Dogs not allowed: Yeah, I’m working on that with the board. I hope to change their decision on that, but it’s fairly common in Chicago. Some do, some don’t. May even be on the same block that some allow pets while others don’t.

Shared walkway: But even with that walkway, are people talking to each other? I go to restaurants and cafes and see two (or more) people sitting in front of each other texting. Or, they’re wearing headphones. Nobody is talking to each other. But then they all go home and text each other there. There’s a certain section of the population that feels more comfortable behind a computer screen. I don’t particularly get it. It’s one of the reasons I agreed to host a storytelling venue and joined Toastmasters. I want to be in a place where everybody has their eyes glued on you and are talking/listening to YOU, not their phones.