Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Another Store Opening in Wicker Park/Bucktown

Before papers and government officials were uttering the "R" word, people in Chicago were grumbling about the "G" word: gentrification. We saw it in the droves of hipsters and artists who took haven in the historically Mexican neighborhood of Pilsen. And the more fashion savvy of us saw it when small, high-end boutiques in Wicker Park/Bucktown began shuttering up their windows and putting up for rent signs in spaces that once carried Geren Ford, Missoni, and other labels.

Out went the smaller boutiques (no longer able to afford the high price of rent and moving to internet based sales), and in came the bigger name retail purveyors. Marc Jacobs (not that I'm hating on this newest addition...drool), Cynthia Rowley, and BCBG have all moved on the fashionable strip of Damen and tomorrow night, people in the know will gather for the opening of Club Monaco.

Will this sound the death knoll for the once hipster-friendly Wicker Park/Bucktown?

1 comment:

Unknown said...

AHHH, Club Monaco?!
This is so not fair at all!
Yes, let's just wait until Ashley leaves to open these stores up. Gaaah.