People Watching by the Aquarium
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?
Even with the constant hustle and bustle, Chicago has its moments of peace. I discovered how peaceful and soothing the city can truly be on my walk on Lake Shore Drive. Over the weekend, I took the L going South around 11:40 am and got off on Roosevelt. From there, I walked down toward the lake. I didn’t really have a rest stop in mind, so I kept walking, searching for that “soothing” place. The walk was quite and suprisingly, there weren’t too many people out. I did, however, come across a packed Coffee shop called The Spoke and Bird. It looked intriguing so I went in and got coffee. I didn’t bother staying long because the people inside the shop were packed like sardines. After getting my coffee, I walked passed the Shedd Aquarium and decided to pause and rest in a grass area right next to it that overlooked Lake Michigan and the skyline. During the time that I rested, I overheard some very interesting conversations and people.
Sounds
12:42 pm- A man yells “dang” after dropping his Chicago-style hot dog on the ground.
1:00 pm- Two children (boys) playing, when one says to the other, “Is it okay if I use the force on you?” The other boy replies, “What! are you crazy?”
1:30 pm- A man on a bike says “watch it!” to another lady on a bike taking up both lanes.
1:35 pm- A boat passes by playing Spanish music very loudly.
1:42 pm- A stoner says to another stoner, “wanna hit this joint?”
1:46 pm- A bunch of birds chirping.
1:52 pm- A bike screeches as it breaks.
1:55 pm- The leaves on the trees rustle as a gust of wind appears.
2:02 pm- A mother yells, “Get over here Turner, now!” aggressively at her son during their photoshoot.
People
12:50 pm- There is a huge line of people outside the Shedd Aquarium. I notice a frusturated dad digging for his son’s tickets in an oversized backpack with trash falling out of it.
12:59 pm- A huge line of bicyclists pass me on the bike path. One of them wearing hot pink tights. It was man who was wearing them.
1:00 pm- Multiple people in the grass area reading or laying down on blankets, enjoying the beautiful day.
1:20 pm- Bicyclists get mad at tourists taking photos in the middle of the bike path.
1:34 pm- Two boats appear close to shore with people partying on them. One women sloppily dances trying to get another man’s attention.
1:50 pm- A homeless man that first goes up to a couple asking for money, then a tourist, and then a family coming back from the aquarium. They all turn him down.
2:02 pm- The photographer of the mother-son photoshoot loses patience as Turner keeps running away from the camera.
After my solitary walk/rest, I’ve decided that I really enjoy my peaceful grass area by the Shedd Aquarium. I had the perfect view and it was very interesting watching people interact with eachother and what they had to say. I loved hearing the waves crash against the rocks and watching the boats pass by with the eccentric people on them. The trees were also beautiful and provided the perfect amount of shade without obstructing the view. In a way, I felt that I was in the city, while not actually being in it. 1:00–2:00 pm, for me, was the perfect time to go. I didn’t have the lunch crowd or the night crowd. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed my experience and will definitely come back.
