Yearning for the return of bygone glory days in a universe that’s ever-changing is a great way to lose forward momentum. Yet, I can’t help but ponder the first day of the last decade as I resolve myself to go a bit more gently into this one.
The fully deserved death of a barely working AT&T DSL broadband modem in Chicago. By Hammer. On video. Any questions?
People say the strangest things to me in downtown Chicago. This past weekend was a trifecta. Sunday afternoon I ran into Marina City’s own Vincent Falk, aka the colorful, tour-boat-waving Riverace (rhymes with Liberace), standing together with Marina City Online scribe Steve Dahlman mid-span on the State Street Bridge.
Steven Dahlman is a professional pain in the ass. It’s a skill that serves him well as the scribe of Marina City Online, the de facto community news site of downtown Chicago’s famous twin condo towers.
During their windy City visit last week, Seattle’s coolest couple, Kasey and John, waxed giddily about the fun and frolic of my downtown Chicago neighborhood. Their reaction stands in stark contrast to the one I normally get from native Chicagoans when I tell them I live downtown. It’s almost like telling a New Yorker you never ride the subway. The response is always the same: no one’s stopping you from doing it, but why would you want the hassle?
There are many reasons why I choose to work from home. Among them: avoiding rush hour; avenging 15 years of an hour-long NYC commute; and evading boundary-ignoring clients. But the best reason I can think of is the one I see every time I step out onto my 38th floor Marina City balcony. Take a look at the video and see whether you agree. Yes folks, it’s a long way down.
Friends rarely believe me when I tell them about the grandmother on a rocking chair who lives in the walls at Marina City. At least, that’s who it sounds like inhabits the cast-in-place concrete of my high-rise corncob home every time a stiff wind blows through downtown Chicago. Here’s proof.
Last spring, Ron Huberman’s CTA planning masters came up with a rotten plan to shut off all weekend ‘L’ service on Lake Street and Wabash Avenue to speed up track work. I and others lambasted the plan, and it was revised. Unfortunately, it was only revised to miss the downtown festival season. It’s still designed to make life easier for people who visit downtown, not for the thouands of Chicagoans, like me, who actually live in the neighborhood.
I’m curious to know what are the special corners, nooks, and crannies that readers treasure about downtown Chicago. If something or someplace in downtown Chicago has a special meaning for you, please feel free to tell us all about it.
Some people get in their cars and drive to clear their minds and think. Me, I put on my shoes, pick a direction, and start walking through my wondrous downtown Chicago urban neighborhood. Here’s a look at my favorite Windy City urban hikes and why I find them so special.