Chicago Alfresco empowers neighborhood organizations to create active community spaces that promote outdoor dining, highlight community-focused placemaking, and support neighborhood identity.
The goal of the program is to transform common spaces into community places by cultivating a sense of ownership, belonging, and safety through community engagement, physical transformation, and the nurturing of local leadership.
W. Madison Street and W. Chicago Avenue
In partnership with the Austin Chamber of Commerce
Arts and cultural spaces were created by installing planters and metal partitions to beautify spaces in an area anchored by restaurants.
W. 47th Street & S. Honore Street
In partnership with the Back of the Yards Neighborhood Council
The Back of the Yards Caminata 47! is a temporary public plaza with spaces for dining, lounging, performing, and flexible programming opportunities.
E. 75th Street., E. 79th Street. & E. 71st Street
In partnership with the Greater Chatham Initiative
Eight mobile wood modular rectangular parklet units were installed along with street barriers, planters, lighting, tables, and chairs, to promote dining and community activities.
N. Broadway Street
In partnership with the Lakeview East Chamber of Commerce
The Dine Out Program was expanded with the addition of planters, lighting, signage, decorative fencing in the outdoor areas, as well as incorporated arts and music programming.
Manuel Perez Jr. Memorial Plaza
In partnership with the Little Village Community Foundation
A new mural was installed, as well as wooden benches for additional seating and signage that highlights yearly community events at the plaza. One of the key events hosted at the plaza this summer was the Mercado de Colores, an initiative that provides access to healthy and agro-ecological goods with the purpose of improving the quality of life of families.
Woodard Plaza
In partnership with the Logan Square Chamber of Commerce
This plaza was beautified with lighting and art to support area restaurants and bring more people to an underused space.
103rd Street & Wood Street
In partnership with the Morgan Park Beverly Hills Business Association
The plain parkway was converted into a permanent comfortable community area complete with benches, planters, a crushed granite surface, and new landscaping for families to enjoy an ice cream in the summer.
W. Fullerton Avenue & W. Grand Avenue
In partnership with the Northwest Side Community Development Corporation
Working with CDOT to permanently convert the intersection of W. Fullerton Avenue and W. Grand Avenue into a paved area with new stalls for street vendors and picnic tables for dining.
W. Division Street
In partnership with the Puerto Rican Cultural Center
Five wood kiosks were added along the famous Paseo Boricua to serve as gathering hubs with seating arrangements and programming. Local mural artist, Cristian Roldan, led the installation of 10 murals inspired by indigenous Taino symbols of Puerto Rico, nature, and the LGBTQ+ community, to highlight the historical and cultural essence of the community.
W. Jarvis Avenue & N. Glenwood Avenue
In partnership with the Rogers Park Business Alliance
Activated two Chicago Alfresco sites – Jarvis and Glenwood. The Jarvis site includes planters and decorative benches placed in Jarvis Square alongside a mural on the roadway pavement. Both locations are also now closed to traffic and transformed into a pedestrian-oriented and welcoming outdoor community space including monthly markets and other events.
E. 71st Street.
In partnership with the South Shore Chamber of Commerce.
Added wooden tables, planters with art, and patio sets with umbrellas and signage to encourage outdoor dining.
S. Commercial Avenue.
In partnership with South Chicago Parents & Friends
Installed tall, yellow “wireframe” structures with art, seats, and planting that stretches a block between 89th and 90th Streets.
W. Devon Avenue
In partnership with the West Ridge Chamber of Commerce.
Six locations in the neighborhood have been transformed into exciting and lively outdoor dining spots with a fine line up of live local entertainment on select weekends over the next three summers via Dine! Dance! Devon Ave!
E. 62nd Street and S. Ingleside Avenue
In partnership with the Woodlawn Chamber of Commerce.
An underutilized plaza has been transformed into a charming site that features outdoor furniture, outdoor food grills, and counter space for both the community and food vendors to use, as well as fun, lively, and creative community events including jazz, dance, yoga, and more.
W. Argyle Street.
In partnership with Uptown United.
An expanded outdoor seating area was created by installing seating pods throughout Asia on Argyle to provide a vital boost to local businesses.
Chicago Alfresco is an integral part of Choose Chicago’s push for more neighborhood tourism and one pillar of the City’s broader initiative to open streets and create places for dining, public life, community, arts, culture, walking, and biking.
The Chicago Alfresco program was launched in 2021 in partnership with the City of Chicago’s Department of Transportation and generously supported by a $2.5 million grant from Diageo North America. Through this program, neighborhood organizations were asked to create active community spaces that promote outdoor dining, highlight community-focused placemaking, and support community identity.
Thanks to generous support from Diageo North America, the Choose Chicago Foundation awarded grants to 16 local community organizations for projects dedicated to creating outdoor public spaces, with 76% of funds being distributed to communities on the South and West Sides.
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