Chicago’s Streets
Chicago is one of America’s few cities were it is easier to walk the streets than to drive. While spending the first week walking through the various neighborhoods of Chicago you get to experience how each area has grown and adapted to their surroundings. Each area has different pros and cons however you can see the segregation from many of the neighborhoods such as the Gold Coast, Old Town area which is much neater and the houses are cleaner than those you see in the Humboldt Park neighborhood.
We see things like this all over the world and especially in the United States which has a long history of racism and a system that separated people based on race. Growing up in Milwaukee there was a clear line that you could see between different economic classes which in many cases also are related to race. As you drive farther north you reach the wealthier neighborhoods where the houses are huge compared to the houses south and to the west. However, getting to know the areas helps to stop the assumptions that you make when you simply see the areas.
In many neighborhoods even though they aren’t as rich as others they are full of culture and community. While you walk around the streets in Humboldt Park there is artwork on every corner and the walls of many of the buildings are covered in street art. The sense of community in some other the other neighborhoods is almost non-existent however while walking through neighborhoods like West Town, the Ukrainian Village, Hyde Park, and more we saw more people walking around and being together in a community than we saw in any of the neighborhoods that seemed more wealthy. In Old Town especially I don’t recall seeing even more than 10 other people walking around the sidewalks. I think that many of the more wealthy neighborhoods don’t appreciate the sense of community like the poorer ones do. We see people walking the streets and being together and I think it’s weird when people don’t care to even meet or talk to the others around them. I think communities that work together to make their community a more walk able place often are much better. Art is one of the best ways to make a blank wall something that invites people to come. There are planters all over the streets and all of them are painted with flags for pride and for the Cuban flag. As seen in my drawing of one of them below.
This week has been allowing me to get used to a city which I only thought of as a place where my uncle and aunt live and even though I’ve visited the city many times I’ve never walked through the neighborhoods or even the main city. Instead we would simply drive and I wouldn’t pay attention to my surroundings. Now that I’m here for college I don’t have a car and instead I have to walk around or take the train another thing I have never done. After this week I feel comfortable to take the trains and walk the city however I still know the dangers of Chicago. I truly feel like Chicago will be a second home for me but Milwaukee will always have a place inside of me.
