Pandas and Kids and Gorillas… Oh My!
Does a walk through Chicago’s street soothe you, induce stress, or produce some other emotional response? Why? Are there certain kinds of streets or places in the city that produce these emotional responses? Where, when, how, and why?
In a strange way, the streets of Chicago are both a source of relaxation and stress for me. I use walking as a way to clear the mind, find some necessary alone time, and as a search for quiet; however, in the back of my mind, I am fighting to hold back the constant anxiety that comes for walking alone as a woman. No matter where I go, there are people walking and driving around, and as a paranoid person I can not help but be on guard at all times. In relation to where I am in the city, Lincoln Park and other mainly residential areas create a calmer environment for me to walk in, I relax a bit more and fall back in pace to enjoy the scenery more. On the other hand, when down in the loop or in industrial/business areas my mind is racing; I do not know where to look, who to look out for, or where I will end up. The amount of people in the area, the negative connotations that come along with being “downtown” , and once again just the mere fact that I am a women induces this, to some, irrational fear of walking alone.
People Watching
A walk from the Loop campus, down Adams to Millennium Park and back up Madison turned out to be a lot more interesting than expected. This was one of the few times that I did not listen to music as I walked alone, benefiting my experience in many ways. Exiting the Loop campus building on State st., I began to walk towards Adams, and immediately I was overwhelmed with sounds and I did not know where to look.Then turning down Adams st., things begin to slow down with the L as the only distracting sound.
Sounds:
1:24- Cars honking and running over metal plates
1:28- Ambulance sirens in the distance
1:30- Loud as can be, as the L rambles above me as I cross the street
Sights:
1:24- Cars speeding up just as fast as they begin to slow to a stop
1:25- Students and Professionals alike, walk down the sidewalk in silence as they block out the harsh sounds of the street with earbuds.
1:27- Everyone crossing the street as if they would not make it across alive if they were not the first one across.
Panda Express
I am only human, so of course I got hungry which dictated where I would sit for the next 30 minutes- Panda Express. Walking through the revolving door, I immediately began to scan the restaurant to figure out who I will be eating my lunch with. Once I get my bowl of rice and sweet-fire chicken, I sit down at a bar top that faces a window that allowed me to see out towards the street.
Sounds:
1:30- People at the counter ordering their food (there was an overwhelming want for the orange chicken).
1:35- Everyone chatting with one another, in undecipherable hushed tones.
1:30–2:05- Music played from the speakers, ranging from 2002 Kelly Clarkson to the hits from the summer of 2012.
Sights: (all seen through the window in front of me)
1:34- An elderly couple chatting about the (what I am assuming) architecture of the building across the street. They were using exaggerated hand motions that mimicked the shape of the columns, allowing me to form the assumption that this discussion was about architecture.
1:40- Tourists. (I live here now, so I can say that) This group of tourists were taking turns getting pictures of one another with the city as their backdrop. Phones were ready in hand with google maps pulled up, along with a journal and paper map; this made them undeniably foreign to the city of Chicago.
1:45- A guy in his early 20's walked past, with the most confident stride I have ever seen. With bright orange hair, cordless headphones, ripped green shirt, and black skinny jeans, this guy was the epitome of “city kid”.
1:50- Wearing a beaded, bright green African culture clothing, a lady walks past with 4 different bags being dragged behind her.
1:52- A walking tour makes its way down Adams St.. With a group no bigger than 7, the guide with a microphone, and everyone with their own provided pair of earbuds, it looked a lot different than our Walking Chicago group.
1:56- 3 military personal, in full uniform, walk into the National Louis University that was across the street.
The Next few Blocks
After leaving my lunch location, I decide to walk down to Millennium Park where there ought to be something interesting to journal. My intuition did not fail me. Walking down Adams to Michigan, then past Monroe to Madison, then up Madison back to State, my walk came to an end at the Red Line Monroe stop.
Sounds:
2:07- At the intersection of Michigan and Monroe, there was an all-out car honking battle.
2:15- Kids laughing and screaming
2:17- Rap music, mainly Nicki Minaj
2:21- Someone said they did not like popcorn. I consider that a sin.
2:24- Drums and guitar
Sights:
2:14- Kids running through the water from Crown fountain.
2:16- A table being rolled around on a patio seating section for a restaurant. At first I thought it was a table that could magically roll on its side, but that is when it almost fell over and the guy behind it caught it- my dreams were crushed.
2:17- At the corner of Madison and Michigan, someone was dressed up in a gorilla suit wearing a gold chain. They then proceeded to turn on their radio and dance/lip sync to whatever played.
2:24- A group of people on North State street playing street drums and a beat-up, old guitar.
