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Did you know that before I moved to Chicago in January I had never visited the city before? Nope. When I moved to Chicago I knew nothing about it. I mean nothing.
This is what I learned after one year of being a Chicagoan:
- Evanston does not = Chicago. Not even close. But before I moved to Illinois I thought they were one and the same. Just a hop, skip and a quick L ride, right? Wrong.
- It’s the “L” not the “El”. Rookie mistake. My bad!
- Not everything south of the Loop is scary, although so many North-Siders tried to convince me of that before I ventured down that way.
- Not everyone talks like they do in that SNL skit about “Da Bears”.
- Nobody really says “Da Bears”, which is kinda disappointing.
- The Cubs really do suck that bad. And so does the traffic around Wrigleyville. Ugh.
- There is more to Chicago than just the Bean. But you would never know that if you knew my Virginia friends. For some reason the only pics they took in the city were of that freaking bean, and I was convinced that that was all that existed!
- Some Chicagoans don’t like Oprah. And here I thought everyone loved, loved, loved her! Gee, did I feel dumb.
- The Chi in Chi Town is pronounced like “Shy”, not like “Chai”. Whoops!
- You don’t eat ketchup on a hot dog. And thank goodness for that because I like the Chicago-style dog way better. When ordering, I now say, “Extra sport peppers, mister, please!”
- Chicago police officers are extra nice to you if you ask for their help on the RedEye crossword puzzle. I’ve never seen such attentive officers when I ask them what the answer to 44-Down is!
- The city is just as lively in the winter as it is in the summer. I thought -14 degree nights would scare Chicagoans into hibernation, but that’s not the case. The city is buzzing in the winter and there are so many cool things to be discovered.
- According to seasoned residents, “real” Chicagoans don’t wear gloves, long johns or own snow boots. Many “real” Chicagoans I have spoken to say that they just don’t invest in warm weather clothing like newcomers do. I am still investigating this claim.
- Whoever said that the Lake Effect doesn’t hit Chicago is dead wrong. They obviously didn’t live through the Chi winter of 2009. Remember all that snow?
- Chicago is a great place to live. The people are so friendly; the neighbourhoods are diverse and interesting; the local cuisine is out of this world and there is so much to be discovered. I love it here.
Of course I have learned so much about Chicago over the year, and am so thankful for all of the amazing people I have met that have befriended me and made it so welcoming.
Thank you and Happy Holidays!
Dev xx
Was JUST at the Sheridan El stop and the grips for Little Fockers were setting up silks on the roof opposite the station. Gaffers already set up electrical equipment on platform. LOTS of energy and action around that area!
Get there! Watch the crew make movie magic!!
Dev xx
Alright, so most of you may know that I was the Location Manager for an amazing movie called The 5th Quarter, directed by Rick Bieber. I used my “skillz” to get you guys the inside scoop on the Chicago filming of the 3rd installment of the Fockers movie, Little Fockers (starring Ben Stiller, Robert DeNiro and Jessica Alba) to get you this inside news:
Filming is slated to begin on the platform of the Sheridan El stop tonight (Wednesday) for a scene in the movie. A very friendly rigging crew let me in on that hint after I flirted shamelessly with them! Right now they are filming at the intersection of Dakin and Sheridan, and you can see a HUGE film crew, plus all of their cameras, tools, etc, right around there!
Go take pictures for me and enjoy!!!
Dev xx
I heard about The Zoo weeks ago. From what I read, Zoo was supposed to be a really cool zoo-themed bar complete with an interactive fish tank and a remodeled bar with live music and poetry.
All ready to open my wallet, Tim and I visited the Zoo one night at around 8.00 just to find it closed. It was a Wednesday. Really?! Not open at 8 on a Wednesday? Fine. We visited again on a Friday night after 9pm and even though there were people in the bar it was still. not. open.
The other night we were walking by and the “Open” sign was turned on. Finally, I thought, this bar is going to be well worth the wait. Upon entering, I wondered what the hell was going on. The music was way too loud, there was only three other people in the bar and there was no bartender.
After a few minutes, a trashy looking girl put down her iPhone, jumped up from her seat, went behind the bar and begrudgingly asked us if we wanted a drink.
Sure, I wanted a drink. I wanted a cold, frosty pint of fine imported beer. But wait a minute here, there were no taps. The only drinks Zoo had was a sad looking liquor collection haphazardly line up on the candle-lit bar. To tell you the truth, I think my parents have a better liquor collection in their kitchen cabinet.
The drink I ordered was disgusting because it was not made right (who messes up a simple vodka tonic?) and after chugging it down I made it clear to Tim that we had to leave.
We wandered around Wrigleyville in search for a place that did not sell Bud Light or Old Style, but I finally decided I just wanted a quiet place to talk and a chocolate milkshake.
Pick Me Up Cafe, at 3408 N. Clark Street, gave me just what its name suggests. We were greeted by a happy hipster in paint on jeans and led to a table with a hypnotic swirly design. The music, as to be expected, was some indie crap that I could not care less about now but will probably be in love with when it becomes more mainstream.
The server, who was very friendly, delivered my chocolate milkshake with extra whipped cream (goodness bless that server) and never once bothered us by continually asking us if we were okay. A really chill crowd filled the place, some people burying themselves in books while others sat with a friend or two and chowed down on veggie-friendly French toast.
Pick Me Up is open until 2am, but there is a catch: You must buy a certain amount of food/drinks per hour to stay there. For some reason, that did not apply to us when we were there, but I think it is more of a policy to keep solicitors or the homeless out.
Really, for whatever you want and however late you want it, Pick Me Up definitely has something for you.
Dev xx
Though the weather today is dismal at best, I could not resist taking a few snapshots of my train ride from Evanston to downtown Chicago. Despite the obvious groaning of the 7 a.m. riders, begrudgingly heading off to work, there was the unmistakable anticipation of Friday night debauchery to come, post 5 p.m. I’m sure anyone who rides the el will certainly recognize some of these sites. Unfortunately, I forgot to charge my camera so I snapped these shots with my iPhone, but I think they still came out pretty well.
As I was riding along, I couldn’t help but wonder about the sad condition of CTA trains and tracks. Everything was under construction–no doubt completing some last minute maintenance to impress the Olympic officials– and the speed of which trains were moving were sluggish. Things appeared quite dangerous and its hard to understand, personally, how a shoddy system is expected to transport millions of more people during the Olympics (pending selection)? This Olympics bid is certainly a proverbial double-edged sword. With endorsementsrom f President Obama, Michael Jordan, and now Oprah, it’s hard to see how Chicago wouldn’t be selected. The Olympics would satisfy the city’s need for fluffing up the tourism industry, as well as creating jobs. But the question remains of what happens to these jobs after…will there be issues of public safety? What happens when the money stops rolling in?
Just thinking aloud. A little Friday morning rambling. Hope everyone is having a good day and enjoy the pictures! Let us know what your plans are for the weekend!
Spotted on a red line El train headed toward Howard.
Usually, I am not one to promote vandalism – that is, unless, it is hilarious vandalism.
Please floss.
Dev xx
