WICKER PARK — The timing was not optimal but the permit to restrict parking on Wicker Park's busiest blocks to film scenes for Season 7 of "Shameless" came before it was known that the Cubs would be playing in Game 7 of the World Series on Wednesday night.
From 6 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. Wednesday, parking is restricted on the east side of Milwaukee Avenue from the Damen, Milwaukee and North intersection to Wolcott Avenue, as well as on both sides of Damen from the main intersection to Pierce Avenue, according to fliers posted throughout the area.
Also, Damen Avenue will be closed to traffic between the intersection and Pierce Street.
Those three blocks along the 1400 and 1500 block of Milwaukee Avenue and the 1500 block of North Damen Avenue are home to several bars that will be playing the game, such as Links Taproom, Crocodile, High Noon Saloon, Nick's, Flat Iron, Pint and Blue Line Lounge & Grill.
"I would call it as Shameful not Shameless and I'm cancelling my Showtime subscription," half-joked High Noon Saloon owner Baris Yuksel, who was disappointed to see crews for "Shameless" parked along Milwaukee on what is expected to be a strong night for fans to come out and watch Game 7.
Ald. Joe Moreno (1st) did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
An official from the Chicago Film Office said that, given the limited parking available tonight on Damen due to a filming permit, it is encouraging Cubs fans seeking to cheer the team on in Wicker Park to utilize public transit to get to their destination.
Showtime's family drama takes place in Chicago but is mostly filmed in Los Angeles. The Chicago neighborhoods of Lawndale and University Village have provided exterior set backdrops over the past four years.
Emmy-nominated actor and former Chicagoan William H. Macy will be in a relatively short scene set to take place in an alley in Wicker Park, sources familiar with the filming said.
The show follows a dysfunctional South Side Irish family, the Gallaghers, who live in the city's Canaryville neighborhood, but the home is actually located in North Lawndale.
"Shameless" is one of nine television shows filming in Chicago this fall, according to officials with the Chicago Film Office.
"The growing film, television and commercial production industry in Chicago creates jobs across our neighborhoods and continues to boost the local economy, generating more than $1.3 billion in economic activity since 2011. Across the nation, cities and states aggressively compete for this industry, which is why the City continues to work to balance the potential impact filming may have on street traffic, without compromising our ability to remain competitive and continue attracting filming to Chicago," the office said in a statement.
