Meet Me on Milwaukee gives the avenue back to pedestrians for a Sunday

Milwaukee Avenue became a place to spend time on September 27. Meet Me on Milwaukee closed the stretch between North/Damen and Ashland to cars and buses, opening the roadway to people walking, cycling and visiting neighborhood businesses.

The pilot series brings together the 1st Ward, Wicker Park Bucktown Chamber of Commerce and Chicago Department of Transportation. September's event ran from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., with a program advertising live music, outdoor dining, exercise classes and sidewalk sales.

Early in the day, the street had room to breathe. Small groups walked along the roadway, a cyclist passed through, and the centerline remained visible between them. The familiar storefronts were still the main setting. Removing through traffic changed how people could use the space in front of those businesses.

That is the useful idea behind the event: a neighborhood outing can begin with the street itself. Visitors do not need to choose a headline performance or commit to a full festival day. Walking the corridor and stopping along the way can be the plan.

The pilot scheduled three sessions, on the last Sundays of August, September and October. Its next advertised date is October 25, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; check the organizer's latest information before heading out. September offered a chance to try a familiar part of Wicker Park at a different pace, with the roadway available for more than getting somewhere else.