Chicago Area

Chicago is the third largest city in the United States, and until the early 1980s only New York City had more people. It's quite a town and has a lot to offer.

Growing up in a mid-sized southern town in norther Louisiana, I never expected to find myself one day working in the middle of one of the largest cities in the world. In many ways it still seems odd. But I do enjoy the distinct seasons that were missing down south. In northern Illinois, you have a very pronounced spring, summer, fall, and winter.

They say Chicago is the place where fortunes are made. This town has been known to build and crush millionaires almost daily. But anyone brave enough to start their own company is making a killing. And there is a saying around here, "If you can't make it big in Chicago, you can't make it big anywhere." Use the links in the left margin to select other Chicago pages that contain pictures I've taken.

The pictures below were taken Nov/Dec '97 just as night was falling upon the city. As you can see, it gets dark about 5:00 in the wintertime. The two towers on the left are from a set of four that are collectively referred to as "Presidential Towers". It contains countless residential apartments- I heard that in addition to base rent, you can add $2 to that for every floor higher than the first. A few friends of mine from work live there. A day time picture of these buildings exists below.

Here is a daytime view of two of the Presidential Towers, and a snowy view from the train as we approach the Chicago Northwestern Train Station. If you look closely, you can make out my reflection in the window, holding the camera. These pictures show how different the sky can appear in the winter. On the left is a shining example of a cold, clear winter day. On the right, it is overcast and grey but still surprisingly bright. The river beyond the parking lot is called the Chicago River. I like to explore this area on lunch breaks.

My wife and I have actually stayed at the Allerton hotel (shown below) on the advice of good friends, although it reminds me of the Tower of Terror in Disneyworld. The elevators are very small, and the rooms are hot and cramped. Nevertheless, the atmosphere was unique and I thoroughly enjoyed myself while there. The picture on the right was taken from the train early one morning as we were pulling into Northwestern Station. The shot was taken looking straight East. Compare this to the snowy and overcast shot above.

A view along the Chicago River, which gets dyed green each St. Patricks Day. The picture on the right shows the Merchandise Mart, which until just recently was owned by the Kennedy family. It was once the largest building in the world. I pop in there now and then to shop, or grab a bite to eat at the food court. The number of businesses contained in that building are mind boggling. The layout of the inside of this building is also unconventional.

A picture of Chicago Union Station, also known as The Great Hall. A great place to take pictures, and to watch the extensive mix of cultures. My coworkers and I usually pop into Union Station for lunch. A good deal of the complex is actually under the street shown in this picture.

The John Hancock Building, at one time the tallest building in the world. It contains a great restaurant called The Cheesecake Factory. The Hancock Center also contains a restaurant called the 95th, which is on the 95th floor of this building. They have a good lunch deal, about $9.95 for a all-you-can-eat buffet that has to be seen to be believed. On the right, a shot of Bukaras, a good Indian restaurant- three of my coworkers can be seen across the street. We also found another good Indian restaurant called the Clay Oven.

The first picture shows the Chicago River. Boats run continuously through here, giving tours of the city. On the right is the Sears Tower, which was constructed in 1974 and is 110 stories high. It's quite a building to behold! It also has a robotic window cleaner that crawls up and down the outside of the building. There are several good places to eat in the Sears Tower if you happen to be near it during the lunch hour.

Although I do enjoy taking lots of pictures, it is usually because of my fascination with the past. Once a picture has been taken, it immediately represents a snapshot of something that already happened. It is as if the moment has been immortalized. It can never be changed or exactly recreated again. The present immediately becomes the past we reflect upon in the future.

As long as good things are happening to me, I plan to document the rest of my life in this manner. But for every good picture that I get, I take 10 bad ones. But who cares? I just delete the stupid ones and keep shooting. No costly film development hassles.