Ridin'

A very conveniently-timed bike rider unknowingly crossed my path.

Can't You See I'm the One 

6 am, Leavitt and Hubbard St., Chicago

Summer Color, Winter Weather

Crosswalk

Slightly further West Side of Chicago 6 am, 01/07. Travels will start taking me a little further every day, down more quiet alleys and partially lit streets.

DETOUR

I don't hate driving. I hate drivers.
Texting. Talking on the phone. Checking the glove compartment. But if you REALLY want to get on my bad side, rubberneck when you're in front of me. At an accident, if I see your head swivel, my horn will snap you back to attention pretty quick.
Roll over accidents on every expressway. What is usually a 35 minute drive took just under an hour and a half, white knuckle most of the way.
And I've been doing this for 35 years. Don't tell me I should "try to relax".

WEST SIDE 01/23/2019 6:02 am

Reflections of...

CROSSWALK

California and Lake, 5:45 am

Reminiscence of a Getting Older Man

I know I've said this MANY times (so I know it isn't senility), but it still sounds "old" when I say how much I miss what this neighborhood USED to be. Gritty, grimy, dirty, greasy, sketchy, with a little undercurrent of "possibly dangerous" thrown in.
It had more character. At least to me it did. But I guess that's all part of getting life as well. Longing for things that are gone and just ain't coming back. To some people that's progress. Progress should mean making something better. To me, it doesn't apply in this case.

Metal Yard, 5:45 am

Long Shadows

Have a Seat and Let Me Tell You About Chairman Fred

As important a figure as there was in the turbulent political unrest of Chicago in the 1960's, it's sad to see that Fred Hampton is "remembered" on a dilapidated brick wall. Crumbling brick and peeling paint, staring out over a vacant lot.

If you are unfamiliar with the life and death of Fred Hampton, do yourself a favor and read. A lot of people have given everything they had to try and make a difference, and it's a shame to think that they me be forgotten.

West Side Christmas Lights

Part of the "allure" of leaving for work at 5 am is beating the miserable traffic, especially when the weather is like this. Another part of it is seeing this neighborhood before it wakes up.

Rest Stop

A lonely chair by Hillbilly's abode. It's been there for months, and I've never seen anyone sit in it. It's probably pretty lonely.

A Desolate Future

For as long as I can remember, these tracks have looked exactly the same. It's almost like they were built crumbling, rusting, looking like they could cave any minute.

I can imagine, 100 years from now, they will probably still be standing, looking exactly the same. It's almost like time stands still under the tracks.

With Love

Under the tracks on Hoyne in Chicago. At first glance, the bear can seem ironic until you realize that this is home to some people, including women. Maybe every little touch makes it a little more tolerable.

Frozen Glory

Work Neighborhood, 6 AM. Shot at 1/15 of a second. The flag was completely frozen. The wind was blowing, not a to, but enough. The flag didn't budge.

Building Down

Aftermath of the wind today. The construction site down the street had a bit of an accident, when two of the 40 foot concrete walls collapsed into the street. Nobody hurt, but a car parked on the north side of Walnut was pancaked. I assume that nobody was in the car at the time, but it was going to take a while to dig the car out and find out for certain.

Submerged

The bricks that are visible are fairly representative of the quality of the street underneath. I don't advise driving any faster than 5 MPH (if you have to drive on it).

Approach With Caution

I did not check to see what was in it. No one did. Perhaps I should contact Homeland Security.

The Slow Walk

As I was leaving, Old School showed up. I honestly have never seen him more despondent. He always seemed to have a very street savvy "I don't have time for your shit" attitude. Very straightforward, no room for mis-interpretation.

Today he was visibly depressed. He told me that he doesn't know who started the fire, but it was burned last night. I assume he is thinking that his is next.

Old School has always had a lot of self-pride, even with the situation he is in. I have often offered him a couple of bucks or to take him to lunch. He always refused, saying he was ok, that he had had a good day, whether it be pallets, steel, aluminum, etc… He was always too proud to take a "handout".

I offered again today. He almost sheepishly asked if he could possibly get a few bucks to get something to eat. I handed him a few dollars and wished him luck. I did not ask if I could take his picture because that just didn't seem so important at the moment.

HEAVEN ON EARTH

I love my work neighborhood. Every day I walk around, I talk to people, and I admire the gritty grunginess. Somedays the sun is even shining.

70's Noir

I was pretty much raised on film in the '60s and '70s, and one of my favorite genres was the gritty urban NY films of the '70s. "Taxi Driver". "Dog Day Afternoon". "Night of the Juggler". Seedy, grungy, sweaty, rain-soaked and neon-lit. Always a slightly dangerous undercurrent in the air, but if you belong there, people know it. On the other hand, if you DON'T belong there, people know it too.

Some days and nights, this neighborhood reminds me of that. There is a certain electricity in the air, and a little bit of swagger. I can't get enough of it.

Maybe I've Been Looking at This All Wrong

Left work fairly late this evening, as I went out (!!!) and had to come back to work. As it was snowing pretty briskly, I realized that people are right when they say things like "The snow is pretty." It actually WAS kind of nice to look at.

The thing I don't like about snow are just the hassles that go with it. The shoveling, the traffic, the mess, the etc… Maybe if all I had to do was sit inside, look out a window, and admire a beautiful scenic snowfall (even a gritty urban one), I might like Winter a bit more than I do.

This is Called Home

I attempted to drop some warm weather gear off for Levita today (coat, hat, gloves). On my way in, I felt guilty about going in to work first before getting it to her.

I don't know how many times I have walked under these tracks, in all kinds of weather conditions. For some reason, it has never felt this cold. Not only the temperature, but the whole feeling. Empty, cold, dark, lonely. I thought "Someone lives here." Surrounded by icicles that are up to 3 feet in length, protected by a cardboard box and a few blankets.

These are the times that make me wonder. What has to happen in a persons life that leads to a life like this? How can someone find the strength to wake up, day after day, with this to look forward to? I can talk to people, I can try to help out in any small way I can, but I selfishly hope that I am never able to answer those questions.

Blue and Blonde

Morgan Street Station, Chicago, evening rush hour. That is all.

The Real Chicago

Tony asked me today why I took all these pictures, what I did with them.

Me: "Nothing really. I just like getting out because I love this neighborhood. To me, this is the real Chicago."

Tony: "Everybody wants to be down there." (He points to the city.) "They think that's Chicago, that's where they're supposed to be. But here, it's work hard, play fair, and have a good day. That's all you can ask for."

Pearls of wisdom.

In Hiding

It was an absolutely gorgeous sunny day today, unseasonably warm. A perfect day for walking around. But Tony and Levita prefer to keep their distance from most people.

I spent my lunch time talking to them both. I talked to Levita about her growing up and going to school. I talked to Tony about my photography, and he asked if it would be possible to get a copy of the pictures I took of both him and Levita.

They both seem to understand that they live on the fringe of society, and for the most part, people act as if they aren't even there. This is why they keep their distance from people, because they understand how people would react.

They have never asked me for a penny, but I have offered them a couple of dollars. They have gratefully accepted. I do it partly because of my own guilt about what I have in life. It's not much, but it is so much more than some others do.

Hugo's Yellow Boots

Hugo works with Raul. He was walking away from this blue wall when I first saw him. After I took Raul's picture (which Hugo found very amusing), I asked if I might get a picture of his boots by the wall. He thought it a bit of a strange request, but he went along with it.

1984

Emily, Ready To Leave

I was leaving work late and had yet to get my picture of the day, so I figured I would take a quick walk around the hood before I started home. I saw a motorcycle parked, and as I was crouching to take a picture with the sunset behind, Emily (the owner) came up to get on. I introduced myself and asked if I could take a couple of quick pictures. She did not mind.

In our very brief conversation, I found out that Emily is the owner of a local stained glass gallery. She invited me to come and take a look at the studio. I think I might take her up on that.

Waiting for the Bus/ Jesus Just Left Chicago

On such a sunny day, it was pretty sad to see this woman, standing at the bus stop by herself on the corner of Western and Cermak, staring straight ahead with hands clenched, muttering something to herself. I'm not sure if it was a prayer she was saying, or what she was thinking. But she was completely oblivious to everyone and everything around her. Only when the bus pulled up and people started passing her to get on did she move, like she was wakened from a trance, and boarded the bus.

Jerry, Texting

Lunchtime stroll around the neighborhood. I saw this gentleman on his phone this way. Not wanting to creep on him, I introduced myself, explained myself, and asked if I could take a couple of pictures of his back. Bemused, he asked what he needed to do. "Nothing. Just do what you're doing." He was willing to do that.

Pray For Us

Rough day. Work was an absolute bitch. Tiring, stressful. Went out to lunch and got shot down not one, not twice, but three times for portraits. Went to process my pictures tonight and my SD card was corrupted, all images blank. YAY! Downloaded the file finding software and got them back, but it was just another little nagging thing piled on top of all the other little nagging things today. Just one of those days that you are happy when it's over.

It appears that Jesus was the only one at the Mexican restaurant who didn't turn me down for a portrait today.

Local Resident

One of (unfortunately) many homeless in the work neighborhood. I've been noticing him more and more as we walk around at lunch. He seems to spend his day walking his bike around, and carrying along anything he might find in his travels that he can recycle for cash (cans, pallets, etc…). It can be a very sobering site to see so much effort every day for what seems so little to most people.

Summer in the City

Just walking around the neighborhood today, there wasn't really a lot going on. But I liked this as I was processing. Maybe I just like the whole "throwback" vibe I get off of it. Reminds me of the old days of the neighborhood around here, circa 1984. Cheap street whores, winos, people either puking or having sex in any alley you looked in…yep, those were the days. At least it had character.

Beat the Heat

Lunching under the L tracks. Definitely much cooler, but I'm not sure if the smell is conducive to keeping your lunch down.

365 Motto

Since I spend quite a bit of time in my car during the week (minimum 3 1/2 hours a day), I figured at some point I better do some drive-by shootings (with my camera, mind you). With nothing better to do on my way in today, I clicked a few frames out my window, without really paying attention to what I was getting.

This spoke to me. I thought it very fitting for what we are going through. "Going crazy daily"… I know I do, and I know a lot of you others do as well. As much as this is supposed to be "fun", we are pushing ourselves to be better and to learn and to rise to challenges we set for ourselves.

We are "Going Crazy Daily", and we are all driving ourselves there. But that's good, because we care.

The L

2 Chicago icons - The Sears Tower (sorry, I'm old school) and the "L" train. Cloudy stormy morning, and since it is presently raining outside, I'm betting this is going to be the best picture I get today (but you never know)

TRANSFORMER

I thought it looked like a giant robot attacking. Maybe my parents took me to too many movies when I was a kid. Anyway, Happy Tax Day, everybody!

Not Again

I could have sworn it was 70 degrees just last week. These are the days that I am so glad I come into work early,

Early Morning, Bitter Cold

Currently -9 air temperature on the West Side of Chicago. I hate to say I like these mornings, but there is a very eerie calm about them. This part of the city still has that kind of 70's "Taxi Driver" vibe to it. Gritty, dirty, coarse. There's something kind of nostalgic about it.

Creep On Creepin' On

Goodwill, Cicero, IL, Didn't buy anything, but I didn't leave empty-handed. First time I've ever been asked to leave a Goodwill. No matter, I was done anyway.

1 month down. Happy Anniversary/Birthday/Whatever, everybody

(Technically, NOT from the Work Neighborhood. But I didn't think it belonged in "Pretty Pictures" and I don't have a set entitled "Creepy Pictures". Maybe I should.)