, Edgewater, Evanston
Bucktown and Wicker Park: A new public park is coming to the Wicker Park neighborhood. After a proposal passed City Council on Wednesday, the new park will be developed on a patch of city-owned land next to the Kennedy Expressway. The park covers nearly one acre of land and is located on the corner of Milwaukee Avenue and Erie Street. The park will be designed and built using $643,000 of open space impact fees. These fees are generated by new residential development projects to accommodate the need for open space across the city. The park site will be transferred to the Chicago Park District after the work is completed.
Lakeview: Bittersweet Pastry Shop celebrates its 25th anniversary this month. Located at 1114 W. Belmont Ave., the shop has been a neighborhood favorite for a quarter of a century. For 23 years, founder Judy Contino led the team. The shop is currently managed by co-owners Esther Griego and Mindy Gohr. Gohr says, “It kind of seems as though we’ve been able to move in the direction that customers want us to. Hopefully they’re seeing that we are able to be a little more flexible and work with them.” Creative pastries are the shop’s specialty. Over the years, the pastry chefs have created a Lamborghini cake, a Wrigley Field cake, and even an Admiral Ackbar cake (for Star Wars fans). Come by and find your favorite new sweet treat today!
Lincoln Park: A new fitness craze is coming to the Lincoln Park neighborhood. F45 Training is a 45 minute session of high-intensity interval training. The program was developed in Australia in 2014 and has since opened over 800 studios in 26 different countries. The new studio will be located at 1001 W. Diversey Parkway and plans to open in early August. F45 boasts a 750 calorie burn in each session, mixing cardiovascular exercise and strength training. Each class has a maximum of 27 people and is guided by a pair of trainers. Memberships start at $179 a month for customers who sign up at the club’s opening and will increase to $225 for normal retail.
Lincoln Square: If you don’t already have plans for tonight, it’s not too late! We all know that Chicago does outdoor concerts and movies in the park during the summer. But did you know there’s live theatrical outdoor entertainment too? The 2nd Story Live Lit Troup is hosting an evening of free storytelling in River Park. Bring your blanket and chairs and a picnic and enjoy stories under the stars starting at 6:30 pm. If you can’t make it tonight, Second Story will also have storytelling evenings on August 3 in Elm Park and August 10 in Willye White Park.
Edgewater: Empirical Brewery’s new brewpub in Rogers Park continues to unveil new creations. After a successful opening last month at 1330 W. Morse Ave., the restaurant will debut a boozy weekend brunch menu and new outdoor patio seating. The brunch menu includes mouthwatering items like a beer chicken and waffle sandwich. The sandwich is stuffed with fried chicken, crispy onions, and bacon and comes with a side of ale syrup and potatoes. The stuffed biscuits and gravy uses an Empirical porter in the gravy and a wheat ale in the biscuit batter. Brunch is served from 10 am to 2 pm on weekends. The new 30-seat patio will open this week as well!
Evanston: Evanston’s first open water swimming event takes place this weekend. The Great Lake Plunge consists of four events: 200 m, 1k, 2k, and 4K open-water swims. This not-for-profit event hopes to raise funds to support Evanston Swims!, a local organization. The swim takes place this Sunday. Find detailed itinerary information here. The event is almost full, so register here today!
RACHEL HOOVLER & DEAN’S TEAM CHICAGO
