And you say Chi City..
Back from a trip to Chicago for the Unity Journalists Convention. First time in Chicago, had really low expectations for some reason (probably stereotypes about the midwest being bland and boring)…Luckily, none of those expectations were met — I had a great time! Chicago’s dramatic skyline and expansive Lake Michigan struck me as odd. Major cities to me mean insularity, compacted bodies and streets, limited real estate, air, sky, land. Not Chicago and Lake Michigan. Sitting on the Great Lakes water table gave me a sense of calm and clarity, driving up Lake Shore Drive into downtown Chicago.
I stayed with good friend Abel Henry who resides with his fiance in Hyde Park, within a few blocks of Barack Obama’s residence and the location this video was filmed in (will post pics soon). Took the #4 from Washington Park to McCormick Center (the Convention Center). The real estate boom in Chicago surprised, kind of like Oakland, but on a much greater level. Seemed like every block had signs for new “upscale” “luxury” available from the “mid 200’s and up.” Interesting to see how that plays out with the sagging economy and the brutalized real estate market. This housing boom will certainly be valuable eventually, however. As I learned in a panel about Climate Change and Communities of Color, the Great Lakes hold 1/5th of the world fresh water supplies, and sits app. 600 ft. above sea level. As water sources become scarce and the privaitzation of the water becomes more possible, and when the effects of climate change become more extreme, the historically chocolate citites in the Great Lakes region, Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland, and Gary, Indiana, will become some of the most desirable places to live in the world (they also don’t have many natural disasters, if you don’t count frigid winters as a disaster - sometimes I do.)
Can’t wait for my next trip back!
H.