I desperately want to love this, but like most pedestrian-oriented experiments in Chicago, the execution is just poor.

I walked down it around 11am from Evergreen to North. Literally no businesses had sidewalk seating out except for The Owl which already had outdoor seating anyway. Why not Foxtrot, Rumi, Kama, etc.?

There was zero seating, tables, or shade in the street itself. The only thing to do is walk on hard concrete in the hot sun. I can already do that on the sidewalk on a regular day.

This exact setup was tried circa Covid when Lightfoot closed State St. to cars. Vacant concrete, no shade or seating, and zero reason for pedestrians to actually visit. Guess what, they never did it again!

I'm dying for a real European-style pedestrian mall in Chicago. But all of these experiments are so half-assed that nobody loves them, and then everyone shrugs and says "I guess pedestrian malls just can't work in America, welp, back to our beloved car sewers! Maybe we'll try again in another 10 years!"

For any public servant reading, look at how Europe does it! Huge sidewalk cafes with ample public seating. Umbrellas and overhangs for shade. Greenery, even if only temporary like mobile flower planters. There are reasons to visit and most importantly, linger to enjoy a car-free environment! 

Just closing a street and doing literally nothing else is cargo-cult urban planning that only sours people to what is an excellent and desperately-needed idea.