Stepping out to the South Side
Looking at Google Maps to inspect my surroundings, my immediate takeaway is that I’ve explored more of the north and west sides of Chicago. Why have I naturally strayed from the south side? Is it that I’m ingrained on a deeper subconscious level to never go there due to the media’s reputation of the south side. Today’s goal is to defy that perception, and explore the south side of Chicago.
As I’m writing this, I immediately am more cautious of the danger of walking back home at night, reaffirming that I do have a deeper bias, one that I didn’t know that I have. If this was so hidden for me, then I imagine it’s not uncommon that many people have a similar bias deeply embedded.
I set out at 5:16 PM. I start by walking to Michigan, and then walking south on it for 3/4ths of a mile.
Stop 1: Michigan/Van Buren
5:22 PM. The weather is mild. A little chilly, but comfortable. The sky is a bright blue, and the buildings shine with the yellow-orange of the setting sun. There are many people walking along the street, possibly enjoying the open street view. Some are walking leisurely, some rush by.
Stop 2: General John Logan Horse Statue
5:40 PM. I crossed the intersection at Michigan and 9th to see this statue that caught my eye. It’s the horse statue of General John Logan. John Logan was a U.S. politician and Union general during the Civil War.
Behind the statue is an open view of lower trees, train tracks, and a side walk. The statue’s steps are steep. There are 2 people seated on one side of the statue, conversing with one another.
5:44 PM. While seated at the statue, I watch a man throw a frisbee for his dog. The dog chases the frisbee and jumps to catch it.
5:49 PM. I cross the intersection again, and take a picture of a mural also on Michigan/9th.
5:58 PM. I snap a picture of a dawning view at Michigan/Roosevelt.
Stop 3: Cotton Tail Park
6:08 PM. After turning left on state, I walk down 13th. To the right of the road is all residential areas, and to the left is all city buildings. The contrast is jarring. All of the condominiums are gated. The residential streets are a little more alive than 13th.
Nearing the park, I immediately notice that the park is less upkept than others. Some of the gates are overgrown with vegetation, and leaves are scattered everywhere. There seems to be a little rubbish throughout the park, but the park is still functional.
There are people here, notably a family in the center of the park, and kids playing at two separate playgrounds within the park.
I don’t know why there’s this abandoned beverage and brownies at the gazebo, but they’re here.
Stop 4: Chinatown
After taking a slight right on Archer, I arrive at Chinatown after a quarter-mile walk.
6:33 PM. I enter a Chinese food court at the front of Chinatown. Being here after walking so far makes me feel so detached from my apartment. There are people here are this below first floor food court. There is a salon, snack store, and clothing store to the right, and food in the front and to the left side.
I ordered hand-pulled noodles in lamb stock at the food court. While it tasted great, the novelty wore off as I finished eating. No, I did NOT use the spoon to eat the noodles. I used chopsticks.
Stop 5, Chinatown Square
7:19 PM. I walked through some of Chinatown’s street markets and arrived at Chinatown’s square, There are a few people dancing in the center of the square. The square has white light lamps, an open space surrounded by the neon shop lights of red, green, and orange, all beneath the glow of a full moon.
7:28 PM. The Chinatown markets have a lot of tea and smoothie shops. I assume Tea is a large part of Chinese culture, even if it’s been possibly Americanized here.
Stop 6, Cermak Chinatown CTA Stop
8:25 PM. After exploring Chinatown a while longer, I head to the CTA red line station to go back home.
I arrive back at my apartment at 8:52 PM.
Although I didn’t explore the south side entirely, truly knowing the south side takes a lot of knowledge that only one who lives there for a long time would know. There are reasons that the south side has infamy for its danger, but that doesn’t mean all of the south side, and all of its people, are dangerous. I might have never went here had I not recognized my own hidden bias. Knowing I had it, others may have had it as well.
Taking what I’ve seen today into account for the field guide project, I think that before even building a guide, we should consider whether the reader is going to a specific location, or simply exploring. The guidance for the former would be more streamlined, yet the latter would be more open, and showing how to get around. All of what a person sees in the city is Chicago. If they want to get to know the city, walking about it and taking turns is the fastest way to do so.
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200–250 Word Response to a Question:
Question: How does your understanding of Chicago change (or not) after hearing about and viewing the maps in the Folded Map project?
When first reading and listening to the Chicago map project, I thought it was insane that people would change their view of a person so suddenly, but after listening to it more, I only realized that discrimination like that is so terribly easy.
It’s so easy yet foolish in the moment to just say what comes to mind. Because judgement is used as a way to try and glean more information about a person by relating to our past experiences. But this isn’t realistic. Just because a person has a background that is associated with negative statements (dangerous community) that does not mean that person is necessarily more dangerous comparatively.
Alongside discovering hidden bias of my own today, this is further proof to me that growth in a community also requires active dissonance of shortcut biases we use to “learn” a person. These shortcuts are harmful to the identities of other people, and only serve to hurt connections in the long-term.
People should be treated with respect when they give respect in the first place. As mentioned in previous readings, there is a “social mobility” of sorts in the streets. That anyone is free to establish connections with others, and group together. This also means that we should look past the stigmatizations of groups of people when applicable, so that we can grow to learn more of Chicago.
