Walking Chicago, Immersion Week
I chose Walking Chicago because I love to walk and knew it would be interesting to explore Chicago on my feet. Little did I know I’d end up going to bed with over 26,000 steps on the second day alone. As I spent forty minutes on a massage chair I looked over the route we had walked that day — starting at the John Hancock Center on Michigan Avenue and finishing in Humboldt Park. Staring at the map I realized how, despite all the walking we did, there was so much we hadn’t seen and the route we traveled seemed tiny in comparison to the rest of the neighborhoods sprawled around the city. That was the moment I realized how considerably sizable Chicago is.
Walking around Lincoln Park showed how dynamic perception is. Earlier that morning I was in a rush and glanced at my surroundings, including the Chipotle at the corner of Fullerton and Lincoln Avenue. Later that day when we walked towards it and went down Lincoln Avenue it became less mysterious and more welcoming. Now I view it as familiar territory and quite differently than before, all because of walking down that street.
Walking around Chicago helped me grasp a new visualization of what I’d previously glossed over as a suburbanite. There are many things that cannot be experienced in a car, with the GPS taking one to a specified destination as quickly as possible. I have viewed the Chicago skyline many times, yet being told to specifically pay attention to the buildings and lake at the John Hancock Center enabled me to appreciate them in a way I hadn’t before. I had grown so accustomed to seeing the city that I stopped appreciating the beauty of it.
Throughout the day we walked through many contrasting neighborhoods such as Gold Coast, Old Town, and Division Street. Gold Coast was quiet, peaceful, and prim-and-proper while Old Town was more vibrant, with street art and the wafting smell of delicious food. Walking all the way to Humboldt Park enabled us to cross through other neighborhoods such as Seward Park and Pulaski Park, thus taking in the people and environments, discovering dining options for lunch, and seeing the city skyline from a new angle.
Division Street in Humboldt Park was quite lively, with people partaking in numerous activities such as eating, walking, playing music, etc. Taking in the Puerto Rican culture was refreshing and it was interesting to note the differences in the myriad of Chicago neighborhoods. Visiting Uptown on Thursday displayed how the area started affluent, fell into poverty, and is currently becoming affluent again. The gentrification was apparent, with construction being done in culturally significant spots and the residents being disregarded. An example of the transformation of Uptown is seen below.
All in all, Immersion Week allowed me to view, touch, smell, hear, and taste the city through new eyes as I navigated it by foot. Doing so made me realize how much there is to Chicago that I have yet to see and I can’t wait to do that through DePaul.
