Chicago — random comments in the nature of a review

I love Chicago.  There are so many awesome places to visit:  restaurants, museums, towers, and a rather large lake.  I can’t pretend to understand the city.  I have never lived there, never even spent more than three nights in a row there.  But I have been enough times to learn a thing or two about the city.

It’s called the Second City.  Do you know why?  I have quizzed several people, all college educated, all relatively well-traveled.  None of them knew the answer.  Most people think it’s because New York is the first city (biggest, best, etc.) and Chicago is second.  Wrong.

During the Great Chicago Fire, which almost certainly wasn’t started by Mrs. O’Leary’s cow, virtually the entire city burned to the ground.  The rebuilding was basically a new beginning, hence it’s the second city.  It has nothing to do with an inferiority complex.

Although the fire devastated the physical plant of the city, “only” a reported 300 or so people perished.  On the same day that the Great Chicago Fire started, another fire started in a mid-western town that killed over 1,000 people, perhaps as many as 2,500.  Name that city.  (Answer below.)

There is great food everywhere.  Breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert are just a few steps away from virtually any spot near downtown.  Deep dish pizza is among my favorites and it is available all over the city.  There are so many great venues that it would be unfair to single out any individual establishment.  Not so barbeque.  I have been to one place, several times, and it is fantastic.  Twin Anchors has been a part of the Chicago scene since the 1930s and remains worthy of a visit.  It’s on the way to Wrigley Field – those two places in one day make for a double header that Ernie Banks would be proud of.

Recently, I ate dinner at two different restaurants that we just happened upon.  Both were excellent.  D4 is an Irish pub with high ceilings and an old world feel.    The food and beer were very good.  Mad Boiler is a seafood specialist, where the food is presented unceremoniously in a plastic bag after having been steamed.  Many different seasonings are available, the two that we tried were excellent.  Want breakfast?  Hash House a go go has large quantities, great flavor, and a full bar, including a terrific BLT Bloody Mary.  One night after dinner, I asked my phone for help, and was reliably informed that Molly’s Cupcakes was within 50 paces.  The cheesecake and cupcakes that we sampled were wonderful.

Chicago is also called the Windy City, even though it is considered the 12th windiest city in the country.  (Who calculates these things?)  The nickname has nothing to do with the weather or the breezes that blow off the lake.  Back in the day, Chicago was full of politicians who were considered windbags.  They engendered the nickname.  I doubt that Chicago’s modern politicians have done anything to warrant a change.

The other great fire that started on October 8, 1871, was in Peshtigo, Wisconsin.  It was largely a forest fire, consumed over 1.5 million acres, and may have killed as many as 2,500 people.

Mention the Chicago River, causes many people ask “isn’t that the river they dye green” on St. Patrick’s Day.  Although this is true, it is not the most significant aspect of the river’s history.  That distinction applies to its reversal.  The river used to flow into Lake Michigan, containing much of the sewage generated by the good residents of the city.  During a particularly bad storm in 1885, the overflow rushed past and then into the water intakes that pumped fresh water into the city.  Ordinarily the sewage dispersed before it reached the intakes.

The contaminated drinking water caused various diseases that combined to kill an estimated 12% of the city’s residents.  The disastrous experience led the city and state to join forces to reverse the flow of the river.  Massive amounts of earth were moved, but the river now flows out of the lake and deposits its water in the Atlantic Ocean via the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico instead of via the St. Lawrence River and the Gulf of St. Lawrence.

Much of what I know about the Chicago River and the architecture of Chicago (which I shall keep to myself), I learned on the Architectural River Cruise offered by Chicago Lines.  It was a blast.  We cruised up and down the river, not quite into the lake, and learned about many of the buildings that dominate the city’s fantastic skyline.  We learned about the various styles prevalent in the city, some of which are virtually dueling with each other, and about many of the magnates who constructed the buildings.  It was well worth 90 or so minutes and 40 or so dollars.

While in Chicago, I saw Sting and Peter Gabriel for the second time.  My seats were much better (thank you John), allowing me to see the Red Team (Gabriel) and Blue Team (Sting) movements.  The ensemble has strengthened over the past two weeks, gaining confidence in their collective voice and music.  Practice doesn’t necessarily make perfect, but in this case, it certainly made them better.  The play list remained the same except two of Gabriel’s more somber numbers (No Self Control and Darkness) were replaced by San Jacinto and Digging in the Dirt.    The changes were definitely an improvement.

Usually when Sting was singing, the entire Blue Team was on the stage.  Sometimes they were supplemented with various Red Teamers, perhaps Gabriel singing backup or on keyboards or, during Desert Rose, with an extra drummer.  When Gabriel sang, the entire Red Team was on stage, though they were frequently supported by Sting singing or on bass or, during Red Rain, by the Blue violinist.  Being able to see the various changes and permutations was interesting, but wasn’t integral to enjoying the music, which was best when both teams were on the stage infusing the crowd with their full power, especially during In Your Eyes.

Chicago is not without its flaws.  Perhaps the most noteworthy is the high rate of shootings and homicides, many resulting from the various gangs infesting the city.  According to Wikipedia, the rate of homicides in Chicago is twice as high as in New York City, the level of gang membership is the highest in the country, and gangs account for 61% of the homicides.    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crime_in_Chicago

So when you visit Chicago, stick near Downtown, it’s where most of the fun is and where the gangs aren’t.