canadian gothic
So it's about time I did another photo post in the Lisa Visits Amurrca saga, haha.
If you missed any or for review purposes, LOL:
+ when canada and chicago collide (part one)
+ canada, eh? (part deux)
So those covered up through Thursday of that week. Friday was Shopping Day - we went downtown and hit up Water Tower Place, the 3-floor Borders across the street from WTP, and then Bloomingdales. No pictures from that day.
Saturday, as Lisa and I had decided, was our Wander Around Hyde Park day. My aunt Joyce was flying in from Ohio, and we were expecting her and my parents to get back from the airport around 2 that afternoon, so a few hours before that, we took a nice, leisurely walk around the neighborhood here. If I'm remembering correctly, we went first to 53rd Street, so I could take Lisa to the little organic health food store, Bonne Sante. To look for tea, of course! :D They carry a pretty decent selection of the Republic of Tea brand teas, and Lisa picked up a couple.
After that, we made our way to 57th Street, which is a Hyde Park staple. 57th Street is where you'll find 57th Street Books, University Market, The Medici (and the Medici Bakery, next door), Edwardo's Pizza (deeeelicious deep dish stuffed spinach pizzas), two other book stores, Cafe Florian, a couple neighborhood hair salons and a few other local business. We perused the shelves at 57th Street Books, which is this lovely little bookstore that's part of a co-op that includes two other bookstores in the neighborhood. They always have a great selection, and if they don't have something you're looking for, all you have to do is ask, and they'll order it just for you. It's cozy and friendly and it's the reason this community kinda went apeshit when a Borders went in on 53rd Street, LOL. We heart local business here.
Anywho, I got lost in the maze of shelves, and I remember Lisa was drawn to the section with books on cooking and baking. I ended up buying Jhumpa Lahiri's The Namesake and Zadie Smith's On Beauty.
We then decided to obtain refreshment in the form of iced coffee from the Medici Bakery. The Medici, for those unaware, is one of my favorite restaurants in Chicago. It's not fancy; it's comfy. Often crowded and thus full of chatter and clatter. The tables, walls and booths are covered in years and years and years worth of graffiti by way of pens, markers, whiteout, or the handiwork of someone who decided writing wasn't good enough, so dammit, they grabbed a knife and carved! They serve the basics - pizza, burgers, salads, sandwiches, traditional Americana dishes. A few things here and there on the menu stray from that, but overall, you go there for familiar comfort foods. And for the coffee. Oh, the coffee. Medici has their own blend, and it's fantastic. And you can also get things like cafe mochas and the like. They also have really good hot chocolate and hot spiced cider, in the fall and winter. They also bake their own breads. Everything from the buns for hamburgers, to toast, to the pastries they offer - all of it is baked fresh, right there at the Medici.
Several years ago, they opened up the Medici Bakery next door. Their baked goods had become popular enough that it warrented a separate-but-connected establishment where they could sell bakery stuffs and coffee to people who didn't necessarily want or have time to do an actual sit-down meal in the restaurant. And this would be where Lisa and I stopped and had some lovely iced coffee and took a break to rest our feet for a bit.
Recharged, we headed back out after a bit and I took her back up 57th Street and over to the main part of the University of Chicago campus. And this is where the pictures shall begin. :)
You pass by this courtyard when you're walking up 57th toward the campus. This is the courtyard for University Church, which is the church my parents belong to, and that I used to go to when I was younger.
And yeah, seriously, what's behind the cut? SO not dial-up friendly. Many, many pictures!
The front of University Church. It's a UCC (United Church of Christ) church, and probably one of the only churches I've ever been comfortable in. That red banner? It says, "Never place a period where God has placed a comma. God is still speaking," Many of the UCC congregations, including the one here at University Church, are supporting the Stillspeaking Initiative, which bears a motto of, "No matter who you are or where you are on life's journey, you're welcome here." It's an effort to counter the exclusionary behavior of some of the more conservative Christian denominations. I may not consider myself Christian, but I really, really respect and appreciate things like this, and I'm glad that my parents belong to a church that supports this kind of thinking.
/tangent, LOL
Just diagonally across the street from University Church is this building, Mitchell Tower.
Looking further up the street from Mitchell.
This is what you see when you first walk into the area known as The Quadrangles, which is the central part of the original Univ. of Chicago campus. That's a little covered pass-through connecting the Zoology building (off to the left) to the Erman Biology Center (to the right).
Just past where I took the previous picture is Botany Pond. Picture with cutesy couple sitting on the little bridge.
And a nice picture without any people. :) Botany Pond has always been one of my favorite spots on the U of C campus.
There were lots of ducks there that day. I don't think I saw a single male, though. All females. At least 10 of them, altogether.
And baby duckies!
Because I couldn't take just one picture of the babies.
This dude was also chillin' in the pond, hehe.
There are a bunch of these scattered around the pond, too.
Looking out toward part of the huge courtyard area in the Quad.
Lots of trees to sit under.
Various campus buildings along one side of the Quad.
Heading back the way we came in. The person walking toward the camera there to the right - just to the right of them is where Botany Pond is, beyond that archway.
I just love the way the buildings look.
Another shot of Mitchell Tower that I got as we were leaving the campus.
Lisa and I walked back along 57th a bit, back in the direction toward the bookstore and such, and I stopped to get a picture of this church. This is the Unitarian Church. It's just before University Church. The only thing separating the two is an alley.
At the intersection of 57th Street (going forward) and Kimbark (running left to right). Kimbark is the street we walked up to get to 57th. The red building at the right side of the photo, that's where 57th Street Books is. The Medici and Medici Bakery are up further, just past the red awning for the store you can see up where that SUV is pulling out.
Just across from all those businesses on 57th Street, and running for an entire block along Kimbark, as well, is William H. Ray School. My elementary school. :) This is looking down the Kimbark side, taken as Lisa and I were starting to head back home.
The side entrance on Kimbark.
Another shot, that shows the '1893' that's carved into the building up there. This main building of the school is 114 years old. Crazy!
Further up Kimbark. That's a house. No, really, that WHOLE thing. One house. That was for sale at the time. I would be surprised if it went for less then $8-900,000.
Once you get to the intersection of Kimbark and 55th, the easiest thing to do is to cut through Nichols Park. This fountain is right at the end facing 55th Street.
Standing in Nichols Park, looking across Kimbark. Those are the doors into St. Thomas the Apostle Church, which also has a Catholic school connected to it.
Looking up through part of Nichols Park.
There are a number of garbage cans all over Hyde Park that are painted. This one says 'Litter Free Chicago'.
When Lisa and I got back to my apartment, this fuzzy little guy was crawling around the outside steps, and I just had to take a picture.
So by the time Lisa and I arrived home, my parents and Joyce had been back for a while. We went up to chat with them for a bit, to introduce Lisa to Joyce, and eventually, it came time to head out to Greektown for dinner at The Parthenon.
My mom (left) and my aunt Joyce, holding their glasses of roditis. Greek wine is love.
Lisa and I! :D
Dad and Mom, aww. :)
Really neat picture I got while Joyce and Lisa were talking. I love how they're perfectly in focus, but the waiter is just a huge blur.
Lisa, the wino. ;D
Dinner at the Parthenon was a blast. Greek food is just way too good, as is their wine. Add in fantastic company, and you've got yourself a spectacular night.
The entrance, taken while we were waiting for the car to be brought back from the parking lot.
Lisa and Joyce, who got along famously the entire time Lisa was here.
An attempted shot of downtown as we were driving back home. Turned out blurry, but I thought I'd still post it. :)
I think that's a good place to wrap up this entry! Hope you enjoyed the pictures. :) Next up: Sunday at The Point, Rockefeller Chapel, and the Old Town School of Folk Music's Annual Folk & Roots Festival.
Hope everyone is well!
If you missed any or for review purposes, LOL:
+ when canada and chicago collide (part one)
+ canada, eh? (part deux)
So those covered up through Thursday of that week. Friday was Shopping Day - we went downtown and hit up Water Tower Place, the 3-floor Borders across the street from WTP, and then Bloomingdales. No pictures from that day.
Saturday, as Lisa and I had decided, was our Wander Around Hyde Park day. My aunt Joyce was flying in from Ohio, and we were expecting her and my parents to get back from the airport around 2 that afternoon, so a few hours before that, we took a nice, leisurely walk around the neighborhood here. If I'm remembering correctly, we went first to 53rd Street, so I could take Lisa to the little organic health food store, Bonne Sante. To look for tea, of course! :D They carry a pretty decent selection of the Republic of Tea brand teas, and Lisa picked up a couple.
After that, we made our way to 57th Street, which is a Hyde Park staple. 57th Street is where you'll find 57th Street Books, University Market, The Medici (and the Medici Bakery, next door), Edwardo's Pizza (deeeelicious deep dish stuffed spinach pizzas), two other book stores, Cafe Florian, a couple neighborhood hair salons and a few other local business. We perused the shelves at 57th Street Books, which is this lovely little bookstore that's part of a co-op that includes two other bookstores in the neighborhood. They always have a great selection, and if they don't have something you're looking for, all you have to do is ask, and they'll order it just for you. It's cozy and friendly and it's the reason this community kinda went apeshit when a Borders went in on 53rd Street, LOL. We heart local business here.
Anywho, I got lost in the maze of shelves, and I remember Lisa was drawn to the section with books on cooking and baking. I ended up buying Jhumpa Lahiri's The Namesake and Zadie Smith's On Beauty.
We then decided to obtain refreshment in the form of iced coffee from the Medici Bakery. The Medici, for those unaware, is one of my favorite restaurants in Chicago. It's not fancy; it's comfy. Often crowded and thus full of chatter and clatter. The tables, walls and booths are covered in years and years and years worth of graffiti by way of pens, markers, whiteout, or the handiwork of someone who decided writing wasn't good enough, so dammit, they grabbed a knife and carved! They serve the basics - pizza, burgers, salads, sandwiches, traditional Americana dishes. A few things here and there on the menu stray from that, but overall, you go there for familiar comfort foods. And for the coffee. Oh, the coffee. Medici has their own blend, and it's fantastic. And you can also get things like cafe mochas and the like. They also have really good hot chocolate and hot spiced cider, in the fall and winter. They also bake their own breads. Everything from the buns for hamburgers, to toast, to the pastries they offer - all of it is baked fresh, right there at the Medici.
Several years ago, they opened up the Medici Bakery next door. Their baked goods had become popular enough that it warrented a separate-but-connected establishment where they could sell bakery stuffs and coffee to people who didn't necessarily want or have time to do an actual sit-down meal in the restaurant. And this would be where Lisa and I stopped and had some lovely iced coffee and took a break to rest our feet for a bit.
Recharged, we headed back out after a bit and I took her back up 57th Street and over to the main part of the University of Chicago campus. And this is where the pictures shall begin. :)
You pass by this courtyard when you're walking up 57th toward the campus. This is the courtyard for University Church, which is the church my parents belong to, and that I used to go to when I was younger.
And yeah, seriously, what's behind the cut? SO not dial-up friendly. Many, many pictures!
The front of University Church. It's a UCC (United Church of Christ) church, and probably one of the only churches I've ever been comfortable in. That red banner? It says, "Never place a period where God has placed a comma. God is still speaking," Many of the UCC congregations, including the one here at University Church, are supporting the Stillspeaking Initiative, which bears a motto of, "No matter who you are or where you are on life's journey, you're welcome here." It's an effort to counter the exclusionary behavior of some of the more conservative Christian denominations. I may not consider myself Christian, but I really, really respect and appreciate things like this, and I'm glad that my parents belong to a church that supports this kind of thinking.
/tangent, LOL
Just diagonally across the street from University Church is this building, Mitchell Tower.
Looking further up the street from Mitchell.
This is what you see when you first walk into the area known as The Quadrangles, which is the central part of the original Univ. of Chicago campus. That's a little covered pass-through connecting the Zoology building (off to the left) to the Erman Biology Center (to the right).
Just past where I took the previous picture is Botany Pond. Picture with cutesy couple sitting on the little bridge.
And a nice picture without any people. :) Botany Pond has always been one of my favorite spots on the U of C campus.
There were lots of ducks there that day. I don't think I saw a single male, though. All females. At least 10 of them, altogether.
And baby duckies!
Because I couldn't take just one picture of the babies.
This dude was also chillin' in the pond, hehe.
There are a bunch of these scattered around the pond, too.
Looking out toward part of the huge courtyard area in the Quad.
Lots of trees to sit under.
Various campus buildings along one side of the Quad.
Heading back the way we came in. The person walking toward the camera there to the right - just to the right of them is where Botany Pond is, beyond that archway.
I just love the way the buildings look.
Another shot of Mitchell Tower that I got as we were leaving the campus.
Lisa and I walked back along 57th a bit, back in the direction toward the bookstore and such, and I stopped to get a picture of this church. This is the Unitarian Church. It's just before University Church. The only thing separating the two is an alley.
At the intersection of 57th Street (going forward) and Kimbark (running left to right). Kimbark is the street we walked up to get to 57th. The red building at the right side of the photo, that's where 57th Street Books is. The Medici and Medici Bakery are up further, just past the red awning for the store you can see up where that SUV is pulling out.
Just across from all those businesses on 57th Street, and running for an entire block along Kimbark, as well, is William H. Ray School. My elementary school. :) This is looking down the Kimbark side, taken as Lisa and I were starting to head back home.
The side entrance on Kimbark.
Another shot, that shows the '1893' that's carved into the building up there. This main building of the school is 114 years old. Crazy!
Further up Kimbark. That's a house. No, really, that WHOLE thing. One house. That was for sale at the time. I would be surprised if it went for less then $8-900,000.
Once you get to the intersection of Kimbark and 55th, the easiest thing to do is to cut through Nichols Park. This fountain is right at the end facing 55th Street.
Standing in Nichols Park, looking across Kimbark. Those are the doors into St. Thomas the Apostle Church, which also has a Catholic school connected to it.
Looking up through part of Nichols Park.
There are a number of garbage cans all over Hyde Park that are painted. This one says 'Litter Free Chicago'.
When Lisa and I got back to my apartment, this fuzzy little guy was crawling around the outside steps, and I just had to take a picture.
So by the time Lisa and I arrived home, my parents and Joyce had been back for a while. We went up to chat with them for a bit, to introduce Lisa to Joyce, and eventually, it came time to head out to Greektown for dinner at The Parthenon.
My mom (left) and my aunt Joyce, holding their glasses of roditis. Greek wine is love.
Lisa and I! :D
Dad and Mom, aww. :)
Really neat picture I got while Joyce and Lisa were talking. I love how they're perfectly in focus, but the waiter is just a huge blur.
Lisa, the wino. ;D
Dinner at the Parthenon was a blast. Greek food is just way too good, as is their wine. Add in fantastic company, and you've got yourself a spectacular night.
The entrance, taken while we were waiting for the car to be brought back from the parking lot.
Lisa and Joyce, who got along famously the entire time Lisa was here.
An attempted shot of downtown as we were driving back home. Turned out blurry, but I thought I'd still post it. :)
I think that's a good place to wrap up this entry! Hope you enjoyed the pictures. :) Next up: Sunday at The Point, Rockefeller Chapel, and the Old Town School of Folk Music's Annual Folk & Roots Festival.
Hope everyone is well!