Sunday Morning Thoughts
Being a Chicago native is something I have always taken pride in. Growing up I was able to experience different environments Chicago has to offer. However, for the past few weeks I have been rewriting my narrative of the influence this city has on me. This past weekend I spent some time reflecting on what it means to claim this city as my own and how it has affected my personal development.
It is a Sunday in Chicago, I just left my favorite German Coffee Shop in the Gold Coast area. Hendrix is a small coffee shop surrounded by skyscrapers a capacity of 10 at most is allowed inside. I just ran into my friend Anna and her mom which was extremely interesting considering theres thousands of coffee shops in the city and we just so happen to run into each other on a random Sunday morning. As I make my way to my favorite park in the city I reflect on how not too long ago I was with my entire discover class in the same area. Now, I am strolling alone the weather is extremely cold the leaves have changed and so have I. My narrative of this city has progressed since that first week of college. I am a person who takes the L everyday, goes on walks by herself, and a person who understands the segregation of such a diverse city. Through the reading over the past weeks it has helped me develop a better understanding of the structure of class that is placed throughout Chicago, and how economic class is heavily affective in the placement of the neighborhoods in the city. As I sit down in the park on a comfortable bench in the middle of these skyscrapers I notice how the environment of Washington Square Park is extremely different from the park I was in last week. It is a park that is extremely taken over by dogs and their owners. The dogs run freely while their younger owners talk to eachother sipping their overpriced lattes. There is not a child in sight, it is mostly people in their mid 20s and most if not all are white. After seeing different neighborhoods throughout Chicago for the past 7 weeks I cannot help but think about how segregated this city is. Considering it is one of the most culturally diversed city in the country it is set up to be exclusive. I leave the park thinking about how can we introduce social capitol in neighborhoods like West Town, Douglas Park, and even Hermosa without completely gentrifying the neighborhoods. As I walk down Chicago Ave to the Brown Line I can see how abandoned projects have been left in the midst of all these fancy highrises. Money that was wasted on places that could benefit the community rather than these isolated lots.
Reading Response
How has my daily commute has changed my view of the city?
The topic of commuting through multiple neighborhoods everyday is brought to light by one of the speakers. She discusses how her neighborhood is completely different from the area she goes to school in. This is something I can relate to, whether take the bus or train I can differentiate the neighborhoods I see within 45 minutes. It is noticeable how heavily segregated the neighborhoods become the farther west I go to. Before college most of my time was spent in my neighborhood; it is where my roots are and the norms I am used to following. Now, I have conformed into having the entire city handed to me. Which has prompted me to go to neighborhoods that are so called “dangerous” or “abandoned”. But as I actually spent time in these places I have learned they have so much to offer and are extremely lively. A few days ago I read an article about Avondale being ranked the nations 16th coolest neighborhood. A place that some people tend to shy away from because it is labeled “dangerous” is a place that a community established to be one of a kind. I hope to continue discovering beyond my social restrictions for the rest of my time here in Chicago.
