Wicker Park , a northwest Chicago neighborhood bounded on the east at 1600 West Ashland and on the west at 2400 West Western, was formerly viewed of as a Bohemian refuge in the city, an artists' haven for the counter-culture. Within the past few years, the area has been transformed to now resemble a trendy neighborhood ripe with an astounding number of shopping, dining and club options that all reiterate the same hip, funky image. Comprised of a large number of galleries and studios, Wicker Park is still home to one of the city’s largest communities of working artists. Yet, now the allure of Wicker Park has extended beyond that of just artists to young families and working professionals.  BUCKTOWN AND HUMBOLDT PARK Those who choose to buy a home in Bucktown are often attracted to the unique combination of landmark architecture, tree-lined streets and proximity to downtown. The neighborhood of Bucktown is located on the near northwest side of Chicago about two miles from downtown and directly adjacent to the neighborhood of Wicker Park, bounded roughly by the Kennedy Expressway on the east, Western Avenue on the west and Fullerton and North Avenues on the north and south. Bucktown was designed by architect Daniel Burnham in the 1890s and named for the goats kept in the backyards of its early residents. During the past decade, it has been transforming from its earlier blue-collar, primarily Polish roots into a conveniently located, upscale-artsy neighborhood. Poles have largely been replaced by a Mexican community, especially at the western side of Bucktown.The community is proud of its mix of nationalities and demographics. Along the streets of Bucktown you will find a combination of old and new, trendy and gritty, American, Latin and Eastern European, and more. It is this unique and spirited mix that no doubt prompted MTV's The Real World to choose a centrally located building in Bucktown to call home for the Chicago season of its series. Directly west of Bucktown and Wicker Park lies Humboldt Park, which is beginning to represent Chicago's hot prime section for new homeowners. Due to its location, the resources it offers young families, and the spacious park that lends the neighborhood its name, this is an area that has a lot to offer to new residentsMore than 60,000 people inhabit Humboldt Park. This makes it one of the biggest communities in the city. 1869, which proved to be a significant time for the city, marks the inception of the 200+ acre park. It was named to honor German scientist and explorer, Alexander Von Humboldt, and the year when this neighborhood was incorporated as part of the City of Chicago. Primarily settled by immigrants from Poland, Italy, and Germany, the population of Humboldt Park has diversified becoming a true melting pot. nterestingly enough, many of the houses, large, old Victorian and Colonial, in Humboldt Park even now appear as they did in the late 1800's. However, even though some have weathered time quite well and appear remarkably untouched, other more massive homes have needed to be updated and returned to their previous grandeur. Ripe with tear-downs and conversions, Humboldt Park is now brimming with an abundance of new constructions. Directly encompassing the area to the east, north, and west of Humboldt Park are developments comprised primarily of newer, more modern multi-unit buildings. Because Humboldt Park is undergoing a period of redevelopment, and because it’s benefiting from the renewal of nearby Wicker Park and Bucktown, property values are on the rise.