I was in Chicago for a few days over Thanksgiving week with my brothers family. I was able to get down to Hyde Park and walk around a bit – even passed by Barack Obama’s home. The scale of this neighborhood is charming and pleasant. Dense, but not overbearing, it provides a harmonious mix of quiet residential streets and walkable, diverse commercial avenues.
One evening I went with my brother to visit his friend who lives in Wicker Park neighborhood just northwest of downtown. A little bit louder and eclectic than Hyde Park (at least on the main commercial streets), the fellowship of cheap furniture stores, numerous bars, apartments and townhouses was great. Within the neighborhood a small urban park – appropriately called Wicker Park – provides some communal open space for nearby kids and adults – surrounded by active edges.
Saturday afternoon before leaving town, one of my brothers and I took the Red Line north to Addison to see Wrigley Field. Just a quick stop so we just walked around the stadium. To the south is a built up commercial strip with many bars and restaurants endeared, I’m sure, by thousands of Cubs fans. Townhouses and apartments to the north and east all have “Beyond the Ivy” stadium seating on the roofs – as well as advertisements visible from within the stadium. The neighborhood to the east of the Red Line (which is about half a block east of Wrigley Field) is inhabited with handsome brownstones and townhouses. The view from the train was a peak into another nice urban neighborhood of Chicago.
See all my photos from Chicago on Flickr.