Radiating outward from the intersection of Milwaukee, Damen, and North is the trendy playground of Bucktown and Wicker Park. At one point, artists flooded this neighborhood for the cheap studio space. They left a creative cue picked up by the city-savvy shops that took up residence in their stead. Scoffing at national chain stores, local designers have set up boutiques that pepper the streets between stylish cafes and smoky clubs. The atmosphere begins in the gutter and rises to the stars, so be prepared to find unconventional styles jumping the gun on the typical "in-thing." Whatever your tastes may be, someone in Bucktown or Wicker Park caters to you.

Creative types cluster in the hip, somewhat grungy enclaves called Bucktown and Wicker Park, centered on Milwaukee, Damen, and North avenues. Locals flock to this area for its intriguing mix of nightclubs, cafés, theaters, coffeehouses, cutting-edge galleries, small businesses, and a bizarre bazaar of shops -- plus an increasing parade of sightseers drawn by what is arguably the best people-watching in the city. Musicians, artists, and young professionals call this area home, and an abundance of Latino American-run shops and restaurants is evidence of the strong ethnic influences.