PARK RIDGE (WBBM NEWSRADIO) — While it is still technically spring, the sunshine and temperatures felt more like summer on Friday.
Uptown Park Ridge was full of activity, with people walking, riding their bikes, having picnics in the park and eating lunch outside.
The customers drinking a late morning cup of coffee at the outdoor patio at Dolcetti Cafe and Patisserie brought a tear to the eye of owner Alenka Vasilj.
She said it has been a rough year, and the sight of people smiling and enjoying themselves made her feel like she was seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.
"It's a great feeling. It's very hopeful," Vasilj said.
Park Ridge revamped mask rules after the CDC issued new guidelines that said people who are fully vaccinated no longer have to wear masks either indoors or outside.
Vasilj said most of her customers are still wearing masks inside the cafe, but she believes that will change as people become more comfortable with the new rules.
"It does feel like a turning point, people coming out and congregating."
