You won’t find the likes of Bruno “Lefty” Bicek or Frankie Machine there – or maybe you will, since the beauty of Wicker Park is that it hasn’t completely lost its edge while gentrifying – but that’s no reason to miss the classical music in the park from 10 a.m. to noon on Sept. 24. Lil’ Wally’s corpse is barely cold, but polka died here long ago. Instead, you’ll hear the Symphony Sounds string quartet playing Haydn, Vivaldi and Shostakovich (yes, in Wicker Park). The event is $10 for adults and $5 for children over 12.
That should get you primed for the 2 p.m. Garden Social (yes, in Wicker Park! This ain’t your daddy’s Wicker Park; maybe your great granddaddy’s, considering the age of Wicker Park’s mansions). Meet at the park, 1425 N Damen Ave, for guided tours of park gardens, four private gardens and one historic home, followed by an “old-fashioned afternoon social.” The Garden Social is $10, and you can e-mail or call 773-278-9075 to reserve for either event. That is the eponymous park, by the way, pictured above; more on it later. Funny how great city parks start to look once well-off residents move into the neighborhood…