Upon landing at O’hare airport this afternoon, I was pleasantly surprised at the beautiful, dry weather. It was sunny, 80 degrees, and just slightly humid. After picking up my suitcase, I took the Blue Train from O’hare airport to Addison Street and then the bus on Addison Street toward Lakeshore drive until arriving at Wrigley Stadium.
After walking a few blocks from Wrigley Stadium, I checked into the AIRBNB and met the host, Stasch. Stasch is a laid-back, 40-something year old guy who lives a few blocks away from Wrigley Stadium. He doesn’t have a conventional 9-5 job, but (along with his live-in girlfriend) makes money through AIRBNB, Uber, Taskrabbit, and other crowdsourcing platforms. He seems to live a comfortable, laid back lifestyle with his two dogs in a beautiful neighborhood.
After meeting Stasch, I ate lunch at an Mediterranean restaurant he suggested by the name of Zam Zam (http://www.yelp.com/biz/zam-zam-middle-eastern-grill-chicago-3). I ordered a Chicken Shawarma bowl which was flavorful and filling.
The section of Clark Street near Wrigley Stadium houses late-night restaurants, lounges, and bars. The high concentration of bars and restaurants probably make this a great area to be at on game nights. Unfortunately, the Cubs aren’t playing tonight but the Blackhawks are playing a Game-7 hockey game tonight, and if they win they’ll advance to the Stanley Cup. Depending on how exciting the game seems to be, I may stop by a bar and experience watching a Chicago sporting event on Clark Street.
It was interesting to see how naturally Wrigley Field blends into its surroundings. Unlike Dodgers Stadium or Staples Center, Wrigley Field has a beautiful facade and provides a welcoming view from the surrounding four streets, rather than an intimidating, closed-off fortress or a stadium set back thousands of feet away from a major street. In fact, the view may have been too open and welcoming, leading neighboring building owners to build bleachers on their rooftops to earn extra money by charging the public for admission to their rooftops. The questionable legality of these roof-top bleachers ended in a lawsuit which could be read about on the Wikipedia page. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wrigley_Rooftops)
After eating on Clark Street, I walked on Addison Street toward Lakeshore Drive. The streets and Lakefront park were filled with young people running, walking dogs, playing tennis, picnicking and just enjoying the 80-degree weather.
What makes Chicago, Chicago? (Differences between LA and Downtown Chicago)
- Relatively high density (lakeshore drive and all coastal neighborhoods have high-rise condominium towers and primarily multi-family units)
- Buildings/Architecture has character (many different neighborhoods, each one with something special/cultural/activity to do). For example, there’s the Michigan Ave neighborhood, Clark Street/Wrigley Field, etc.
- At least the area that I was in (around wrigley field) wasn’t too materialistic/fashion-oriented with billboards spurring demand for clothing, products, etc. Clark street was almost 90% full of bars/lounges. People seem to be more experience oriented than material-oriented.
- Beautiful green area along Lake Michigan (parallel to Lakeshore Drive). Lakeshore drive is a beautiful 16-mile long highway which is lined by high-rise condominium towers on one end and a lakefront park on the other end. The Lakefront park offers parks, running/biking paths, and many other amenities. This is a huge asset to the residents of Chicago
- Walking is a viable transportation method….People walk around rather than just driving everywhere and staying home (especially in downtown Chicago)
- Chicago has a nice balance between the New York intensity and the Los Angeles laid back lifestyle. (similar to San Francisco)
When I was walking back toward the direction of the AIRBNB, I noticed a beautiful, historical condominium complex named “The Pattington.” (http://www.the-pattington.com/index.php). In 1904, when the project was built it was the largest apartment complex in Chicago. Apparently, these units sell in the $200/SF range (http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/698-W-Irving-Park-Rd-APT-A7-Chicago-IL-60613/3705025_zpid/), which seems to be reasonable considering the location, historical price premium, and luxury price premium. I was expecting at least $500/SF, but this just goes to show how important it is to be local and to know the ins and outs of a market before investing in it.
Song of the day:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-mj-2SVMG4]
