If you came to Chicago.......

Chicago is a great city. I was there in the 80's. I was an electrician in the Downtown Loop working on the high rise construction. Awesome food around there. The different ethnic districts were a great opportunity to explore the different food dishes. Great pizza every where.
I am super impressed at anyone who can survive scooting around there on a bicycle. I remember well the chaos of less than an inch apart driving density with taxicabs and buses pulling in and out everywhere.
I remember being pulled over on Lakeshore Drive. I was driving a small truck. When they say no trucks on their signs there they mean trucks of all sizes. I was shocked but glad to not pay the big fine.
The place has a way of pulling a person in after a while. I left wishing I had visited all those places. But I was working overtime. In Chicago. It was Cool.
 
About those buses pulling out... if one pulls out before I pass it, I have to know how to slam on my brakes in a hurry, or I go flying, and I don't have wings.
 
Because I could not use Lakeshore going in I was forced to learn to drive in the city traffic everyday. It was a huge learning experience. As I improved I realized how really good the drivers were there. The bus drivers are really watchful but a bike rider is able to be tough to spot in the constant jockeying for position. I did not see many bicycles back then but there were a surprising number of Mopeds in the mix.
I still regret not seeing all those great Chicago places. I did find that like most places Sunday morning early was a great time to drive and find my way around. Summer was too hot for me I had to return to Alaska.
 
goodonya said:
Chicago is a great city. I was there in the 80's. I was an electrician in the Downtown Loop working on the high rise construction. Awesome food around there. The different ethnic districts were a great opportunity to explore the different food dishes. Great pizza every where.
I am super impressed at anyone who can survive scooting around there on a bicycle. I remember well the chaos of less than an inch apart driving density with taxicabs and buses pulling in and out everywhere.
I remember being pulled over on Lakeshore Drive. I was driving a small truck. When they say no trucks on their signs there they mean trucks of all sizes. I was shocked but glad to not pay the big fine.
The place has a way of pulling a person in after a while. I left wishing I had visited all those places. But I was working overtime. In Chicago. It was Cool.
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I really miss not having a good Jewish bakery around . Berkeley was a great place to find different food dishes . I would go to Telegraph Ave.
near the University as there where all kinds food being sold at food stands.
Something was happening there all the time .
 
I find the best time to ride a bicycle in Chicago is Sunday, oddly enough. Not sure why, but maybe it's because people are taking the day off and resting at home?
 
Agreed. I love free space, and not the risk of hitting a car and going airborne and hitting something else.
 
Was there in Oct...to ride trains. The Metra was a neat train.
Besides riding trains, I went to:
?the bean?
Walked towards the Navy Pier, but did not go to it.
Willis/Sears Tower
We had our group dinner at Grandpa's by the Glenview station.
Took a river tour
Walked to Whole Foods with a couple if the people I was with
Ate at Giordano's & Lou Mitchell's
 
It is called the Bean, but its proper name is Cloud Gate. I was there a year ago. I was also at Navy Pier last year, as well. Yes, the Metra is nice, but so is the Amtrak.
 
markengland29 said:
It is called the Bean, but its proper name is Cloud Gate. I was there a year ago. I was also at Navy Pier last year, as well. Yes, the Metra is nice, but so is the Amtrak.
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Yes, Amtrak is nice. I occasionally ride the commuter trains on the NEC and rode my first LD coach on the way to Chicago. I've also have ridden in roomettes on the superliners a few times. The group that I was hanging out with (40-50 over 3 days) is from a forum for people who like to ride Amtrak.

Metra are the cars with the split second level, right? That's what I thought was neat. How the conductor could collect tickets (punch rather) from the people upstairs w/o having to go upstairs. Also, the seating upstairs, in at least one of cars allowed some of us to sit with our backs to the window and talk with the others. Kinda felt like we were in a living room or lounge rather than on a train.
 
You are correct. It is indeed a split 2nd level. What's even more cooler is that they can drive the train backwards without needing another loco to do that. I've always wondered how that works. The car you are referring to is the one in the back.
 
You are correct. The 2nd level is indeed split. What's even cooler about the Metra is that they have a push-pull system, and I'd like to someday learn how that works, cause certian systems have a 2nd loco in the back for stability and safety reasons, but the Metra and Amtrak California doesn't have that, along with those on the NEC and in California. To see more push-pull train systems, visit YouTube.
 
Hubby is from Chicago. Took our kids there many times and visited all the attractions. Nice place to visit but I don't think I could live there.
 
I don't blame you-- with all the homicides we've had and people getting robbed of smartphones daily, I can understand why you wouldn't want to, but living here was a childhood dream of mine,and it's been reaility for a while now.
 
It was a rough place in many areas back when I was there. I don't think homicide and theft in Chicago is a new development. I remember I was very concerned about stumbling into a bad situation. Just driving into town for the first time was shocking then. There was a couple of miles there that looked like Hiroshima. Of course the Union Hall was nearby. At that time the Halls were mostly hole in the wall places that were left behind in the movement away from the old town areas.
Years later I ran into a fellow I worked with there. He told me about getting shot off the bucket he was sitting on working on an air conditioner outside on a rooftop. He blamed himself for being too good of a target wearing a yellow rain jacket.
 
The only reason I'd go to Chicago is to see the Bears play. Huge Bears fan here. Other than that I have no interest in seeing the city.
 
You live locally? In this area? We'd like to know more people from this region (dereksbicycles and myself, that is).
 
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