Chicago - City of ‘Hoods
I have been working with a relocation client lately. It’s been awhile because I’m not on the office “corporate relocation” list anymore. (No way am I paying out a 37-1/2% commission to some relocation company!) One of the things I enjoy about working with relocation clients is the fresh perspective it gives me on my city. Things that I take for granted living here are fresh and new in the eyes of an out-of-towner. Because Chicago is a large urban city, it can be tricky trying to identify which neighborhood is the “right” area for a particular client. Even for in-towners, it can be a challenge - though Chicagoans have been know to exhibit religious fervor about their particular “‘hood”. (As in, “See ya around the ‘hood!”) But an out-of-towner hasn’t a clue and looks to me for guidance. It can really be overwhelming. But surprisingly, once we’ve figured out the right combination of price, area amenities, property type, etc - it becomes pretty obvious.
One of the things I love about urban life is the diversity of experiences available. Just this morning, I was out for my morning run through the Cook County Forest Preserve that abuts the complex where I now live. The Chicago River runs through this particular section of the Preserve and there is a trail adjacent to it. Except for the sound of the traffic heliocopters that report morning rush hour, you can’t believe you are in the city. Contrast that with my old neighborhood of West Loop near The United Center. My morning runs were experiences in concrete and asphalt. (Check out my photo journal ”Urban Geometry”.) The texture of urban living is unimaginably rich and varied: a woman dressed in a birka keeping close eye on her young, Western-attired son at the playground; the graffiti on the abandoned train trestle - literally outdoor art. (I’ll post that picture at another time. You will agree with me - it reminded me of the arabesques traced on the walls of mosques.) The diversity of foods to serve the diversity of ethnic groups and cultures at my neighborhood grocery story is remarkable. (Can you imagine the money they have tied up in inventory?!)
Then there’s the ugly side - the article in the Chicago Tribune earlier this week about the huge pollution problem the persvasiveness of discarded cigarette butts creates (who knew?); empty beer cans floating down river; plastic trash bags fouling the waterways and our streets. Then there’s the noise pollution of airplanes coming into O’Hare; the el squealing as it turns on it’s the tracks, car horns, ambulances, fire trucks, etc etc etc. On it goes… The buzz of the city.
It occurred to me that matching ‘hoods to people is about matching energies. High energy is downtown - West Loop. We couldn’t stay there. Our personal energy didn’t rise to that level (I guess we’re getting old?). Our new ‘hood: it’s too soon to tell. We’re sleeping better at night - that’s a good thing. But the energy maybe not be quite high enough for this city girl. And as your life phases change, so does your energy. When you’re young and single, it’s all about the neighborhood bars, the “24 hour” scene, ease of access to transportation, running along the lakefront, etc. When you’re married with children, it’s the schools, the after-school programs, the parks, the churches, etc… When you’re an empty nester - well, then it has to be the sophistication of a downtown hi-rise, doormen, cabbies and chic eateries.
Chicago - it’s my kind of town!
“All Things With Exuberance!”
mary!
