Parting Shots at the Lake

I couldn't resist the pun, given that I was taking photos of Lake Michigan during my last week in Chicago. These were taken yesterday, both at a lakeside park on Granville and Sheridan and at Loyola University's Lakeshore campus. Many of the shadows cast on the water come from nearby buildings. The Lake definitely helps to make Chicago a humid place during the summer, much to my annoyance, but it is also a beautiful sight to see, especially on crisp, clear days in autumn, when cool refreshing winds blow in. I also like to see the choppy waves crash in during more tumultuous weather. It's like the Lake possesses a variety of moods, each so different from the others. At any rate, enjoy!

Saying Goodbye to Chicago, Part Thirteen: Neighborhood Establishments

The New 400 Theaters, East Rogers Park, Chicago, IL

As I continue to pack and prepare for my move, I realize that one of the things I'll miss most about Chicago will be some of the neighborhood establishments, each of which is truly one of a kind. The New 400 Theaters, on Sheridan Road, in East Rogers Park, holds a lot of memories for me. In the 1980s, when I was a teenager, my friends and I used to come here at midnight to see The Rocky Horror Picture Show. As with any place showing this cult classic, going to The Rocky Horror Picture Show here involved just as much spectacle on stage or in front of the theater as it did on screen. Things have changed considerably since then. The New 400 Theaters have been renovated, making them "new," and they no longer feature The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Still, this is a great, independently owned neighborhood cinema that does not exhibit the corporate sterility you find at the large chain movie theaters. And although I have not tried it because I am not a big drinker, I hear they have a great full bar, along with a reasonable price for a matinee. Truly a place for the 99%.

Across the street from The New 400 Theaters is my all-time favorite used bookstore, The Armadillo's Pillow. Decorated along the lines of a quirky, off-beat curio shop, The Armadillo's Pillow offers a great selection of used books at very reasonable prices. Their selection of literature/fiction and science fiction books is especially extensive. It makes for a nice, cozy place and is truly one of a kind. There are other great places that I will miss, like The Bourgeois Pig Cafe in Lincoln Park, with its excellent coffee and remarkably extensive selection of teas, which are found kept in sealed jars placed along the walls of the cafe. They also have great pastries and sandwiches, and a very cool, funky, antique decor. I hope to get photos of both of these places before I go, partly for my own sake, since both places house so many memories for me, but also because I think both places represent some of Chicago's truly unique offerings. To be sure, Phoenix has its share of independent stores, restaurants, and cafes, but there is something about Chicago, perhaps something to do with it being a city organized by its multitude of distinctive neighborhoods, or the fact that it is a city rich in cultural diversity, including various ethnic and subculture communities, that lends itself to being fertile ground for independent businesses with a unique twist.

Saying Goodbye to Chicago, Part Twelve: Community Art

In Rogers Park, if you walk east one block on Pratt from Sheridan Road, you will find yourself at Hartigan Beach Park and the blue expanse of Lake Michigan. Somewhat hidden behind residential buildings, Hartigan Beach Park is my favorite public beach in Chicago. Hartigan Beach Park is a great way to experience community. Going there, you will see mostly families, or people walking their dogs, or friends strolling down the walk and talking, trying to relax after a long day's work. You will also encounter a large number of languages being spoken: Spanish, Russian, Serbo-Croatian, Arabic, Hindi, and various East Asian and African languages I have yet to identify.

Two years ago, during the summer when I first moved back to Chicago, I would come here for solitary sitting meditation. Listening to the ebb and flow of my breath, I would extend that attention outward to Lake Michigan, with its rhythmic undulations, and to the breeze that would rustle the leaves of trees, until my eyes would rest their gaze on the water and its blue, almost metallic sheen. All the while, I was witnessing life in motion, people walking and talking about their lives, the sound of men playing volleyball in the park behind me, the seagulls squawking and flapping their wings into flight. Each individual living its particular life, minding its own business, yet coming together organically to create a greater community of things.

One way the community comes together is by painting murals on a series of concrete benches positioned to face the Lake. It's a great way to express yourself while also beautifying the place. This post is dedicated to Hartigan Beach Park, focusing mainly on some of my favorite park bench murals. I am not going to create captions for these photos, as I think many of them are self-explanatory, but I will include a comment or two, here or there, if I feel called upon to do so.

This is one section of the benches. It's a longer stretch than this.

I love that sun over water, and I am a sucker for anything colorful and that includes text!

This mural reminds me of artwork on The Moody Blues' albums, "Days of Future Passed" and "Question of Balance." I love the Sears Tower which is the building in the top left corner.

Starry Night, Chicago!

I like the lighthouse motif, but also I just love the color mixture of yellow, orange, and red.

Starry Night, Chicago! This one has a fuller portrait of the city skyline.

Summer fun and eats! I love all the colors of this beach picnic mural. That red for the watermelon is very appetizing.

Is this an extraterrestrial singing Blue Moon? Very cool! I love the blue and green together!

Time is of the essence!

Groovy!

I love the message, but I especially love seeing the Chicago flag used to fill in color for the Chicago skyline. Nice work!

Saying Goodbye to Chicago, Part Five: Architectural Details, Vol. 2

I took these photos during a recent stroll around East Rogers Park, on the northside of Chicago. This community possesses a wide variety of architectural styles. Some very beautiful art deco specimens can be found on or around the Rogers Park campus of Loyola University of Chicago. Not much text will be included here; I think I'll let the amazing architecture speak for itself.

Art deco building on Sheridan, Loyola University, Chicago, IL

Entrance detail, art deco building on Sheridan, Loyola University, Chicago, IL

Front to art deco church, Loyola University, Chicago, IL

Architectural relief, art deco church, Loyola University, Chicago, IL

Architectural relief, art deco church, Loyola University, Chicago, IL

Cudahy Library, Loyola University, Chicago, IL

Cudahy Library, Loyola University, Chicago, IL

Love that owl on top of that doorway! Architectural detail, Cudahy Library, Loyola University, Chicago, IL

Art deco building near Loyola L train station, Chicago, IL

Architectural detail, art deco building near Loyola L train station, Chicago, IL

Architectural detail, art deco building near Loyola L train station, Chicago, IL

I have always loved this building, partly because of the intricacy of its architectural facade and partly because of its colorfulness. I wish I could have captured the entirety of its mural on top, which seems to depict the modern city at the center and aspects of its history at each end.

Building just south of Sheridan and Pratt, Chicago, IL

This is just a beautiful building. The Starbucks here makes good use of the large outdoor patio space in the front. This building also houses a couple of restaurants and the New 400 Theaters.