Day 3 - Chicago

Day 3 - (Sunday, 30th July 06')
Today was our last day in Chicago and our flight out of Chicago Midway was at 3 pm. Karthik had graciously insisted on dropping us at the airport, after we would get done with our CAF (Chicago Architectural Foundation's) Architectural River Cruise. We were booked on the 11 am cruise, which would take off from the Chicago River, at the foot of the Wacker bridge and bring us back there at 12:30 pm.
Saurabh and I checked out of our hotel and decided to conserve our monetary resources by taking the complimentary shuttle ride from the hotel into the city. We had become, very used to taking cabs in this city and figured that it may be a tough, thereby expensive habit, to lose, when we got back home in NYC.
We didn’t have enough time to grab a bite before the cruise, although we had already planned that the last thing we would eat before we left Chicago, was a slice of their deep-dish pizza. It only occurred to us later, that there weren’t many shops that sold pizzas by the slice, as in NYC. Karthik informed me that a deep-dish pizza would take atleast 1 to 1-1/2 hours to make, once ordered, so it was beginning to dawn upon us, that we might have to leave without having sunk our teeth into one.
Slightly disappointed at that, Saurabh and I got on the cruise and took almost front row seats, to make sure we didn’t miss any Chicago trivia that might come across our way.
The cruise was spectacular; starting off in the middle of downtown, where we craned our necks to see the steel and glass structures all around us. The cruise guide introduced herself and for the next 90 minutes, we were bombarded with loads of information, on the architecture of this dynamic city. Buildings from the art-deco to the post modern style; by architects ranging from the ‘Bauhaus’ to the ‘blob’ schools passed us by, as our cruise moved ahead on the green river, which apparently turns a darker green every year on St. Patrick’s Day. The boat, took us all along the river, cruising through the various tall buildings of downtown and into the harbour, from where we could see the Navy Pier in the distance and the black skyscraper building, which Oprah Winfrey calls home.
The Chicago River has gone down in civil engineering history, to have had its flow reversed, originally from flowing into the Lake Michigan River, to now flowing away from it. ‘Chicago’ means ‘the stinking onion’ in the language of the Native Americans who lived there. The name, as is apparent, was given to the river, on account of the rotten onion stink that it gave out, due to massive dumping of industrial waste in it, during Chicago’s industrial boom. However, the present day Chicago River, is nothing like it’s name; it’s clean and green, providing for a lovely natural hue to Chicago downtown.
The cruise lasted a good 90 minutes, during which I kept trying to store the three-dimensional experience through my two-dimensional digital viewfinder. Chicagoan’s almost tirelessly waved at us, from the numerous bridges we sailed under, to building rooftops and promenades that lined the river. I remember mentioning to Saurabh, how amazed I get, each time, with this sort of friendly urban conduct, encountered with, in cities other than NYC. Not to mention, that NYC does not have its own style of urban conduct, but time and pace definitely get the better of people there; that at times we forget to stand and stare as Davies’ would love to have us do, in his poem ‘Leisure’, my all time favourite. This CAF Architectural River cruise is certainly a must-do for any architectural or urban enthusiast, in Chicago, worth every penny it costs.
When we were back at the foot of the Wacker Bridge, Karthik called, to pleasantly surprise us with a “I’ve ordered you guys a Deep Dish Pizza, so come on over quick.”
We hailed a cab and reached ‘The Presidential Towers’, a modern, almost mini-city scale apartment building complex, which Karthik calls home. Our first reaction was, this is Chicago’s magnified version of Newport-Pavonia; a residential area of Jersey City, with hotel-like apartment buildings, that boast of washers and dryers/ elevators/ concierges and pompous chandeliers. (I live like most poor people in NYC do; in a rent-stabilized pre-war, brownstone in Astoria, Queens, so living it up in style such as this, certainly gives me a high at times. Although, I do believe that there is more ‘character’ to a brownstone with its rich historical context, than a carpeted, high rise apartment, laid with a stencil. The only thing that turns me on about a high-rise is really, the fabulous views it lays out, which I believe may be enough reason for me to make a move into one, eventually in life.) ‘The Presidential Towers’, just like in Newport, has a largely South-Asian population. It also has a grocery store, shopping mall, restaurants, coffee-shops, all within the complex. The commute from the lobby of the building to Karthik’s apartment was a good 10 minute walk; that comprised of riding on escalators, elevators and left me looking out for a moving walkway next:)
Karthik’s semi-one bedroom/ studio was neatly laid out and kept well; always a pleasure when it comes to a bachelor pad. As I was expecting, his apartment had splendid views of downtown and of the Sear’s Tower, which seems to be in his backyard. The Pizza was waiting for us to devour it, an act quickly conducted, to satiate our hungry tummies and make it in time for our flight from Chicago Midway. With our stomach’s full and hearts contented, we left to drive to the airport to take our flight back home and wrap up a weekend, well spent in Chi town.
To summarise it, in my favourite Ol’ Blue eyes words:
“This is my kind of town, Chicago is
My kind of town, Chicago is
My kind of people too
People who smile at you”

Acknowledgements:
Saurabh: For accompanying me on this trip and making it more interesting with our architectural discourses and sharing my wander-thirst with equal enthusiasm.

Suchi: For a wonderful tour of the area West of Michigan Mile and spending a sunny afternoon, chatting away, like old times. Also, for a few excellent recommendations on ‘Blues’ clubs in the city and her meticulously, neatly-written detailed list of the same.

Karthik: For a beautiful evening tour of the Navy Pier and saying it a 1000 times how wonderful he felt to meet with us 10 years later. Also, for being a wonderful host and getting us the elusive deep-dish, that we thought we had almost left Chi town without. And last but definitely not the least, for insisting on driving us to the airport, which only made our trip more comfortable.

All those Chicagoans' who waved at us when we were cruising along peeping into their houses. (A phenomenon so contrary to the one, when I was cruising along the Amstel River in Amsterdam, where the locals snorted, frowned and furled their curtains in our face, at times.
And, to think the Dutch are exhibitionists and love to have people peer into their houses.)

Lastly, the various ‘nice’ people for their ‘niceties’ that made me leave Chicago with the feeling that it is one of the ‘nicest’ cities I‘ve ever been to.
Nice enough, to make me want to call it "Ni(ce)City".