Western Avenue Is Blooming: Two Fresh Spots Just Opened in Bucktown — Plus a Neighbor's Wild Prairie Is Turning Heads

By Socialhood News · Il/Chicago/Bucktown · July 28, 2026

Bucktown's Western Avenue corridor just got a little more delicious. Two brand-new eateries have officially joined the strip this week: Bucktown Pizza and Jomon Sushi & Izakaya, both landing on Western Avenue within days of each other. Whether you're in the mood for a classic slice or a Japanese izakaya experience, the neighborhood just handed you two new reasons to step out this week and explore your own backyard.

But the feel-good story of the moment might actually be growing along the Kennedy Expressway. Long-time Bucktown resident Ian Kibbe — nearly 20 years in the neighborhood — has quietly transformed a trash-strewn strip of invasive weeds beside the highway into a flourishing native prairie garden. The project drew admiring neighbors during last weekend's Bucktown Garden Walk, and Kibbe is now in conversations with IDOT to find a path forward that works for everyone. His vision? Less maintenance burden on the state, less invasive species pressure on the corridor, and real environmental and stormwater benefits for the community. The Bucktown Community Organization and the alderman's office have both been supportive, making this very much a neighborhood effort.

From buzzy new restaurants to grassroots green spaces, Bucktown keeps proving it's a neighborhood that builds things together. Head over to Western Avenue to welcome Bucktown Pizza and Jomon Sushi & Izakaya, and follow the Bucktown Community Organization at bucktown.org to stay in the loop on Kibbe's prairie project — it's one worth rooting for.

Sources:
1. https://blockclubchicago.org/2026/07/23/wicker-park-ann-sather-opens-friday-as-bucktown-gets-new-pizza-and-sushi-spots-vajra-reopens-for-dine-in/
2. https://blockclubchicago.org/2026/07/21/a-sliver-of-land-along-the-kennedy-expressway-has-been-reborn-as-a-native-prairie/