Colorful Chicago
October 12th, 12:00 pm
> When I stepped out to begin my walk, there was a light rain. People were starting to take out their umbrellas, and that’s when I realized I did not have an umbrella. Instead of turning back, I decided just to keep walking and hope for the best. Despite it being rainy, it was still very humid.
> I began walking down Fullerton, and then turned left on N.Lakewood Avenue. Since I have to pay closer attention to street names when I’m on my walks for class, it has helped me discover street names of streets I walk down all time without realizing what they are called.
>The colors I had chosen were a brown and a blue color. There was an overwhelming sense of both colors on this overcast day, and the fall season definitely helped the brown hues pop out on the street.
>I found my first objects on N. Lakewood Avenue, such as the blue coffee cup sitting on the plant bed which popped out against the black gate. I then saw one singular brown stem amongst a sea of alive, green ones in a pine bush outside a brownstone.
> I was very drawn to the bricks of many houses, as I believed they encapsulated my color very well. I began following these bricks, farther down N. Lakewood, and it led me to more blue surprises. I saw a blue envelope sticking out of a mail box, with a small white heart drawn on the corner. Similar to the coffee cup, it popped out against the black mailbox and made me think about what could be inside the envelope.
> I continued down until I could not walk down N. Lakewood further. I turned onto N. Clybourn, where I started seeing brown and blue working together in multiple ways. N. Clybourn and its strip malls is not my favorite part of Lincoln Park, but forcing myself to notice beautiful colors which stood out made me have more appreciation for the area.
>I saw a boy holding a blue umbrella, and snapped a photo. Only to look back at the photo and realize there are multiple brown elements to the photo as well, such as the buildings in the background and the manhole cover.
>I continued down N.Clybourn and saw a Brooklyn Boulders. Brooklyn Boulders is a rock climbing studio I always used to go to with my older brother when I was young. It was very close to my house, and I had no clue they had expanded to different cities. Funny enough, the sign to the establishment was blue, and there was a man in a blue shirt walking past at the right moment, so I was able to take a very blue photo.
>I turned down N.Southport Avenue, another street name which I noticed. I am very grateful that these walks have made me become more aware of street names, which can be something that is difficult to become familiar with sometimes. I entered my more preferred parts of Lincoln Park, with big, beautiful homes with many things to observe.
>I saw a blue gate, with a blue planter behind it, which had a brown shed door behind. I really enjoyed when I would find both colors in the same place, because it made me feel as though I had picked the right way to walk and that the objects led me the best way possible.
>I ended my walk by turning down Belden and returning to the dorm. It was a very quiet morning with not a lot of people out. The overcast day made it feel even more solitary, and walking with extra attention added an element of relaxation as my mind was fixated on something and was not wandering. I enjoyed having colors lead my walk, rather than my phone or somebody else.
According to Malchik in “March,” why is a community’s walkability “one of the single greatest factors in building social capital” (p. 45)? What is social capital? How do your community’s public infrastructure and public spaces support walkability (or not)? How has your community’s walkability factored in your social capital?
Malchik reiterates the importance of social capital in a community. Social capital is the different elements which form a society, along with the various relationships present in a society/community. This includes education systems, neighborhood organizations, neighbor relationships, safety organizations and numerous other elements which make up a society. I have been lucky enough to have always been in environments which have been very walkable. In my hometown of Brooklyn, you cannot get your driver’s license until you are eighteen, putting an intensified priority on walking. The congested traffic in both Chicago and New York also make walking the easier and quicker option. Beautiful parks and infrastructure in both these cities encourage me to go outside and explore, which always results in a lot of walking in order to fully immerse myself in what the city has created. Additionally, highways being separated from the neighborhoods of the city, in the ways they are in Chicago and Brooklyn make it easier to walk without the obstruction of mass roadways. This element of walkability has factored in my social capital extremely. I feel as though walking makes you a more aware person, who is not sheltered from the realities of the world. This can make you a more generous person. Just in general, being on the street and seeing strangers face to face, rather than through a vehicle, makes for a much more personal experience which increases the likelihood of a memorable interaction. (word count 240)
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