The Blue Giant

I finally have a set of wheels since selling my car 2 years ago.  I picked up this bike at Working Bikes Coop in the Pilsen neighborhood last Saturday.  I highly recommend them.  It's a first come first serve refurbishing shop that usually has a line forming before the doors open.  My eyes were immediately directed to this shiny Blue Giant Innova within the first couple minutes I walked in the door.  Now I can wonder the lake front trail with speed.

Self Portait, Wrigley Building

A Walking Star, Theater District

Tuesday's Sky

Tuesday's cloudy sky was simply incredible after the rain.  This photo was taken along the lakefront around 4:30p.  I was lucky enough to have the day off and after the rain settled it wasn't a total loss.  Yesterday an article in the Tribune said that it has rained 19 of the 27 days in April.  But it actually feels like it has rained everyday this month.

Walls of Windows, Gold Coast

Headlines, Loop

...in a suburban pond, a suburban pond.

L Tracks

Just a Moment

One Way, Wells Street, Loop

Loop Barber, Wells Street

Views from a Plane

Smokin' in the City

View West, State Street Bridge

Uphill, Division Street

Evening Commute

Go, River North

Wrong Way, Do Not Enter, Stop, Go

The Day is Done, Loop

Route 29, Block 37, Loop

Scarves

I know she is thinking, "What the hell are you looking at?"  I'm shooting from the hip so she probably has no idea I took her picture, let alone that she's being featured on photo blog with a caption entitled "Scarves."  A title that was also inspired by the girl behind her.  I packed away my scarf for the winter a few weeks ago.

Division Street Bridge

Alleyway, Goose Island

No Parking, Goose Island

Garland Court, Loop

L Train

The L running along Lake Street in the Loop.

Seagull Distractions

Burling High-Rise and SoNo

It's going to be interesting to see what this area will look like 5, 10, and 20 years from now.  15 years ago eight Cabrini Green high-rises were located on this site bounded by Evergreen, Halsted, Division Streets and Clybourn Avenue.  Now 1230 N Burling, referred to by residents as "Scamplife," is all that remains with the exception of the Francis Cabrini Rowhomes to the south.  The political and social issues involved with this land are so complex that it would require a book hundreds of pages in length to fully elaborate in detail (maybe this is in the works).  It is my hope that the Chicago Housing Authority will live up to their promises by offering affordable housing to those who have been displaced so they are able to return.  

Lately the word has been that Target is interested in the site at Division and Halsted where the Burling building stands.  The last thing I would want to see is for this area to become cluttered with retail stores, parking lots, and strip malls.  Those who live in Chicago know that there is already abundance of this on North Avenue and up and down Clybourn.  

To the right of this image (north) is the SoNo residential high-rise.  SoNo refers to the area SOuth of NOrth Avenue a name derived from New York's SoHo in lower manhattan (South of Houston Street, which was derived from London's SoHo neighborhood).  The SoNo as a neighborhood title hasn't quite taken off and probably won't become a household name anytime soon, but it's definitely a sign of things to come.

1230 N Burling Via Zoom Lens

Climbing High

Hanging Shoes with City Views

A few weeks ago demolition was completed on two Cabrini Green buildings commonly referred to as "the reds" at 364 and 365 W Oak Street.  I strolled by the empty sites and noticed 2 pairs of shoes hanging from the power lines.  There are several reasons to explain the act of shoe tossing.  It can be viewed as a sign that drugs can be found there, it can represent a murder victim, or gang turf, etc.  I would like to believe that they the former residents and community that existed at 364 and 365 W Oak Street.  Or, quite possibility, the shoes could have been placed there by former residents as symbols of the structures that use to be. 

View from Lincoln Park

105 West, Loop

April Fools

Alright, April Fools!  There's no way I could leave all of this.

Your Daily Dose of NYC

I just found out it's official, I'm moving to NYC in August.  It looks like this photo blog will be switching cities soon.