Travel: Chicago

Recently I was in Chicago to audition for a summer dance intensive. Despite living rather close to Chicago, I tend to avoid it due to the hassle of driving and parking. Not to mention the high cost of parking for a short trip.

I'm used to Milwaukee, so the difference in architecture is always interesting.  Since the Chicago fire wiped out most of the city's buildings, all the architecture is relatively new compared to Milwaukee.

Driving in Chicago wasn't as bad as anticipated, luckily it wasn't rush hour.  As a new driver, the first thing I noticed was needing to drive more aggressively if you ever want to get anywhere and you have to be extremely alert.  Pedestrians and bikers just randomly wind up in the street and sometimes the stoplights are barely visible, hidden within the supports for the El.

The roads in Chicago are definitely very different from Milwaukee as well.  Along with hidden streetlights, roads in Chicago often become one-way streets so you can’t always turn where you want to and often have to jog a few blocks over.

I'm absolutely in love with big cities, and Chicago is no exception.  Every time I go, I'm still mesmerized by what seems like endless buildings.  It felt like I was spending more time looking up than in front of me.

You can see just from the skyscrapers that Chicago buildings are a lot newer.  They look so much more modern overall, especially with many buildings that look like they’re all windows.  Milwaukee buildings are almost all concrete, so while the designs are very intricate, they’re not as stupefying from a distance.

I just adore the marquee lights and the overall iconic look of the signs.  We have plenty where I live, but they’re not well-kept and thus are falling apart.  They’re one of the most aged-looking parts of Chicago.

This trip, I finally made it to Millennium Park.  I've wanted to see the Bean for what feels like forever.  It looked so perfect it was almost as if it was photoshopped in front of a Chicago skyline.  Underneath, it’s barely like a mirror.  Looking up at yourself it seems like you’re miles away and all sound echoes which makes it extremely difficult to hold a conversation when everyone else is trying to as well.

The bean really just screams modern.  Constructed between 2004 and 2006 it’s something that would have never been built before the Chicago fire due to its complex design.

While at Millennium Park, we I got to see these interesting statues.  They were all only heads- no bodies- and there wasn’t any information on them that I could find.  The lack of information made them that much more ominous and interesting.

These also are extremely modern in their nature as well as style of art.  They’re definitely not something that would’ve been created pre-fire.

And of course you can't miss the river at night.  If there were just one thing you could see/ do in Chicago I would suggest this.  It was magical with the lights reflecting and the beautiful buildings in the background.

-Cassi