Peter Skosey
My daughter enjoys feeding Cheerios to the ducks.
Clark Park, 3400 N. Rockwell
Fifty years ago this stretch of the Chicago River would never have qualified for an “undiscovered” public space, as it was the location of Riverview Amusement Park, which at one point in its operations was the largest such park in the world. Today, Clark Park is much more sedate, with a few soccer fields, bike trails and a lovely kayak launch. It is the precise site of the kayak launch that I would nominate (were I eligible) for the "What Makes Your Place Great?" contest. My wife, daughter and I go in the evenings to enjoy a very different set of attractions than those formerly offered at Riverview.
While the cleanliness of the Chicago River still has a long way to go before I’ll swim in it, ducks don’t seem to mind, and it is the ducks that spark our visit. Packing stale Cheerios, we walk the half mile to feed them but once there, we see so much more. Last weekend we met our neighbors out front and they joined us for our walk.
unlucky fishermen
Peter Skosey
When we arrived we chatted with the fishermen who griped about their luck (or lack thereof),
crew team
watched a crew team practice against one another with the backdrop of a beautiful sunset, all while occasionally kicking the soccer ball back and forth. Here, along the river, I feel peaceful, calm and content. It’s not a popular spot like our other favorite neighborhood hangout Giddings Plaza, but Giddings is more for last year’s contest and a truly superb example of Placemaking. I suppose Clark Park is not the most accessible public space, with only the Addison bus providing a direct connection, and that’s why it’s probably not more popular.
According to the world expert on Placemaking, the Project for Public Spaces, the ideal public space is accessible, comfortable, sociable and has plenty of activities. Clark Park meets the latter three just fine and perhaps it’s the lack of accessibility that gives it its “undiscovered” nature. That’s ok, because even after more people learn of Clark Park, there won’t be so many visiting to scare away the ducks.
Voting has begun to name Chicagoland's favorite undiscovered public place. Visit PlacemakingChicago.com and cast your vote today!