Does that notorious late night bar Riptide count as Bucktown? If so, same as above.
Yes. Been going there for 20 years. It's not the same though and I think some il activities may be abound. Maria has kind of lost it upstairs. If you had any dealings with the old lady, you would know how sharp she once was. Now she comes down, generally during the week, and sits in a tank top, no teeth, hair almost all gone, but I think she still remembers me even though she has to be pushing 90. It's sad. From what Tina (heavy bartender that sings all those juke box songs) told me, Maria was a millimeter away from totally losing the entire business. Tina then took things over and after many months cleared things up, re-opened, and runs the show now. I don't want to talk poorly about Tina, but I think she took a property/business that's probably worth 4/5 million right from under the old lady. Maria still lives upstairs and Tina is there for busy nights. It hasn't been the same since the old battle ax bartender/bouncer Shirley died of cancer years ago. Saw HER once pick up a guy and pin him to the back wall like something out of a movie. I would consider myself a fairly good friend of Tina and her husband (another massive human being that worked the door in the past). I know a great deal about Tina and she (and husband) has had a very "colorful" past. Bar still gets some of the FINEST talent. You can sit in there at 1 or 2 in the morning and some drop dead gorgeous woman could come in and sit next to you at the bar and throw a few back. At the same time you could sit next to a serial killer, but that's Bucktown. Some of the Cubs live right down the street and come in also. I still stop by Maria's Riptide Lounge once every 2 or 3 months with my gf, Maria. She grew up across from Wicker Park itself back when that whole neighborhood was VERY bad.
A new joint to check out when you'all gets back, Chicago 5 Star or 5 Star Chicago or something. It's on Chicago Ave West of the Kennedy and East of Damen. HOT HOT rough looking tattoed bartendars. HOT talent walking around. Ton of tv's, good eats (GREAT burger), ton of variety of booze, no parking, bums up and down the street trying to sell you some dead guys shoes. Chicago Ave seems to be the new trendy stretch right now. Try to get there early to establish a position for viewing and also for watching the tv's. I don't know how long it's been but Milwaukee Ave has also had a bit of turnover in the last 3/4 years. There's a piano bar down by Wood and a couple newer/remodeled bars before Damen. There's a great new little neighborhood Italian restaurant on North called Lucia's, byob. Also another nice new place is on the SE corner of Mil & Damen called Francescha's (spelling?), next to the Double Door.
The Map Room is still there but was never one of my main haunts for some reason. The gf has the low down on that place. I was generally more East. I miss the Artful Dodger, now condos.
