Slice of Life: Vegetable Alley

This is one of my favorite signs of Spring: Amidei Mercatino getting set up for the season.

Amidei Mercatino is an outdoor fruit and vegetable stand tucked into an alley in downtown Lake Forest.  This is a fantastic use for an alley.  It’s remarkable that this business is able to survive in this location that is relatively low-traffic compared with much of the rest of Chicagoland.

If it can work in Lake Forest, imagine vegetable alleys in places like Lakeview, the Loop, Wrigleyville, and Lincoln Park.  With a little support from the city, it might even be a way to address the food desert problem in some of Chicago’s neighborhoods.