Open Streets Returns To Wicker Park, Expands To Logan Square

By Chuck Sudo in Arts & Entertainment on Jul 30, 2013 3:45PM

Photo credit: Chicagoist/Chuck Sudo

Last year Open Streets Chicago’s expanded into Wicker Park and Bucktown, resembling a post-apocalyptic version of the neighborhoods, minus the cars. Milwaukee Avenue from Division Street to Western Avenue was ceded to pedestrians, bicyclists, skateboarders, strollers and dogs, with nary a motorist in sight, all while the casually attractive formed polite lines for brunch.

I wrote at the time that I was more frustrated by the execution of the Open Streets project than the concept. Which is one of the many reasons Open Streets and the Active Transportation is focusing its efforts on Wicker Park, Bucktown and Logan Square with their Sept. 15 event from 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. That’s three full miles of Milwaukee Avenue secured from automobiles.

Active Transportation Alliance Marketing Director Ethan Spotts told Chicagoist there’s a lot to like about this quasi-reboot. This year the Chicago Department of Transportation will be actively involved in the project, as activities like Open Streets tie in nicely with CDOT’s Chicago Pedestrian Plan. The Wicker Park Bucktown Chamber of Commerce is also throwing its weight behind the event as it’s an ideal showcase for the neighborhood’s Special Service Area.

“We’d like to see this grow to other neighborhoods,” Spotts said. “The support we’ve received from the community here has been overwhelming.”

So what should you expect for this year’s Open Streets? Well, there will be yoga classes every hour, street games like foursquare, relay races and human tic-tac-toe, a dunking booth, wellness areas and plenty of open streets for biking, skateboarding, walking and lounging around.