Solemn, yet Solace: Ambience of Chicago’s Night Life
Due to procrastination and focusing on other assignments, my walks for this class occur in the evenings and night mostly. Each time, I fear something happening in the dark, that I must shuffle between the streets for my own sake.
Yet each time, I have only experienced the city’s surroundings in solemn beneath the moonlight.
I set out at 6:48 PM with no direction in mind other than “to the right of Millennium Park.” I had no sense of self-navigation around the city past that area, so that I would be doing as the objective demanded: wandering.
I took an alternative path to get there, down through State street instead of up, through Jackson. After walking past the Vivi’s Bubble Tea store on State and Van Buren, I take a left on a vacant street. I only saw one person here until the next intersection, who was wearing a DePaul sweater.
7:06 PM. While walking past an entrance to a DePaul Loop building, I notice a restaurant undergoing preparations to open soon. It catches my attention, being an Indian restaurant. Being Indian myself, I dearly miss the frequent Indian food home offers. A man is there in the restaurant, preparing tables and wiping glasses. He gives me a stare-down when I notice him, and in response give him my civil inattention, leaving him to do his business.
Stop 1: Michigan Van Buren
7:18 PM. After walking below train tracks on Van Buren, I have reached Michigan/Van Buren. The yellow hue of the street lights wash the scene with visibility. This immediate area around me is unrecognizable to me.
I pass by groups of people partaking in night walks. They are mostly in groups of 3 to 4, entirely young adults, with the exception of the occasional family walking by. This somewhat contrasts my previous walks in the afternoons, where I see more families, but distinct groups of people wash away in the sea of people during the day. At night, inattention blindness of the people around me is rare, as I’m not overwhelmed by the sea of pedestrians. Cars zip by on the street, flourishing the nightline city life. The sky is a dark blue, with a sporadic yet thin cloud white.
There is a quality so distinct about night life that I have come to recognize in the city. While one should remain aware of danger, there are individuals just like myself, who remain occupied throughout the day who seek freedom in the night, lest they feel contained in classes, work, offices, and tight housing all day.
7:26 PM. I walked through a diagonal sidewalk at the intersection, reaching Congress Plaza/Ida B. Wells. Cars flurry by in the intersection. Tens, perhaps hundreds of them. Their presence feels oddly natural, like a moving part of the city environment. I stop and inspect a tall pillar with distinct carvings. It stands out from its surrounding environment.
I cross over the bridge at the intersection, up through Ida B. Wells. Looking to the left I notice a Metra train stopped at the Van Buren station. Why hasn’t it left yet? Maybe I caught the sight of it in a rare moment? The lights inside the train were on. After walking some distance further, the view of the bridge calls out to me. The scenery has taste to it. A delightful overcast of the buildings behind, with warm colors adorning the station, surrounding the stalled Metra train.
7:30 PM. Reaching the end of the bridge, the scenery around catches the eye. Clear skies, low-to-the-ground trees, and plants around them. To the left I see what I think is a public garden. The smell of rain permeates the air. Something has caught my interest though…
Stop 2, Clarence F. Buckingham Fountain.
7:32 PM By perchance, I see a marvelous fountain over the bridge. I did not know its name immediately, but I knew I had to walk over there. Only after I arrive and explore the scene do I learn the name of the Fountain. I felt the full fleet of exploring spaces uncharted by my eyes and mind in that moment. As if I hit the jackpot for my eyes.
7:35 PM. When entering the fountain space, I stop by an Ice Cream Truck on the side of the street. I didn’t have enough cash on-hand, and they didn’t accept debit. I feel like I betrayed that man, not being able to pay for ice cream. My wallet wins this round.
The ambience of the fountain has a dim liveliness, and there are several groups of people around the large space of the fountain. Some are taking pictures. Sounds of wavering water soothe the ears, the space feels calm and inviting. Maybe that’s why people are gathered here at night; here people can experience the night ambience of the outdoors in a safer, illuminated environment.
The fountain has layers of height to it, shaped like a layer cake, with spouts to the side of it. The fountain lights up different colors on some rotation. Purples, yellows, pinks, reds, greens in some sequence, alternating turns. It keeps me looking at the fountain, time and time again.
7:51 PM. I sit down on a nearby bench and begin to write in my notebook regarding the fountain. I hear someone singing nearby.
8:01 PM. I snap a picture of the high-rise spout of water from the fountain. The event continues, and people circulate the fountain.
I was not able to make use of an app, so I went to the Chicago Park District’s Website to research the history of the fountain. Buckingham Fountain was built in the mid-1920s by Kate Buckingham, as a memorial for her brother. It has received repairs throughout the years, with the latest repairs taking place in 2012.
You can learn more about the history and build of the Buckingham Fountain here.
8:06 PM. I take my leave from Buckingham Fountain. I wished to stay longer, but the city is still beckoning to be explored. I exit to my left from the initial entry point. I turn to the right, instead of turning left again back home.
8:13 PM. I stumble across a part of the walkway out onto Route 41 completely covered in leaves. A harsh reminder of the Autumn season approaching, and the cold weather soon to be. I turn right again onto Route 41.
This part of Route 41 is eerily but expectedly empty outside of infrequent cars. I only saw three people pass by me in total. I can see the high-rise spout of Buckingham Fountain in the distance.
8:16 PM. In this moment I hear pristine silence. No car traffic, foot traffic, or dialogue. Solely sounds of the environment around me. True silence doesn’t exist, but it was a distinct moment I could only experience by walking out this far. I truly am wandering Chicago, alone and out in the public eye.
Stop 3, Bridge over Metra Tracks on Balbo Avenue.
8:29 PM. After walking along Route 41, it’s as if I have taken my own “highway” to getting lost. Taking in all that the surroundings that both the fountain and that Route 41 had to offer, I feel as if the purpose of my walk was complete. A few people pass by me on the bridge as I write. I take my leave and walk towards inner city streets, crossing blocks I had yet to see.
8:37 PM. I pass by the DePaul Theatre School. I’ve never seen it before. I passed by it quickly, but why is it separated from the Loop Campus?
Stop 4, Harrison/Wabash Intersection.
8:48 PM. While shuffling through city streets, I stumble across Harrison/Wabash. The intersection is dimly lit, its scenery swathed with the deep-black night sky. My mind is fixated on the slew of restaurants on this street. Harold’s Chicken, Thai Spoon & Sushi, Subway, Dunkin’ Donuts and more. Shame that I lost my mask earlier in the walk. I was desperate enough in the moment to think of looking for a mask on the ground somewhere. I tried to find my way home instead. My wallet won yet another round.
9:05 PM. I walk further down Wabash street, unsure of my location. I spot a mural I noticed at the beginning of my walk, using it as a guide point to return home. I arrive back at my apartment at 9:09 PM, with a hint of satisfaction in my smile.
Despite the dangers of the night, there is a community within Chicago that partakes the wonders of the streets at night, free of their daily responsibilities. It is uniquely novel in that sense, bending the rules of the world in some sort. Something about that feels so special- and so deserved.
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