Paving the Way

Water main digging continues north of the Green Line and along parts of South Boulevard, but sewer installation has concluded between Pleasant and Randolph streets.

1. Pavement restoration has officially kicked off ‘south of the tracks!’ Replacement concrete is being poured, and milling – the environmentally friendly way to recycle grindings from earlier construction – is under way. In a few weeks, asphalt will bring the block-long section of Oak Park Avenue, from Pleasant to Randolph streets, to a smooth finish.

2. How easy is parking? At the Avenue Garage, the Village of Oak Park already rolled out no-wait technology to speed exiting and even let you know how many spots are available. (Hint: it’s never full – or even too far up.) And parking is free for 90 minutes every day, plus all day on Sunday.

We even measured the walking distance from garage exits to popular north, central and south destinations:

• The Oak Ave Barber: 2 minutes (195 steps)

• Village & Vessel: 1 minute (103 steps)

• George’s Family Restaurant: 2 minutes, 8 seconds (219 steps)

3. Avoid Mama Dramas—celebrate Mother’s Day in the Hemingway District! Drop in at Garland Flowers, the family-owned florist that’s been abloom at 137 S. Oak Park Avenue since 1984. “Fabulous! That’s what I tell everyone who asks about what things will be like after construction,” says Therese McGuire, daughter of the original owners who launched the business in Chicago 80 years ago. She says long-time customers keep coming in, while new customers have found her through recent Hemingway District construction promotions.