Briefly describe your business and introduce yourself            

My name is Peter Greenbaum and my business is called Tea Lake Productions.  We specialize in video scriptwriting and video and media production for all types of businesses – large and small.

Where did you get the inspiration to open your business?

I’ve worked extensively in film and video production and also have a background in copywriting for websites. I wanted to combine these two areas into one business that celebrates creativity, clarity and communication.

What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned as a business owner? 

Assumption is the mother of all #%@& -ups.

What advice would you give to someone looking to start a business in Chicago?

Go for it. The business community in Chicago is very supportive. There are all kinds of great networking opportunities and resources for business owners.

What product or service of yours are you the most excited about offering?

Tea Lake Productions offers “impact movies” which are short, powerful profiles of businesses and their services, products and personnel.  We blend intimate on-camera interviews with graphics, footage and effects to create an irresistible story.

The following blog entry was contributed by: Albert Spenadel, CPA, MST, owner of Spenadel Tax and Accounting Services. He can be reached at alspenadelcpa@comcast.net. Please consult with your tax advisor for specific tax advice.

Hi – my name is Jane.  I am the owner of VALENTIA studio/boutique, 2042 N Damen Avenue.

I am an A.S.I.D. interior designer – but I have always wanted a shop.  We moved to Chicago a little over a year ago and this just fell into place so I decided to go with it! 

The shop is laid out like an actual apartment: the front room has ladies wear, accessories and a few specialty items for the men.  The kitchen has kitchen stuff, the bedroom has custom headboards and “bedroom” things.  The bathroom has bath items.  There is also a little nook with baby items [mostly all handmade]. 

My goal is to keep PRICES MODERATE!

 

Where did you get the inspiration to open your business?  

I’ve been playing “store” since I was 4 years old! 

 

What advice would you give to someone looking to start a business in Chicago? 

Go with your gut. 

 

What product or service of yours are you the most excited about offering? 

I really enjoy carrying local artist’s work and Fair Trade items.  I am designing a line of summer dresses that are locally made!  This is the first I’ve mentioned this to anyone!  It is very exciting! 

 

What do you like the most about being located in Wicker Park Bucktown?  

I am so thankful for the day I happened upon this location!  Being new to Chicago I really didn’t know the depth of WPB!  It has such a great vibe – I feel so lucky to be here!  I love the neighborhood feel in an urban setting and the mix of apartments, homes, parks, churches and shops all working together to make up this great area. 

 

What are the places in Wicker Park Bucktown that you cannot live without?  

I haven’t had much time to explore now that I am in retail… But every restaurant we’ve tried has been super – both the florists are great – salons, barber shops….seems we can find pretty much everything here!  It’s hard to beat TOAST for breakfast/lunch. 

 

What kind of people are your customers?  

I am starting to get repeat business from the locals which I SO appreciate! …THANK YOU, LOCALS!  

But very surprisingly [to me] is the amount of out of towners  I am seeing!  Not only U.S. but also Europe and Asia!  One day I had over 7 countries represented in the shop! 

 

What can people expect when they walk in your front door?  

A COLORFUL AND HAPPY VIBE!

 

Do you have any stories of successful cross-promotions that you have done with other local businesses? 

The Christmas SHOP LOCAL and the SHOP for your LOCAL SCHOOL Event was super!!  I also did a ladies night out with a Mary Kay cosmetic rep.  We had such a nice turn out and such a good time!  I would definitely team up with others for promotions!  Last summer’s sidewalk sale was also a good event! 

 

What ways has the Chamber been helpful to building your business? 

I think the Chamber reaches so many more people than I have access to.  I like the events and promotions they have.  I will participate in whatever they offer! 

 

These weekly member business spotlights are a benefit of Chamber membership. If you're a member and would like to be featured on our blog, please contact us at info@wickerparkbucktown.com.

We conclude the Bucktown vs. Wicker Park series with the same question we started with: Where do YOU think we are, Wicker Park or Bucktown?

 

Architecturally, this interior- especially the ceiling- is neo-classical with civic overtones, a temple to finance built in the roaring 20’s.

What’s Wicker Park about it?  The exemplary preservation of the coffered ceiling, skylight, pilasters, light fixtures, and even the clock!  What’s Bucktown about it?  Contemporary lighting devices highlighting the historic qualities- and some would say a revolutionary re-use of the space! 

We hope that you’ve been for a visit to this wonderfully reworked icon in the neighborhood, or will soon- if so you know where we are standing.  The big question is-

Where do YOU think we are, Wicker Park or Bucktown?  Either way, them’s fighting words!

The following blog entry was contributed by: Sam Marts and Dina Petrakis - he's Bucktown, she's Wicker Park - who compare their two ‘hoods.

Urban density created the townhouse - attached homes strung together on a series of lots, to maximize land usage (or profit to the developer, depending on who you ask).  

Some townhouses aren’t any bigger than a single story apartment, but offer the feel of a stand alone home plus an individual address.  Today we look at two newer townhouse developments, one in Bucktown and one in Wicker Park.

This Bucktown townhouse development uses modern materials and contrasting color to emphasize both verticality and rhythm.  

The red corrugated metal (typically used industrially) both defines the separate units and ties them together like marching soldiers.  The chimney stacks mark the centers of each townhouse and punctuate the sky.

The rhythm is A-A-A-A, a modern, almost industrial approach.  

This Wicker Park townhouse development was informed by the historic architecture in its surroundings.  

The brick material is uniform overall but has different cornice details and window styles to distinguish the units. The building exhibits the renaissance tradition of different windows on each level- creating base, piano nobile, and domestic (bedroom) levels. The arched openings book-end the sides and the rectangular, metal canopy delineates the center. Further distinguishing the units is a difference in elevation, with the center units set back.

The rhythm is A-B-A, a beaux-arts tradition.

So- just like your neighbors or just a little different- how do you like your ducks in a row? Bucktown or Wicker Park for you?

 

The following blog entry was contributed by: Sam Marts and Dina Petrakis - he's Bucktown, she's Wicker Park - who compare their two ‘hoods.

Last time we adapted- this time we are gonna add on!  In order to add on to the square footage of a home in Chicago, lot size and zoning come into play.  Bucktown and Wicker Park vary greatly in these characteristics, and so the does the way homes get additions.

This Wicker Park mansion is well endowed with land and the owners imagined a creative way to add on in this Landmark District.  

The “coach house” to the right is actually a freestanding house built after 2009 on a legally separate lot, although it looks like it was built at the same time as the main structure and is modeled on the older building’s style, proportions, and materials.  Historic coach houses nearby were used as precedent for the footprint and design.  This addition would be nearly impossible in Bucktown, where very few homes sit on 3 lots.

Without an extra lot, this Bucktown addition filled the back yard and moved up.  

The sheet metal addition on the front contrasts with the original structure and provides a contemporary hat on the façade.  The same material is used to sheath the connector to the rear addition, with exposed I-beams emerging on either side of the slight curve.  The curve of the connector wall recalls and reinforces the curved roof on the front; the shiny material reflects the sky, appearing less heavy.  The outdoor roof garden connects and separates the two additions.

So, which adds up most, in your book?  Wicker Park or Bucktown?

I’d like to start this out by saying that I’ve written about the extraordinary selection of places to get a wide variety of craft beers in Wicker Park and Bucktown.

I truly believe that for the discerning beer drinker, our neighborhood is one of the finest on the planet.  So, it should come as no surprise that the newest sports bar in town would do its best to live up the local reputation.  In what is sure to become a trend in the next few years, Fat Pour is a great venue for viewing sports and, um, sports the widest selection of beer taps around.  

As sports bars go, Fat Pour has one of the better TV setups that I’ve seen.  

There are big screens around the entire perimeter of the eating room and they are at just above eye level.  So, there’s no straining your neck no matter where you sit.  I went to Fat Pour during the Sunday Night Football game between San Francisco and Detroit.  There were passionate, but not rowdy fans for the teams that had good knowledge of the game.  As a sports fan, I truly appreciate this.

As for the food, all the requisite sports bar/pub grub staples are on the menu including burgers, nachos, pizza, wings etc.

 However, they do put a creative spin on a lot of the items (the burger menu is particularly extensive) and they have the best selection of sides I’ve seen at a sports bar.   This may be the only place in town where you can mix football and a burger with sides of quinoa and cous cous (of course, fries are available, too).  Plus, the kitchen is visible through a very large glass wall, so you can see how your items are prepared.  They get some props for that.

Honestly, all of the preceding info is great, but I’m most excited about the beer selection at Fat Pour.  

They have 50 plus taps (Fat Pour calls itself a “hardcore beer bar”), and the selection contains a lot of seasonal specialties and style variability.  This is a well-balanced beer menu and the regular menu provides recommendations by style for beer pairings with your meal.  What this means is that you can find a style that any beer drinker will like and fit it holistically into your meal.

Fatpour Tap Works

2005 W Division
(773) 698-8940
www.fatpourchicago.com

It’s becoming increasingly easier to spot accessories that utilize more than one material in a single piece.

Jewelry and bags are common examples. The contrast of different materials also means creating a unique blend of elements that you wouldn’t necessarily think to pair together. And this in turn can create a very personal look.

In jewelry, mixing materials can mean mixing different types of metals, stones, and nontraditional components like leather.

The fashion faux pas of mixing silver with gold is quickly falling to the wayside as we see more and more people freely combining the two. Designers are also incorporating both sterling silver and gold, gold filled, or gold vermeil in one piece of jewelry. Designer Anna Korte of AK Vintage even uses repurposed vintage findings and leather in her designs.

Bags like briefcases and handbags are also making use of different components.

This can add to durability, comfort, or simply style and texture. Dutch company Property Of...often uses leather and waxed canvas together in their line of men’s bags. By developing their own take on classics like the briefcase, they provide an alternative to the traditional professional bag. Women’s handbags by Zina Eva also exhibit a juxtaposition by joining reclaimed wood and deerskin leather.

The simple decision to wear accessories made with more than one material allows for individual style to shine through.

Instead of being limited to one “look”, your outfit can become an integrated mix of different ones, like traditional and contemporary or organic and refined. The beginning of a new season is the perfect excuse to try it out!

This blog post was contributed by: Malcolm Logan, editor and publisher of My American Odyssey, a travel site offering reviews, travelogues and trip itineraries for destinations throughout the United States. 

Nestled in a quiet tree-canopied area at the corner of Wabansia and Honore in Bucktown is an homage to a swinging 50’s era supper club that’s more authentic than anything you’ll find in New York or Las Vegas.  The porthole windows, chrome railings, upholstered booths, and checkerboard tiles ring absolutely true.  It’s a classic 50’s style that comes across as new.

Yet for all its fresh seeming appeal, Club Lucky hearkens back to an earlier era when good Italian food meant a bowl of spaghetti and a bottle of Chablis in a webbed bottle.  Whether or not Club Lucky would do any better or worse with a more adventurous approach is past consideration.  Like its décor, its food is meticulously true to its heritage. 

Order from a menu that includes Italian-American classics like Fettucini Alfredo, Penne Arrabiata, or Linguini and Clams.  Dig into house specialties like Veal Parmigana, Chicken Vesuvio, or Grilled Pork Chops. 

Although the food is decidedly retro, there’s nothing run down or tired looking about the decor.  The place is immaculately clean.  It’s frequently primped up and repainted and often feels as if you are arriving on the first day of business.  They have a lovely sidewalk café under a black and red awning and while I was there on a recent visit the owner was outside planting geraniums, chatting with neighbors.

At bottom Club Lucky is one of those places that’s so charming and appealing you’ll want to tell your friends.  The minute you walk through the door into that swinging 50’s cocktail lounge, you’re smitten.  Have the bartender mix you up a classic martini and fuh-get about it.  Club Lucky swings, baby!

Club Lucky

1824 W. Wabansia
Chicago, IL 60622
773-227-2300
www.clubluckychicago.com

In today’s battle we pit Bucktown’s Adaptive Reuse against Wicker Park’s. 

 
This bucolic landscape makes use of the vacated street that was Bloomingdale (How about THAT for Adaptive Reuse, Wicker Park?!?) and creates a lovely greenway for residents and passers-by alike.
 
The building itself is a former cabinet factory and has been converted to loft condominiums.  On this elevation we see balconies that have been suspended in rows for a modern appearance- and to take advantage of the skyline view.  Thus the former back side of the building is now the “friendliest”, whereas the front of the building, built up to the lot line and sidewalk, is designed to be more secure and therefore is less inviting. 
 

 
Wicker Park’s candidate in the Adaptive Reuse contest is a former church in the Landmark District- now condominiums.  The major façade elements have been maintained and the condominium layout carefully inserted within the envelope of the building.  The living space, like the former worship space, is above the first floor. 
 
The garage door is front and center, occupying the former main entrance of the church; the building is land-locked, having no alley.  In fact the residents (of this and MANY condo buildings) primarily enter via vehicle.  The garage door is successfully concealed by using the same paneled members and paint color as the people doors- and of course using the original masonry openings. 
 

So, which Adaptation excites YOUR imagination…working outside of the lines in Bucktown- or inside the box in Wicker Park?