Moving On

Nature boardwalk, Lincoln Park, Chicago, IL

How do you encapsulate a city? How do you encapsulate a life spent in a city? How can you fully capture all of the unique and nuanced ways you have experienced living in your hometown? You can't. You simply take what photos you can, communicate what you can, and move on, trusting in your own good memory. You move on, trusting that what you lived for so long will continue to live in your heart, even after you have moved on. And it's all about moving on, it's all about movement.

Above is the southern stretch of Lincoln Park, near the Farm in the Zoo. Back in the day, during my years completing my undergraduate studies, when I rented my first apartment, I used to take long walks from the area of Clark Street and Belden through Lincoln Park and down this path along the pond, heading towards the Gold Coast area and downtown Chicago. Many times, Michigan Avenue would serve as the main artery for my walks, and so I would take it south into the Loop and then back north to Lincoln Park, where I would eventually head home. Back then, these walks served to reacquaint me with downtown Chicago, as I didn't go there often during my teenage years, and appreciate the beauty of my hometown and its wealth of retail, cultural, and nightlife options. As you can imagine, completing a college degree gets stressful, and so I took many such walks to explore my city. I think it was the first time that I truly fell in love with my hometown. Back then, this path along the pond was simple concrete pavement; today, it is a nature boardwalk, made to showcase the reintroduction of prairie plants to the park. Things change and life moves on.

How do you encapsulate a life spent in a city? You can't. You continue to move on, keeping what you can, such as photographs, and trusting in your good memory. I am excited about moving back to the Southwest, and I look forward to enjoying desert beauty again, and I also look forward to the addition of new content to this blog, but part of me will always love Chicago. Part of me will always be taking this walk through Lincoln Park, with the John Hancock Center looming high in the sky in the distance, down Michigan Avenue and around the Loop. Part of me will always be walking back north on Michigan Avenue, greeted by the white-clad Wrigley Building, heading back to Lincoln Park. Part of me will always be on a meandering path, and heading home.

Looking north on Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL

Lincoln Park Conservatory, Chicago

As I have already mentioned, Lincoln Park Conservatory offers free admission to their multiple greenhouse botanical exhibits. Here are some choice photos from my visit last weekend. No captions this time, just enjoy the beauty!

One of the nice new things about Lincoln Park Conservatory and Lincoln Park Zoo is the considerable increase in landscaping on the grounds, including this copse of evergreens.

I never saw a sago palm grow this tall before.

I've never seen a fern grow this high either.

Beautiful, but I forget its name.

Baroque Beauty, Chicago Style

The Century, Chicago, IL

I have always loved the exterior of this historic building on Clark Street and Diversey Parkway. Originally, I believe, this building housed a theater, in the grand old tradition, but in the 1970s, if I recall my childhood days correctly, it was converted into an indoor shopping mall. The exterior is beautiful and very baroque with its highly elaborate ornamentation, but don't look for anything similar with the interior, which was gutted in the 1970s and made modern for the shopping mall. The Century was a nice shopping mall back in the 1970s and early 1980s. Today, its main anchor is its cinema that features foreign and independent films. The cinema's concession stand also sells some of the freshest and best damn popcorn I have had in a long time. Who would have thought that popcorn would help to lend a place distinction?!

Architectural detail of the Century, Chicago, IL

Lincoln Park, Chicago

As I have already said, I grew up in the Lincoln Park neighborhood of Chicago. Back then, in the 1970s and early 1980s, Lincoln Park wasn't the same affluent neighborhood it is today. When I was growing up it was still very much a working middle class neighborhood, inhabited by many families who had been living here for a few generations. My great grandfather eventually settled here, after immigrating from what is now independent Bosnia-Herzegovina. The Lincoln Park neighborhood's defining architectural character is late 19th century/early 20th century. Just west of the park itself is street after street of stone and red brick houses from that time period, mixed in with more austere modern architecture. That architecture is still what first comes to mind when I think of Chicago neighborhoods. 

The park of Lincoln Park is quite extensive. At the south end, the park offers the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, Lincoln Park Zoo, Lincoln Park Conservatory, and the Farm in the Zoo, as well as the Chicago History Museum. The park itself borders the Lakefront and offers a series of ponds. Overall, it is a beautiful park. When I had my first apartment, in the area of Lincoln Park of Clark Street and Belden, I used to walk to Lincoln Park all the time. The park itself has changed over the years, as trees have grown and more trees and landscaping have been added. But the park is still essentially the same. Here are my photos from yesterday.        

Alexander Hamilton Monument, Lincoln Park, Chicago, IL

I never understood why there was a statue of Alexander Hamilton in the middle of Lincoln Park in Chicago. While he was a Founding Father, he wasn't anyone as distinguished as a past President or the author of the U.S. Constitution, and then there is the matter of his unfortunate demise at the hands of Aaron Burr in a duel. (I would have preferred a statue of President John Adams, or at least President Lincoln would have made sense.) But, at any rate, this is Chicago and here it is. This statue used to be part of a larger monument, a large marble structure that had a concrete interior platform, where I used to go and sit on the marble ledge to read a novel or a book of poetry, looking out periodically at the Chicago skyline. There were some mornings when I would come here, with a cup of seething black coffee in hand and a bag carrying a cranberry-orange scone, and I would sit silently, taking in the new day. I miss that marble structure, but I am romanticizing it too much, coloring it too much with the nostalgia for yesterday. I understand why they dismantled it. On any given morning when I would visit the monument, I was "greeted" by the sight of broken beer bottles and used condoms strewn upon the concrete floor. Yeah, not necessarily an inspiring sight, and no way to treat one of the Founding Fathers. This arrangement, with the flower and grass plantings, is by far prettier. Sometimes change is good.

Lincoln Park, Chicago, IL

High-rise buildings bordering Lincoln Park, Chicago, IL

John Hancock Center and skyline framed underneath by North Pond, Lincoln Park, Chicago, IL

Part of the magic of Lincoln Park, at least for me, is that it offers a beautiful view of the Chicago skyline. Here, every major skyscraper, except for the Sears Tower, is represented.

Prairie grass at the Pond, Lincoln Park, Chicago, IL

A phenomenon that I have been happy to witness during my time back in Chicago is the recent embrace of wildflowers and prairie plants native to the region. You can see this on a larger scale with the Lurie Garden at Millennium Park. It's a great way to celebrate the region's, and the city's, botanical heritage. Besides, prairie plants are so beautiful and some of the grasses smell so good. It's much better than the mowed grass lawns that you see in so many parks, which offer nothing more than a flat, bland green. Prairie plants and grasses, which grow to a good height, wave beautifully, rhythmically, in the breeze, adding both color and texture to a park. Less manicured suburbia and more of the wonderment of nature growing naturally! Here are some more photos of prairie plants at the pond.

Flowers and the Pond, Lincoln Park, Chicago, IL

Flowers and the Pond, Lincoln Park, Chicago, IL

Peek-a-boo through trees, Lincoln Park, Chicago, IL

Sometimes the magic lies in the framing!

Park and architecture, Lincoln Park, Chicago, IL

What's nice about this park is its integration with the rest of the neighborhood, making for a nice interweave of nature and city.

A Beautiful Day in Lincoln Park, Chicago

Chicago skyline from Lincoln Park Conservatory

Today, I took advantage of the beautifully cool and sunny weather and took a walk around the park of Lincoln Park. I grew up in the Lincoln Park neighborhood, and even though I no longer live in this area, it is the Lincoln Park neighborhood that conjures up the most stirring memories of my childhood and early adult years in Chicago. I took a good number of photos, but I wanted to honor the beauty of this day by posting these right now. The rest of the photos will be posted later. The first photo is of the Chicago skyline, as seen from the garden grounds of the Lincoln Park Conservatory, which offers free admission to their botanical exhibits. The second photo is a close-up of a monarch butterfly taken on the grounds of the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum in Lincoln Park. Enjoy!

Close-up of monarch butterfly, Chicago, IL

Check it out: Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum

Reebie Storage Warehouse, Chicago

Built in 1921-1922, the Reebie Storage Warehouse in the Lincoln Park neighborhood of Chicago is a Chicago landmark and an excellent example of Egyptian revival architecture. Long ago, when I had an apartment nearby, I used to love walking by this building and savoring the details of this building's Egyptian motif. How beautiful, I would think, how incredible that we have such an architectural wonder in this neighborhood! Then I would think, how eccentric, how random, that such an architectural style would be employed in the construction of a storage warehouse. That never quite made sense to me, but it never diminished my love for this building.

Overview of Reebie Storage Warehouse, Chicago, IL

These look like tulips (flower detail), Reebie Storage Warehouse, Chicago, IL

Egyptian detail, Reebie Storage Warehouse, Chicago, IL

Beetle and flowers window detail, Reebie Storage Warehouse, Chicago, IL 

I love the window detail, especially the blue beetle.

Column detail, Reebie Storage Warehouse, Chicago, IL

I love the detail and color of this column. It's very luxurious.

Twin statues of Ramses II, Reebie Storage Warehouse, Chicago, IL

It seems, from what I have read, that John and William Reebie, the founders of this moving and storage company, are represented by these two statues of Ramses II.

Ramses II and beetle, Reebie Storage Warehouse, Chicago, IL

Front entrance profile, Reebie Storage Warehouse, Chicago, IL

Column base, Reebie Storage Warehouse, Chicago, IL

Ramses II, Beetle, Reebie Storage Warehouse, Chicago, IL

I still love that beetle! The Egyptian decoration is just a fraction of this building; the rest of this building is very much your ordinary light-colored brick building. Still, the Egyptian architectural details are spectacular and they help to offset the simplicity of the brick exterior.

Egyptian detail, Reebie Storage Warehouse, Chicago, IL

The Reebie Storage Warehouse is an example of what I love about Chicago: architectural diversity. It helps to create a rich and complex cityscape.

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 Six: Three Landmarks

These photos were ones I took casually during three separate strolls around the city over the past year. Each is located in a different section of Chicago and are long-cherished landmarks of the city.

The Wrigley Building, Chicago, IL

Built to serve as the corporate headquarters for the Wrigley gum company, the Wrigley Building overlooks the Chicago River and today houses a variety of tenants. Opposite the Wrigley Building on Michigan Avenue stands the neo-Gothic Tribune Tower, headquarters for the Chicago Tribune & Company. (I plan to get a photo of that brilliantly designed building, too!) This photo I took last September, when the Wrigley Building had a large American flag draped over it in observance of the tenth anniversary of 9/11. We will never forget.

The Chicago Theatre, Chicago, IL

The Chicago Theater was built in 1921 and today serves with other historic theaters in the area to create former Mayor Daley's revitalized Theater District.

Biograph Theater, Chicago, IL

The Biograph Theater in Lincoln Park made history in 1934, when John Dillinger was shot by FBI agents in front of the theater. This theater still stands today. Having grown up in Lincoln Park, I can say that the Biograph Theater is one of the few things on this strip of Lincoln Avenue that has achieved longevity. Certain popular spots when I was growing up, like Wax Trax Records, where you could find an extensive selection of punk rock and new wave records and cassettes (yes, cassettes!) and the Red Lion Pub, have either gone out of business or moved elsewhere.