Converting pavement for people

This year’s PARK(ing) Day on September 18 prompted New York Times’ By Design blogger Allison Arieff to write a piece on “Pavement to Parks,” which further prompted me to write this piece in the context of Open space and Milwaukee Avenue.

In writing about San Francisco’s Pavement to Parks program, which was apparently spurred on by New York City’s Plaza Program, Arieff writes:

(The) program creates spaces for people by reclaiming excess roadway, through the use of simple and low-cost design interventions.  What’s innovative about these parks isn’t so much the design as the implementation.  As Andres Power, urban designer at the San Francisco Planning Department explains, because there is no structure in place to do something like this “it fundamentally changes the old impasse of years of planning and just lets the space evolve over time.”

That last part about letting the space evolve over time got me thinking about the idea of permanently closing down Milwaukee Avenue between east- and westbound Logan Boulevard and Woodard Street

Logan Square makes art easy

City guide Centerstage Chicago recognizes that “you don’t need to go to a gallery get your artistic fix in Chicago.” 

Easiest on Milwaukee Avenue

If we’ve learned nothing else from the Milwaukee Avenue Arts Festival, you don’t have to leave the neighborhood to get your artistic fix.

In today’s Centerstage piece, ”Art Viewing Made Easy,” two of the seven noted alternate places to get your fix are in Logan Square:

The Whistler at 2421 N. Milwaukee Avenue, where an upcoming show by Mark Benson is mentioned; and

Cole’s (photo right) at 2338 N. Milwaukee Avenue, where the work of neighborhood artist Tracy Kostenbader is featured.

Of course, both places have excellent beverages and free music too.

And another one gone

The Winds Café on Kedzie Avenue closed (photo right) in early February.  The signs say the closure is for the purpose of remodeling (photo inset).  While I had hoped that was true, I had my doubts, and, come to find out, the building and the business are for sale.  Still I’m hoping they may just take a break during these winter months, during this current economy, to cut their losses, and that they’ll open again when the weather improves and more people are walking about the neighborhood.  Or, that they’ll sell to a profitable operator or other business.

And another one gone

Further north, I don’t even know when the Washington Mutual at the corner of Spaulding and Milwaukee Avenues closed (photo left).   It was some time between New Year’s and early February. 

Logan Square is “WHAT’S HOT”

The Chicago Tribune’s on-line version has a current feature on its front page: “WHAT’S HOT in Food, Style and Design.” [Update: I think this was in the Sunday magazine, but it's rare that I'll get a print version of the Trib.] Amongst the photo gallery of fashion, gadgets, toys, and culture, is the whole neighborhood of Logan Square! (photo #24) with the following hot spots in this hot neighborhood noted:

• Bonsoirée on Armitage
• Lula Café on Kedzie

Lula Café on Kedzie Ave.*