Uptown

In mid-April my husband and I decided to visit Uptown. We’d read about some vintage shopping in the area. The beautiful weather had warmed to the 60s, after a chilly spring and some late season snowfalls.

We randomly chose the Argyle stop to exit the red line L train. I didn’t realize it was “Asia on Argyle” with a cluster of Asian restaurants and groceries. It’s as large as some entire Chinatown neighborhoods in other cities.

The population was diverse. Everywhere we traveled in the neighborhood we saw families, and groups of people, out enjoying the spring sunshine. Every block had people walking.

Broadway is the main commercial strip. I picked a Chinese dim sum restaurant for lunch. It was similar to a classic cafeteria, except the food was rolled on carts from table to table, instead of a buffet line. The waiter realized it was our first visit. He offered explanations about what was on the plates.

The waiter suggested a delicious sticky rice, with a meat center, steamed in Lotus leaves. We sampled several dishes. I particularly liked the pork dumplings. However, I don’t think I’ve had a dumpling I’ve ever truly disliked.

After lunch we walked over to the lake. I noticed some older buildings remain in the neighborhood, while others have been replaced with high rises, particularly from the 1960s and 70s, closer to the water. It seemed like an area of urban renewal projects, although the Encyclopedia of Chicago notes that the residents worked hard to avoid widespread displacement like Hyde Park.

We walked under a freeway bridge. One side of the underpass was lined with a tent city of homeless who lived permanently under the bridge. I’d read the city is supposed to be working on finding homes for people living in tent encampments around the city. The need for low income housing far exceeds supply in Chicago. This is particularly true because so many of the SRO hotels in the city have been demolished or converted to other uses.

Encyclopedia of Chicago describes Uptown as a former entertainment district for the city. The SRO hotels, which used to be clustered in the neighborhood, would have served singles and young couples, wanting an urban lifestyle instead of maintaining a house, similar to the micro-apartment concept today. (SRO hotels were more carefree, as they didn’t have kitchens and might include housekeeping.) Later the SRO hotels were used by migrant workers and as cheap housing to prevent homelessness.

Walking the neighborhood, we noticed a concentration of social services I don’t tend to see in other areas. We noticed housing for substance abuse services, the ill, and elderly. Walking past a doorway of an apartment building I saw plants which had been ripped out of their decorative pots. Dirt was scattered across the steps. Even in some of the roughest areas of the city I haven’t observed destruction of landscaping.

When we reached the lake the parks, trails and ball fields were full. A couple games of girls’ soccer were in progress. I watched a father teach a young boy how to fly a kite while pushing a baby along in a stroller, a group of preteen boys fishing, a couple strolling hand-in-hand along the rocks, small groups sitting on blankets, and a line waiting for food from the taco truck. Summer was in full swing.

Walking back through the neighborhood to the train we stopped at an Asian grocery. Like so many ethnic markets around the city they had great prices. I stocked up on 3 varieties of noodles, tea, and frozen pre-made pot stickers.

Until now I’ve resisted the notion of Chicago fusion cooking. I will look at a menu and think, “Those foods should not live together on the same plate.” I decided to take the plunge. I cooked Canton style eggs noodles from the market. I then added spaghetti sauce with onions, peppers, kielbasa and ham. It was strangely good. The noodles were light and brought out the flavors of the sauce. We ate the leftovers immediately.

I wouldn’t make the long cross town trip to eat at some of Chicago’s more authentic restaurants in the neighborhoods regularly. I’m glad I’ve done it once, but really, I tend to prefer “Americanized” versions of the foods closer to home anyway. I like the thin crust pizza I’ve had in South Loop better than what I tried at a liquor store in Albany Park, for example.  

At the same time, the small groceries are a different matter. Some neighborhoods have unique and inexpensive foods I can’t seem to find anywhere closer to our apartment. While the French and Maxwell Street Markets are a good start, too bad Chicago doesn’t have a giant public market once a week for shopping from small vendors across the city.

VIDEO: West Loop, Near West Side

Link to video of photos:

https://youtu.be/2xt5BeRzWlk

West Loop, Near West Side

 

Deciding which neighborhood to visit on the Near West Side was difficult. The area includes unique places, such as Greektown, Fulton Market, and the quiet residential Tri-Taylor. Before moving to Chicago I had read quite a bit about Little Italy, and considered locating my family there. Using Google street views I liked the style of the homes and its proximity to a university and downtown. After nine months of living in Chicago I still hadn’t gone to the neighborhood.

My daughter and I do regularly go the Morgan L (elevated train) stop of the Near West Side. I adore the shrimp grits at Wishbone restaurant, Khloe at Solo Salon is a genius at giving me a beautiful shade of “natural” red hair, and Wigglyville is my favorite spot to buy dog treats.

Still, the point of my project was to experience new places. Before locating to Chicago I’d read about the French Market. Unfortunately, it’s closed on Sundays, when my family and I often travel around the city. I talked my daughter into accompanying me during a weekday to West Loop.

We took the L to the Clinton stop. The French Market was only a block away. While I would have liked to have eaten lunch in one of the finer nearby French restaurants, none I found were within our budget.

I’m a big fan of public markets because they are so important to the health of a community. The eastern side of West Loop is adjacent to Chicago’s downtown and lives in the shadow of one of North America’s tallest skyscrapers, the Willis Tower. (Locals still call the building the Sears Tower.) Rents in West Loop are climbing similarly sky high.

The public market provides space to small and local vendors who couldn’t otherwise afford to be the in the area. We were able to experience interesting food without breaking the bank. The market is located in the Ogilvie Transportation Center, combining two of my favorite things—markets and trains. Shopping in the train station allows Metra commuters to grab groceries or a bite to eat as they pass through.

Nearby is Union Station, serving more Metra lines and Amtrak. Chicago is the largest rail hub in the United States, both for freight and passenger travel. West Loop is unique in that many of those tracks run under the neighborhood. While cities like New York have contentious battles over air rights, the problem for West Loop is ground rights. It’s difficult to find empty places to anchor new buildings along the river.

Upon arrival to the French Market we pursued various vendor stalls to choose our lunch. Options included a number of nationalities, including Mexican and Asian. I was tempted by a Croque Madame sandwich or fresh crepes. In the end, my daughter and I both opted for delicious Belgian hamburgers and fries. I’ve never tried mayo on my fries. It was much tastier than I expected.

After lunch we traversed the eastern side of the neighborhood, starting along the river. It was an unseasonably warm early February day in the low forties. Small groups of people walked in the sunshine or took smoke breaks outside office highrises.

It didn’t take long to complete a loop, going as far as the freeway on the western side. We purposely ended up back at the French Market to find mid-afternoon desserts. There were plenty of chocolates, pastries and sweets. Before we finished I bought treats to take home and some wonderful fresh tortellini to add to our salads for dinner. I plan to keep the market in mind for cold winter days ahead.