Wicker Park Bucktown Chamber of Commerce

Wow. Still amazed by what an exceptionally cool and different kind of festival the Chamber put on this weekend with Wicker Park Fest. Rather than cramming lots of overpriced kebab vendors into a tiny space and forcing us to buy tickets, it was all about the music and mercifully cheap. Great job.

Full disclosure — I am on the Board of Directors of the Chamber and have been so for several years. I also own a boutique in the Bucktown area.
I cannot say enough good things about the Chamber or the people who run it and make it a lively resource for the businesses in Wicker Park and Bucktown. From the networking events to the new member luncheons, the sidewalk sale to the SummerFest, the WPBCC gets it done and makes it happen.
The Executive Director and her office staff are truly committed to really promote the area and the business that make up Wicker Park and Bucktown. They handle all sorts of complicated community situations with grace and aplomb. Dealing with the aldermen, the business owners, and the residents cannot be fun or easy but they make it look like a cakewalk.
The Chamber orgazines all kinds of media outreach opportunties, from internal e-​newsletters to aggressively distributed literature about the local cultural and shopping opportunties. The Chamber provides a liason to the city’s governmental offices as well; I met Mayor Daley as a Chamber representative to discuss the area’s overall curb appeal and how the city could help to spruce it up. That was rad!
I would recommend any independent business to join this Chamber and get involved. I can definitely say my business has been positively affected by my association with the Chamber, and I plan to stay an active member as long as my shop is open.
I heart the Chamber!