Chicago - Final thoughts and images

Rainy Chicago

It was certainly an interesting visit to Chicago, a city I never expected to visit during my lifetime. Perhaps, like many cities around the world, Chicago is separated into distinct areas e.g. the downtown area with fantastic mix of old and new skyscrapers and the Latino area known as the Little Village. Chicago has a large number of ethnic communities which have remained separate in terms of location, language, and also in terms of income / quality of life.

It was somewhat surprising to discover that Chicago was much smaller than I expected, although strolling down the wide sidewalks looking at the old and new skyscrapers was certainly a memorable experience. It was such a contrast to Tokyo when every few steps you need to change direction in order to avoid walking into someone.

Typical intersection

The food was typically American - unhealthy and packed with fat. Towards the end of my stay in Chicago, I was really looking forward to returning to my normal diet. The beer was surprisingly good, perhaps due to an explosion in micro brewery production in the USA.

The last day in Chicago was perhaps the most unusual. During the day, I saw a white lady assaulting a black wheelchair bound woman. The police were called. Then during the evening, whilst I was waiting for the train in downtown Chicago, a man fell onto the railway tracks and lay there immobile. I can only assume he was wasted on some kind of drug or other. With the help of another commuter, I managed to pull him up from the tracks and back onto the train platform. He was quite fortunate he didn't fall onto the tracks whilst a train was approaching.

Stars and Stripes

The evenings were excellent, the live blues music being the most prominent highlight. I also found most Chicagoans friendly and approachable and they seemed to react very well to my Scottish accent. I spoke to a large number of people and found them very welcoming.

An eye opening visit to the United States. Perhaps if I visit the US again, I'd like to check out New York or California. Now it's time to return to reality in Japan.

Amazing Chicago Blues

By far the most enduring memories I have of Chicago are my visits to several live blues bars. The two bars which I absolutely loved were Buddy Guy's Legends and Blue Chicago - I don't have the vocabulary to describe how excellent the music was, you'll just have to take my word for it. Although short, I hope the below clips manage to convey a bit of the fantastic music and atmosphere I experienced during my stay in Chicago.

The first clip was taken on my first night in Chicago, at Buddy Guy's Legends. I was really lucky to get a table close to the stage. Great music and excellent Chicago wheat beer.

The next clip was in Blue Chicago, the night before my return flight to Japan. If you ever need a reason to visit Chicago, it has to be the live blues!

Great memories!

Willis Tower (formerly The Sears Tower), Chicago

View of downtown Chicago and Lake Michigan

On May 3rd, I unintentionally found my way to the top of the Willis Tower, perhaps more famously known as the Sears Tower. I was just strolling around the streets of Chicago, enjoying the grid planning style, the wide sidewalks, and the unfamiliar sights when I passed a door advertising the SkyDeck. Since I was just a temporary visitor to the city, I thought it would be a good idea to make the trip to the top of the tallest building in the USA.

Despite the cost ($18) and getting lost trying to find the ear popping express elevator to the top of the building, the time spent looking over the city of Chicago and Lake Michigan was worthwhile. However, the dirty windows from the SkyDeck made it difficult to take good photos.

Looking down from the 103rd floor

As my visit to the Willis Tower was far away from the peak of the coming tourist season, there only about 30 other people on the 103rd floor which represents the SkyDeck. I was able to view the city and the massive Lake Michigan in relative solitude.

On the way out of the building, there was the obligatory shop selling Chicago paraphernalia. For some friends back in Japan, I bought a Chicago baseball, a miniature Chicago White Sox baseball bat, a couple of t-shirts, and a Blues Brothers style fedora.

I'm glad I inadvertently visited the most popular Chicago tourist destination and have some images of the city locked in my mind. Next blog will appear soon.

The Untouchables - Union Station, Chicago

As I am in Chicago, I felt obliged to pop into Union Station to see the famous stairway which featured in the film 'The Untouchables'. Union Station is a beautiful old building which feels (and looks) like a church inside. When I was there, the place was virtually empty and very calming from the hustle and bustle of the streets outside.

Union Station

A satisfying visit which will encourage me to watch the film again. More Chicago blogs to follow soon.

Chicago, Illinois

Well, after a mad rush from the countryside in Fukushima, I made it to Narita Airport about 1 hour before my flight to Chicago. The flight was full and the aircraft was an old Boeing 747 which did not have personal In Flight Entertainment. I'd better buy a good book for the return flight to Tokyo.

Beer and cheeseburgers

On the first night, I visited The Billy Goat Tavern, a favourite hang out for the journalists writing for the Chicago Tribune. The Billy Goat served their own ale and lager style micro brewed beer - both being pretty satisfying. However, the bar counter has a slight angle which meant that I spilt my third pint of beer over my trousers and onto the floor. Clumsy!

The next stop in downtown Chicago was Andy's Jazz Bar. That really was enjoyable. I sat at the bar with a friend from Higashimurayama (who is here on business) and listened to some great tunes. I'll try and find a good place for Blues music soon.

Live jazz

So, a nice introduction to Chicago. I have many more pictures saved on my iPhone so will try and post some more on this blog and Facebook soon.