I have been a bit remiss at posting… Sorry…
This shot; Adams and Wabash looking east.
It has been nearly a month since I left for New York and I find it very interesting how I am feeling more disconnected from Chicago. I am (as I suspected I would be) absolutely in love with NYC, but I never want to forget my eight years in Chicago, and how they contributed so greatly to who I am today. I have found doing these “postmortem” posts to be quite a bit more difficult than I thought it would be. I will keep Looper alive, but at some point, posting images taken prior to my move may become pointless.
In the meantime, I want to thank all those that have joined me over at 24gotham. The new site is doing quite well, and in less than a month, my readership is already up to about 60% of what Looper was. Not bad given that Looper is 2.5 years old.
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One of the biggest differences I have experienced in my move from Chicago to New York is how every single nook and cranny in NYC is occupied by something. In contrast, this shot was taken only blocks from the Sears Tower (Roosevelt Road, just west of the river), and there is just a vastness of empty land (on the left) and rail yards. Chicago never was near the density of New York, and never will be, but it never ceases to amaze me how much prime real estate there is so close to the center of it all that remains empty.
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Well, it has been a week since arriving in NYC… There is much to adjust to, but so far it feels right. I decided that I needed an outlet to express my thoughts and comments about the experience of moving and living in the Big Apple, so I started yet another blog (The New New Yorker) to write about what is in my head.
As for this shot, I took this while walking home from the fireworks on the Fourth of July. It was after midnight by the time I took this, the city had calmed down.
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Farewell my good friend Chicago… You will be missed more than you could ever know. I have had an incredible eight years living in your fair Land of Lincoln, and the time has come for me to move on. Thank you for everything you have granted me; personal growth, career growth, home ownership (twice), and above all, the inspiration to fall deeply in love with your heart and soul, the Chicago Loop. Your architectural legacy inspired me to begin to record your urbanity through the viewfinder. You compelled me to grow my talent beginning with my first photoblog in January of 2005, followed by this site in June of 2006. You will be so very missed…
But while I owe so very much to you, all along you have known my secret. You were not alone in my urban love; there has been another… One that has held my attention as far back as I can remember, has always been the source of dreams and fantasies, one who has been a fixation obsession my entire life… I have always shoved that burning desire deep inside, pushed aside for ease of living, affordability, and (so I thought) the quality of life I was looking for. Every time the other one came up, I shoved it to the back burner out of fear of being burned… I have always allowed that fear to hold me back.
Well, in spite of your amazing comforts, I must follow my heart and let go. The time has come for me to finally allow myself to experience a different level of urban living… To fulfill those dreams and fantasies… The time has come for me to move on.
Thank you dear Chicago for all the amazing gifts I have received from you and your inhabitants. I will never forget, you always hold a very special place in my heart… You will be very very missed… Farewell my good friend Chicago, Farewell
Tomorrow… Hello New York, sorry I am late…
Straying from my usual subject matter, I captured this shot just outside the visitors center for the Farnsworth House in Plano, IL. I am far from an expert on agriculture, but the corn seems nice and tall for this time of the year. If you didn’t see yesterday’s post on the Farnsworth House, I think you are missing out.
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The parking ramp at the John Hancock Center has long fascinated me. This is my first time shooting it at night. It was another one of those things on my list that I wanted to capture before leaving, I am glad I got the chance to do it. The parking ramp for the Trump building has a similar spiral, but is covered in glass… I look forward to seeing it at night on a future visit.
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Aon Center is so often relegated to second class citizen among the super talls of Chicago. It is indeed taller than the Hancock, but it is generally just forgotten altogether… Too bad… It really is quite spectacular on it’s own.
Quick Note: This appears to be my final week in Chicago… I still haven’t sold my home, so I will have to come back to pack it up after I get a contract on it (Oh, please God, let my home sell!), but of course, I don’t know when that will be. In the meantime, I will be flying to NYC this weekend, and begin looking for work and a new home. More info to follow this week.
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These two photos were taken the same evening last week while strolling along Michigan Avenue late in the evening. The Nokia Store (I will call this the non-iPhone store) is pretty in all its color, but I have never seen it terribly crowded. On the other hand, the Apple Store is always packed with people, but even more so since the release of the iPhone. I need a new cell phone, and have spent a lot of time looking at what is out there… Of course, there was only one conclusion, read about it below.
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On the topic of new cell phones… I need a new cell phone for several reasons…. My phone for the last 2+ years has beeen a Razr that I actually paid $300 for (long before they became ubiquitous and $49). It still works, but the battery only holds a charge for only a few hours. But that is not the problem… I am going to need to get a new phone number when I get to NYC (I will so miss my 312) and my current phone won’t work on the network my cell phone company has there, so I will have to get a new one regardless. So, to get a new number, I will have to sign a new contract to get a new phone. Well, my logic (which only makes sense to me) says, if I have to get a new contract to get a new phone, I don’t want to be stuck in a contract for a phone I am not happy with, when I really want an iPhone. Then my logic says… If I get an iPhone here, portage my current number… I am that many weeks ahead on the contract business, I have a new phone, and when I get to NYC, I can just change my number for $35, and my old number will have a forwarding message to all those out there that have my old number…. OK, so this is getting long, I know… End of story… I bought my self an early birthday gift (two weeks early) yesterday.
Another shot from my night walk last week, I couldn’t think of a more creative title that what it is. My list of things to take pictures of before I leave for NYC is still far too long… But this was on there somewhere.
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