A visit to the Devon Avenue business strip is a kaleidoscopic experience. There’s a swirl of flashy storefronts, iridescent saris, booming bhangra music, and aromas of cumin and kebabs in the South Asian part of the district, concentrated between Leavitt and California. Farther west you see a mix of Balkan, Jewish, and eastern European establishments, including the Croatian Cultural Center, a kosher fish market, and the city’s only Georgian bakery. It’s a first-class feast for the senses.
I dropped by Devon on a recent weekend to find out how folks are interacting with the new built environment. There were plenty of people strolling past the restaurants, supermarkets, and sweet shops, wearing everything from stylish Western clothing to burkhas.
“Many of our customers say Devon looks cozier now,” says Huma Mahtani, co-owner of Resham’s, a shop at 2540 W. Devon that sells Indian dresses and handicrafts. “[The business district] needed a face-lift. Now I feel proud of my street.”
“But traffic was bad before, so it doesn’t really make things any worse,” he says. “It does hinder double parking, but people shouldn’t be doing that anyway.” Now that the business district is more pedestrian friendly, Valavanis notes, neighborhood residents will be more likely to walk there instead of driving.
