Independence Park is located smack dab in the middle of Central Street. It's not a bad location since there are several shops and restaurants here; I'm sure it's a nice place to stop and relax whilst in the midst of a shopping day. Independence Park has a playground and is not a bad size, particularly for its location. It's a popular space alright; there were lots of families and individuals there when I was across the street at Backlot Coffee. They may do halloween activities here--Central Street has trick-or-treating a week or so before the holiday. In fall 2022, they had a fall-themed selfie station set up outside with hay bales, corn stalks, gourds, and pumpkins, which I thought was kind of a cute idea even though I'm not sure everything needs to be an Instagram moment.
There's a good deal of parking, though in parts of the neighborhood near housing it's possible the streets are permit; along Central, it's all pay parking using the Park Evanston app. read more