A feature article by Jill Martin
A testament to the ongoing Trixiefication of the Bucktown & Wicker Park neighborhoods appeared on the scene this week, as the new Starbucks on Division & Paulina opened its doors to eagerly waiting crowds. Several members of the LPTS joined the Society’s executive director Abigail Kendrick O’Rourke at the grand opening, welcoming area residents to enjoy the bounty Starbucks has to offer.
Area residents, and their Dalmation puppies, enjoy the new Starbucks on a crisp autumn Saturday morning.
The store welcomes new visitors to its corner location with large picture windows on both Paulina and Division streets. There is ample seating both in the store and on the sidewalk veranda, separated from Division Street traffic by railings. The store also boasts a separate seating area to the right of the main counter, which will be used for meetings of area non-profit groups, book readings, and art exhibits. The LPTS Wicker Park chapter plans to use this space in the coming months to host weekly meetings.
The Society’s Executive Board played a key role in drawing the Seattle-based chain towards the Wicker Park neighborhood. With Lincoln Park and the neighboring areas of Lakeview and the Gold Coast saturated with Starbucks retail locations, the Executive Board recommended to Ald. Matlak that he approve this Wicker Park location. The new store is perfectly positioned to serve local Trixies and Trixiemales, located in a space most recently occupied by a tavern called the Yellow Penguin. The streets just south of the Division Street location are experiencing perhaps the most extreme Trixiefication in the area, with new construction outnumbering older three flats and a-frames nearly 2 to 1. According to officials of the local economic development group, the area expects to become completely trixified within the next ten years. The average sales price for a three bedroom condominium with granite counter tops, stainless appliances and garage parking is $450,000, only $150,000 less than a comparable unit on Webster & Sheffield in the heart of Lincoln Park. In light of the remarkable cultural impact of the new Starbucks location, the Society has proposed that the Chicago Landmarks Commission include the retail store within their newly designated Wicker Park Historic District.
Construction workers rush to complete the store’s lavish exterior, one week before opening.
According to a Starbucks manager, the opening week nearly went off without a hitch. Surprisingly, the store’s first customers were a group of electrician contractors who were on their way to a job site in Wicker Park. But the group’s foreman, Ted Wiercyzinski, from Summit, wasn’t impressed by his experience at the new store. “Pretty darn good coffee, eh. But it took 5 minutes to brew it. And I still prefer Krispy Kreme donuts to these here chocolate chip stones.” But such incidents are to be expected, especially in an area of town where newly-recruited employees either have never worked for a Starbucks outlet, or who have only worked in small independent coffee shops where the equipment was older and of substandard design.
Society members with valid membership cards may enjoy a free latte beverage of their choice and discounts on Starbucks-themed merchandise for a limited time.
