You love being where the action is, and enjoy a little gritty with your city. It pays off: As a Bucktown/Wicker Park parent, you’re always within steps of a cool new restaurant, shop or cafe — and you can take your kiddo along for the ride. Here are 10 signs you’re raising a family there.
1. Your Sunday morning dilemma: Stan’s Donuts or Glazed & Infused? Or both?
photo: Stan’s Donuts via @stevisavage
2. You know summer has officially begun when you can’t get a seat at the picnic tables outside Big Star’s pick-up window, but you can get Italian ice at Miko’s.
photo: Big Star via Ericka A. on Yelp
3. Your hipsters-in-training take art classes at One Strange Bird and Colorwheel, drink hot chocolate made by a barista, and never turn down a vegan treat.
photo: One Strange Bird
4. You remember your summers based on the pool you frequented, starting early at Holstein and graduating to Pulaski.
photo: Holstein Park PoolÂ
6. You walk your kids to school through the one of the city’s busiest intersections at Damen/North/Milwaukee, side-stepping the street’s remnants of last night’s revelers and avoiding questions about that mystery food someone left in the crosswalk.
photo: North/Damen/Milwaukee
7. You daydream about future stroller walks and bike rides along The 606 (will it ever be done?!). Â
photo: The 606
7. You’ve had several conversations about the wait lists at Drummond, Burr, Pritzker, Pulaski and LaSalle II.
photo: Brad Flickenger via flickr
8. Your kids point at strangers with pink hair, body art and unusual piercings and say, “I want that when I grow up.”
photo: Joseph Novak via flickr
9. Your neighbor’s pub crawl is your ice-cream crawl … Letizia’s, Jannick’s Cafe, Starfruit, Forever Yogurt, Red Mango, I-cream … the list goes on.
photo: Forever Yogurt via @maui_kÂ
10. Your kids like to chase pigeons at the Polish Triangle and get wet with spitting bears at Wicker Park.
photo: Wicker Park via discosour on flickr
What do you think is a sign of being a Bucktown/Wicker Park parent? Let us know in the Comments!
— Story by the fun folks at NPN (Neighborhood Parent Network)
Neighborhood Parents Network (NPN) has been connecting a diverse community of families with the resources they need to navigate parenting in the city for 35 years! NPN is essential for all expecting, new and seasoned parents.
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