Return with me now to a simpler era, a time when cameras weren't digital, when web brought to mind spiders, when network more often meant televisions and not computers. That was the scene in 1977 as I was ejected from college and forced upon an unprepared world of technology. One of my first assignments was to help the wonderful people at Hertz to port an ancient car inventory system to a newer set of hardware and software, thence to be implanted at Chicago's O'Hare Airport.
That first assignment started a trend that continued for almost two
decades: I've spent considerable time at Chicago's airport and
virtually none in the city itself. Thanks to an early pledge of
allegiance to American Airlines, or
at least to their frequent flyer program, I've had way too many
opportunities to reacquaint myself with the American terminals at
their twin hubs at O'Hare and Dallas/Fort Worth. Even on the rare
occasion when Chicago was my destination, I always ended up staying
nearer the airport than the city. All of which left me with a feeling
that Chicago was a place where you got stuck until you could make your
way to the place you really wanted to go.
My streak finally broke in the summer of 2002, when a seminar for
Apple's new Xserve product gave me my first chance to explore Chicago
properly. Even better, my hotel was within walking distance of the Lake
Shore. Which for some reason reminded me of an
execrable song called The Night Chicago Died:
"Daddy was a cop on the east side of Chicago."
Daddy must have been one hell of a swimmer. The east side is at the
bottom of Lake Michigan.
Most of the great old amusement parks were situated by the water.
That way people could combine the pleasures of nature with the more
exciting possibilities provided by roller coasters and ferris wheels
and the like. Surprisingly, Navy Pier is a new addition to Chicago's
Lake Shore. The pier itself dates back to 1916 and was supposed to be
one of two. It changed function several times after shipping faded
out in the 30s, first as a naval training center and then as part of
the University of Illinois. Its current configuration was completed
in 1995, with amusement park rides, museums, a beer garden and other
entertainments. Quite a contrast to modern theme parks, with their
less than convenient suburban locations and sky high entrance fees.
Score one more for the Windy City.
Once upon a time there were two movie critics who argued. A lot. One
was thin; one wasn't. One had hair; one didn't. One tended to
overintellectualize; the other had more popular tastes. But in their
occasionally acrimonious debate one could generally get a sense of
whether a particular film was worth the increasingly exorbitant cost of
a ticket. I refer of course to
Roger Ebert
and the late Gene Siskel,
film critics of Chicago's Sun Times and Tribune newspapers,
respectively. How fitting that these papers face each other in such
dramatic fashion. The Sun Times may have won the critical battle, as
the home both of Ebert and of Siskel's shrill and annoying successor,
Richard Roeper. But the Tribune has the cooler building. Especially
at night, as it basks in the glow of the nearby Wrigley Building.
Stirring reminders of a more dramatic time in corporate architecture,
a style Silicon Valley has yet to emulate.
Downtown isn't all imposing concrete. In fact, one of the appealing
aspects of the city is how varied the architecture is from one block
to the next. There are old lowrise neighborhoods within a short walk
of the office and apartment towers. Some of the old homes have gone
Yupscale, turning into trendy restaurants. But there seem to be a
fair number that have retained their original purpose. Granted,
you would need a rather fatter wallet to afford them than in the old
days. But I suspect that city living here isn't nearly the
compromise it is in Manhattan. Heck, I didn't feel my life was in
danger every time I crossed an intersection! How much is that
worth?
Like most big cities, Chicago has its kitschy side. A fine example at
left: the Rock & Roll McDonalds, which is what happens when a
cheap and ubitiquous franchise joint tries to steal some of the cachet
of the competition across the street: the Hard Rock Cafe. (I confess
to having eaten at the Hard Rock. But in my own defense I
should point out that I only did it once and that it was at the behest
of my brand new manager. After three days on the job I wasn't quite
ready to assert my own judgment and good taste. That took another
week.)
In my search for sustenance, I decided to reject the R&R
McD, the Hard Rock and the Rainforest Cafe next door.
Instead I decided to sample
Portillo's,
a place on the opposite corner from the Hard Rock that just oozes with
local color and boasts a good portion of the Chicago police
department as customers. And what better recommendation for an
inexpensive meal could one want than that? (Notice the neon bar sign
advertising beer and Mai-Tais. Bet you didn't know the Mai-Tai is a
Chicago invention. Who says the Web isn't educational?)
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