From the late 1980’s and into the 90’s, Chicago’s Wicker Park was both a working-class neighborhood and a hub for young creatives searching for community and a place to hone their art. 10 years later, the area became a magnet for developers looking to cash in on Wicker Park’s hip nature and the close proximity to downtown.
Poet and activist Kevin Coval’s new book “Everything Must Go: The Life And Death of An American Neighborhood” examines the changes that Coval witnessed, what gentrification meant to Wicker Park, to Chicago, and to neighborhoods in cities facing a similar situation and fate.