Wicker Park: the journey begins
The real reason I came to Chicago, other than free food and drinks on LG, was to check out the neighborhood of Bucktown/Wicker Park. I met with Alderman Manny Flores, attended a local Chamber networking event, and went to the Around the Coyote kickoff party. I’m meeting with Paula, the Chamber’s Exec. Dir., today as well. A bit of a whirlwind trip with far too many free drinks, but it gave me a dose of the neighborhood.
The Wicker Park area is centered around the intersection of 3 roads, Milwaukee, North, and Damen. It’s an artsy neighborhood that is being gentrified but still maintains its artsy flair, anchored by the Flatiron, an 88,000 square foot “artist colony.”
And it’s the perfect kind of neighborhood to further develop the whole RedPost/Goshen concept — a digital signage network used as a community development tool, benefiting the local arts as well as creating a revenue stream for an organization.
For now, I’d say I have at least a 25% chance of success in making it happen, which is pretty high considering I’ve only spent 3 days here. Alderman Flores seems to think it’s possible, but he didn’t write me a check (I think I’m supposed to write him a check?) and that’s what it’ll come down to, who has the money to back up a good idea.
