Opinion: The New Northerly Island Ain't Very Good

A critical view on the new and "improved" Northerly Island (via opinion piece in Tribune):

As of fall 2016, the island's “trail,” in reality a 15-foot-wide cement road, is impassible due to a collapsed section on the east side of the island, making it impossible to circumnavigate the island. The entire eastern half of the trail has been closed since shortly after it opened, originally blocked off with temporary “snow fencing” and more recently with cement barricades. Who knew cement was native to the Midwest prairie? The view of the lake from the west side of the island, the only side that is passable, is obliterated by huge boulders, added post-design because erosion had not been factored into the original design. Duh. Unsightly fences currently line both sides of the “trail” to protect the new shrubs.  

So, at present, one is free to meander the concrete trail until one runs into the concrete barricade. In short, there is now nothing that is the least bit attractive or inviting about this formerly lovely space.

We've been out their and agree that the current state of the island is pretty unfortunate.

That being said, we are taking the optimistic angle and hope the eastern trail is fixed in the upcoming year.  A boy can dream...

(Hat tip:  AM!)