Thursday, September 18, 2008

welcome fall

today i brought out my northface windwall (lifesaving wind-blocking fleece) to be my company at work. sometimes walking down the block towards my office, the wind just hits you like an ocean wave almost knocking you over so you have to lean foward and steady yourself to regain balance. it's not bone-numbing cold yet; just chilly. and i brought out the long pants and stockings, though i've heard that summer can make random appearances until october. my favorite georgia tech sweatshirt and flannel pajama pants have escaped from under tank tops and shorts in the depths of my dresser drawers to start warming me at night.

fall doesn't arrive in atlanta until october or november. so it's too soon! summer was too short! but they tell me just wait for the first snow dusting everything is beautiful clean confectioners-sugar white. and new clothes and fall colors. window shopping and hot cocoa. christmas decorations and curling up with a good book. oh, and soup. it was on the menu for lunch today. a delicious curried cauliflower soup. mmmm.

then welcome fall. your stay in atlanta is usually so brief. maybe we can become friends this year.

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

a tourist in my own town, part 2

after dad left, i spent the weekend showing my friend from college and her family around my new city. i have to give them props for bringing a 6 month baby with them. while it was something to consider wherever we were going, it was actually quite nice. i needed a baby-fix now that i can't see ethan every day and we had built in rest/nap time in the afternoons when the baby needed a break at the hotel. and he was super cute and pretty much always in a good mood.

friday afternoon, we went to the shedd aquarium. what's so special about the aquarium? well it was actually quite a feat to build in chicago because it is inland, miles from any ocean. plans for the aquarium began in the 1920's, when john g. shedd, retired president of marshall field & company, was inspired by daniel burnham's charge "make no little plans" to build the world's largest aquarium. more than 1 million gallons of seawater was shipped by rail from key west to fill the galleries making the shedd the first inland aquarium with a permanent saltwater collection. when the shedd opened on may 30, 1930 it housed the greatest variety of marine life under one roof and brought a much needed boost to chicago society following the stock market crash of 1929. the director of the shedd during the 1933 world's fair wanted to bring in unique species to attract all the fair visitors to the aquarium. he brought in granddad, an australian lungfish in 1933 and granddad is still alive today; he is claimed to be the oldest fish in any aquarium in the world. my favorite animals were the seahorses, sea dragons, and penguins.

saturday we met up for brunch at my neighborhood favorite, 3rd coast cafe. its got great food, great price, neighborhood feel. after brunch, we made our way the lincoln park zoo for some free fun in chicago. the zoo is close to my place and i've visited often (it's free, it's close, it's animals...what's not to love?). i like the monkey and lion houses. after our built in rest time/baby nap time, we made our way northwest to jefferson park and the copernicus center for the 2008 taste of polonia: a gathering of poles in chicago, beer, sausage, pierogis, potato pancakes, and polka.

after being sufficiently full, it was back to downtown and a visit to the sears tower. now, i always take people to the john hancock signature lounge because it's free and you can get a cocktail while you are enjoying the view. but i do have to say i enjoyed the sears tower. you get to watch a short film about the building of the tower and the skydeck (observatory) has walls of information on chicago history. and absolutely amazing views of the north, south, east, and west chicago. and i recommend going for the sunset. it was breathtaking.


* the sears tower itself is a magnificent structure which i shall have to devote a separate entry to.

sunday morning we met up at the adler planetarium on museum campus. museum campus is literally a collection of museums along chicago's lakefront: the field museum, the adler planetarium, the shedd aquarium and nearby is the art institute of chicago. it's a tourist friendly town. unfortunately for me, i had stayed up late (4am) the night before hanging out with other atliens in town, so i was out cold under the star dome as soon as the lights were out. had i been awake, i might have reminisced my grade school days when every year we took a field trip to the montgomery planetarium. i've never been one interested in science (chemistry and physics only and that's because there was math involved), so i didn't get my money's worth at the planetarium. it was however really neat to see all the little kids running around being interested in space and stars and science. i do recommend walking all the way down the road toward the planetarium, keeping your eye on it, and then when you get to the end turn around and see this:


*on a clear day

post-planetarium, we had chicago style dogs at because well, we'd never had before. what makes a chicago dog? well, it's an all-beef dog, steamed, in a poppyseed bun. top it with mustard, onion, relish, pickle spear, tomato slices, sport peppers. never ketchup (some stands don't even stock this condiment). vienna beef hotdogs, made here in chicago since before the 1893 world's fair, are the most common here. you can even go to the factory on n. damen avenue and get you one right off the line (...in the cafe actually).

we tried to make it to garrett's for popcorn, but the lines at both loop locations were out the door and around the block. i told you i wasn't lying. as a less tasty substitute, we walked the magnificent mile. we didn't make your usual stops at clothing stores, but instead visited american girl place where they sell miniature bureaus for the same price as a real one and sell "american girls" that were made in china...

monday was my friend's last day in town. she really wanted to see navy pier and get a christmas ornament to start her family's tradition of collecting those wherever they go. now navy pier is very touristy, but the ferris wheel, imax theatre, and the best freakin lemonade you've ever had is here. and there's history. the pier was built in 1916 as the 2nd of 2 piers, part of daniel burnham's plan of chicago. the 1st pier was never actually built (sorry daniel, no symmetry). the pier was supposed to serve many purposes necessary for public infrastructure: a cargo facility for lake freighters, warehouses, docking space for excursion steamers, and a social and entertainment gathering spot (it was nice a cool sticking out into the lake in pre-air conditioning days). during world war II, chicago leased the pier to the u.s. navy which in turn used the pier for training purposes. about 60,000 sailors and 15,000 pilots (including george h.w. bush) used this area for training. after the war, the pier went to the university of illinois which used the space for a undergraduate program for returning veterans. during the university days, the pier also hosted exhibitions and world attractions that drew a lot of visitors. but the university moved out in 1865 and the pier was abandoned, becoming an blemish to the city skyline until 1989. the metropolitan pier and exposition authority took over and began a $200M renovation completed in the 1990's. the pier includes restaurants, a beer garden, ballroom, concert stage, convention exhibition halls, shakespeare theater, imax theater, the chicago children's museum, the smith museum of stained glass, and a 150' ferris wheel. it is the #1 tourist attraction in the state of illinois and some hundreds of thousands visit it each summer. (they also set off fireworks every wednesday and saturday nights from memorial day to labor day. i can see them out my window at home!)

the long week and weekend of being a tourist in my own town was actually a lot of fun. i love all the city has to offer for tourist and glad i have done all that so i can continue to explore.

Friday, September 5, 2008

a tourist in my own town, part 1

after my recent jaunt back home to atlanta, i spent the next week seeing all there is to see (for tourists) in chicago. my dad come to visit monday-friday since he had the week before labor day off. i like the way he tours, we have the same style. we walk around for a bit, look at the beauty in architecture, flowers, side streets, quaint homes. then we stop for a coffee (in the a.m.) or beer (anytime around or after lunch). and always end the day with a great meal. we have no plans, no agenda, no race-to-see-all-you-can-see attitude. but we still ended up doing quite a bit.


on monday night we let the early evening roll in while sippin' margaritas at the oak street beachstro. it's quite amazing when you're sitting there; look right and see sand, waves, palm trees, and kids playing in their swimsuites; look left and see the john hancock, the gold coast highrises and lake shore drive commuters.

lake michigan at dusk

a stroll led us to old town for dinner at a delicious outdoor french restaurant, bistrot margot. we had vin blanc, l'escargots, le paté, et les poissons. perfection.

tuesday, dad kept himself busy renting a bike and heading north along the lakeshore up towards loyola university. i was in cubicle-land like a good little worker. but we met up afterwards at giordano's for the world's best deep dish pizza and beers (well probably not the world's best..it was bud light). then we met up with a new friend (friend of a friend from san francisco) who just moved to town. what better way to learn your new town than a lake a river boat tour? i knew chicago was full of architecture and history, but i learned a great deal on the tour (so i highly recommend if you make it up this way). i shall talk more in length and include pictures of all my new-found knowledge in a future blog.

wednesday, dad and i met up in the loop and made our way to chinatown and lee wing wah restaurant as recommended by my colleague. she says it's the closest to authentic chinese food you'll get off cermak road (she knows, she's chinese). chicago's chinatown could almost be china, but it's not as big and crazy as new york's chinatown. i mean i didn't see any ducks hanging from windows. or maybe i just didn't hit the right streets. we walked around for a bit, but it was hot and there were no street-trees (a term dad and i coined because when it's hot, trees make a big difference).

after chinatown, dad wanted to checkout the northwest side of town so we headed to the bucktown/wickerpark area. for those who don't know that area, it's the "hip" place to be. it used to be scary where only drug dealers, the homeless, and starving artists would hang out. of course the hip follow the artists and the yuppies follow the hip. i still like it, but i've heard others knock it for being "too safe" and losing its edge. we walked until we got too hot and then stopped at miko's italian ice. miko makes huge tubs of italian ice and sells it in styrofoam cups out a window of his basement. you can sit in his tiny front yard on plastic lawn furniture. it's dang tasty italian ice (i recommend the lemon).

we basically kept walking from there and walked and walked under the interstate, past some rundown buildings and warehouses, and the river. my dad asked why i decided to take him on a tour of the most uninteresting part of chicago. i dunno. =) our ulimate goal was to make it to greektown for dinner. greektown is directly west of the loop off halstead between monroe & van buren avenues. chicago has the 3rd largest concentrated greek population in the world. and though the neighborhood is small, i felt like i stepped into athens. flashy cars, guys with slick hair and white pants, girls with big hair and tight clothes, well and greek letters on every sign (even the walgreen's was in greek). a few greek churches and a museum. you know if the greeks are hanging out there, the food must be good. at a friend's suggestion, we tried santorini on halstead&adams. they import their olive oil from greece made specifically for the restaurant. it was delicious; crisper than italian olive oil. very light and easy. i would have bought some to take home but they don't sell it. i had a fresh greek salad, greek fries (fries w/ feta and olive oil...yum), a spicy feta cheese dip, and kadaifi (shredded pastry dough with walnuts and honey) & baklava (layers of filo, crushed nuts, and honey) for dessert.

ok, after being decidedly full, we rested our feet at the imax movie theatre on navy pier for my first screening of the dark knight (the latest installation of the batman series shot mostly in chicago). everyone i work with has been shocked (almost offended) that i haven't seen it yet. chicago is obsessed with batman since they started using the city as the new gotham in batman begins. everyone talks about it. thousands went to see it opening night (wednesday at 12:01am). and it's been 5 weeks since the release and i still hadn't seen it. now, i really like the '60s tv show and michael keaton batman movies, but i do agree with everyone that this was by far the best of the series. it was so dark and yet funny. so intense and detailed. my dad doesn't understand why there has to be such violence and over-the-top special effects, but i say because they can and people want to see that. there were a lot of great scenes of chicago and the loop (which looks gloomy and gothic with all the old architecture). and i know everyone else might doubt it without seeing it, but heath ledger as the joker was truly the best acting in the movie. but i'll always love christian bale since i saw him in newsies.

thursday morning, dad and i walked through the lincoln park neighborhood and wind through streets off armitage and lincoln avenue. there are some beautiful homes and streetscapes; my dad found his favorite street in the world (outside of paris) somewhere off of armitage. our eventual destination was nookies too for breakfast. what a decision i had! i always get something sweet (and the crepes looked delicious) but i went for heuvos ranchero, a seasonal dish, and it was mouthwateringly delicious. i will most certainly go back for strawberry filled crepes later this year. the restaurant was a place i saw myself taking a book, sitting for hours, with an endless cup of coffee, and no one will mind.

after, we headed south...south...and further south. the green line to the garfield stop. stepping out of the 'L' station was almost like entering a 3rd world country. burned out buildings, crumbling streets, boarded up windows. very sad, and had it not been daylight, very scary. why did we go down there? well the southside, jackson park in particular, was the setting of the 1893 world's fair which we read about in devil in the white city (great book! read it...more about the fair in another blog). the university of chicago and frank lloyd wright's robie house is also south near jackson park. our main reason for heading down there was to walk around and feel as if we were at the fair, but not much has survived. the southside area isn't as maintained or appreciated as it could be. only 1 building remains from the fair: the science & industry building, which has been converted into a museum. we met up at the museum with a friend from college, her husband, and 6month old baby who were in town for the weekend to visit me. now the architecture, exterior, of the building was magnificent (and when you think of it in comparison to the other fair buildings, you will be overwhelmed at the size of the fair). however, the inside was a little kid-like. and frankly, i just don't like science that much. there was a train room that was complete with full-size locomotives, the spirit of america, and to-scale cities, mountain & train models. hard to explain and the pictures didn't turn out, but ethan is going to LOVE it. they also have a huge U-505 submarine; apparently this is the coolest part of the museum, but dad didn't want to go in it...

we left the museum early to tour the prarie district, chicago's first 'gold coast' where all the wealthiest of wealthy lived. it's south of the loop around indiana street and 18th avenue. most of the homes remain though the area is exploding with new construction. the oldest house in chicago, the clarke house, built in 1836 is a landmark. it survived the great fire of 1871 and was moved in 1977 to a different address off wabash avenue. the glessner house still stands in the prarie district and is the last building in chicago by h.h.richardson, famous for his richardson romanesque style.

thursday night was a trip to wrigley field, the first for my dad and friends, to watch the cubs take on the philly's. we had hotdogs, brats, and beers. and the weather was perfect. unfortunately, the baby got tired during the 6th inning, so my friends left. and then dad, not being a huge baseball fan, wanted to beat the crowds home. i gave it because the cubs were losing and i didn't really want to witness a loss. of course, aramis ramirez hits a grand slam in the 8th inning and the cubs win...

friday was dad's last day. we skipped the field museum where my friends went so we could walk around astor street in the gold coast, get coffees and explore the near north side. we stopped in one of my favorite parks off walton&dearborn. it's sided by the newberry library which is a gorgeous old building mixed with romanesque and gothic style architecture. i truly could have sipped my coffee on that bench in that park all day. but hunger called, so we went downtown to eat under the colorful umbrella's of park grill at millenium park. um yeah, we had mojitos at 11am. stuffed, we headed into the loop to look at one last piece of architecture and make one last stop at a chicago "must": garrett's popcorn. in the loop, on adams&lasalle, stands the rookery. a magnificent structure designed by john root & daniel burnham, used as the headquarters for the 1893 fair design team, and remodeled by frank lloyd wright. i watched many people just pass it by, but my dad.. my dad, was in awe of it. you could see the way he looked at it that he completely appreciated all the effort, skill, and passion that went into creating that masterpiece. inside, was breathtaking. every detail was attended to. the lightbulbs, the small tile flooring, the engraving in the wall that indicates where the vault is. the staircase. i will return with a suitable camera to attemp to capture the beauty, but all who visit chicago should stop for just a few moments to take it in.

and now this has become a long blog. if you read til the end and are still interested, i will continue into the weekend with part 2 later.

=)

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

distance makes the heart grow fonder

i recently spent a week and two weekends back in atlanta and the next week and weekend in chicago with my dad and friends from out of town. while in atlanta, i felt so comfortable and familiar, went to eat at my favorite places, spent a lot of time with my stubborn nephew and visited with friends. i even went back to good ol' buckhead church to get some religion. basically, i spent the whole time comparing my new life with my old life. to be fair and positive, i'll list the pros of both places:

atlanta:
  • family
  • southern people
  • buckhead church
  • small group & friends
  • awesome former boss & colleagues
  • georgia tech football
  • grits
  • freedom of having a car
  • good weather most the year
  • figo pasta, the V, agnes & muriels
  • proximity to charleston & the panhandle of FL

that's a good list. how could you not love it?

chicago:

  • public transportation & freedom of walking everywhere
  • high rise condo with a great view
  • great architecture
  • lake michigan and the chicago river
  • low humidity
  • 1 mosquito (yep, only one, and it bit me behind the knee this weekend)
  • deep dish pizza
  • active city (running, sports, red bull flugtag)
  • candidate city for the 2016 olympics
  • neighborhoods, restaurants, museums, exhibitions, festivals, live bands & concerts, the beach, flowers
  • a few months of absolutely *perfect* weather and the city takes advantage of it
  • the cubs
  • experience of the different seasons
  • window shopping
  • garrett's popcorn (yes popcorn is a pro...you have to try it to understand)
  • the history


also easy to see why to love this city...

i was definitely ready to get out of atlanta when i finally left this spring, but these 5 months away have made me appreciate the wonderfully green & friendly city set in the heart of the south. but in the plane on the way back to my new home, i was filled with excitement of what's to come. i expect to feel a great connection to chicago in the next few years, and maybe to the yankees as well ;)

future posts: a tourist in my own town, chicago architecture, gangsters of the midwest