Life In The Big City

Although a child of the suburbs, I do like to take in the city experience now and then. My good friend Jay lives in Chicago and has invited me to come and visit a number of times. For whatever reason a trip just never materialized. Now that we live so close it was time to take him up on his offer. Unfortunately Chrysa had to work the weekend that I planned to go. This was going to be a solo trip to the great state of Illinois.

Chrysa grew up perilously close to New York City. In fact, when we travel to her hometown, her crazy pseudo Brooklyn accent comes out. Like many New Yorkers, Chrysa is convinced that NYC is the only “real city” in the USA. Part of the reason for this visit was for Jay and I to convince her that this great country has more than one “real city.”

I left Lafayette on Friday morning at about 10:15 AM. Jay had warned me to get on the road early, Chicago traffic can be a beast. I decided to take the interstate to Chicago. I figured I could simply blast my way there at 70 MPH. I did make good time but I ran into another problem…tolls. I guess I am spoiled from living down south, but I didn’t realize it would cost $7 in tolls to travel one state over.

I got to Jay’s apartment and he showed me where to park. I had to put my rusty parallel parking skills to the test, but I’m happy to say that I nailed it on the first try! Jay’s apartment is in a converted masonic temple. The building is very classic looking, so I was surprised to see such a modern style apartment inside.

Jay had tickets for us to attend an Oktoberfest dinner at a local restaurant. We had a couple hours to kill prior to dinner so we decided to check out one of his favorite neighborhoods. In order to get there I needed to be set up for public transportation. We went to the train station and I got my 3 day pass and we were off. A short train ride later we were in a nice German neighborhood with all sorts of shops and restaurants. We ducked into a fantastic shop that was full meats and cheeses. I could make a hell of a charcuterie platter from the products in this place. On the roof they have a beer garden. After a short stroll around the neighborhood, and a stop at the ATM, we went back to the store to have a couple brews.

After another trip on public transportation it was time for dinner. The Oktoberfest dinner was fantastic. We sat outside to eat. The weather was simply ideal. So was the food. There was schnitzel, pierogies, spaetzle, cabbage, and of course… beer. We ate all this amazing food while listening to an oompah band decked out in full lederhosen.

After dinner it was back to the apartment to meet up with Jay’s wife, Erica, and enjoy some of the local beer that I brought with me from Lafayette. I didn’t realize it at the time, but I had more beer than was good for me. I was going to be hurting in the morning.

I woke up Saturday with a nice hangover. Good thing it didn’t put me out of commission because we were going to check out part of the city. It was national museum day, so we were off to the planetarium. We arrived after a nice train/bus ride that affords some great views of downtown. The planetarium sits astride Lake Michigan and offers amazing views of the skyline. Jay and I toured the planetarium and had a wonderful time. The tour was self-guided, informative, and fun.

The rest of the afternoon was a walking tour of the nearby sites. We got to see Soldier Field, Grant Park, Millennium Park, the Buckingham Fountain, and the Bean. We probably walked close to 5 miles when all was said and done.

We were meeting Erica for dinner at a BBQ joint so it was another train/bus ride to another neighborhood. The food was fantastic. Jay and I both had baby back ribs that were fall off the bone tender. We missed the next bus back to the apartment so we stopped at a cocktail bar for a drink or two. That is one perk of a big city. There is always something to do, even if you are just waiting for the bus.

Thankfully I was hangover free the next day because we were headed to the local Buffalo Bills bar to catch the game. Jay had planned to meet up with our old friend Marissa, who now lives in Chicago. It was really great to see her and catch up on old times. It was a great afternoon despite the Bills losing the game.

I left town right after the game. I took back roads to get back to Lafayette. The going was much easier and I didn’t have to pay a single toll. When I got back home I told Chrysa about my trip. Based on the size of the city, the public transportation, the restaurant and bar scene, I asked her if Chicago was a “real city.” She said she wasn’t sure. I guess I am going to have to prove it by taking her there. Stubborn New Yorker.

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