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.
