Chicago Favorites: Signature Lounge

The Signature Lounge sits on the 96th floor of the John Hancock Center, overlooking the city and the lake. The great thing about it, like most things in the city, is how easy it is to get to, unlike the LA equivalent, Bonaventure. And because of that, I've been there many times during my one year here and have some great memories with friends. I've taken almost every visitor I've had in Chicago to the lounge.

The above photo was taken from the ladies' restroom by my friend Allison during her visit last week. They say the best view in the lounge is from the ladies' restroom, where there are floor to ceiling windows. It's pretty awesome at night. Now that I think of it, I've never actually been there during the day, which I'm sure is just as good. And I've always been lucky and gotten seated by the window (it gets busy weekend evenings and there's a line).

I can't say much for the drinks and desserts there. They are overpriced and not very good. I recommend saving your money and getting a beer - just go for the view.

4 months left...

Chicago Favorites: Chinatown

The other day I decided to go to Chinatown to pick up a birthday gift for a friend in LA, who wanted tea. So after work I hopped on the El and went over there. As I was walking through Chinatown as the snow was falling, I had a really happy moment. Everything just looked so pretty, and it felt magical walking in the quiet snowfall and peering into the windows of shops (so cheesy, right?).

I remembered the time I went to Chinatown with Will about a year ago. At the time I wasn't working and I was beginning to get cabin fever, feeling cooped up indoors. He came home from school early that day and saw how depressed I was and told me we were going on a field trip. He took me to Chinatown. We window shopped and ate at 2 bakeries. Since then I've enjoyed many memories of dim sum, bakeries, Joy Yee's fruit shakes and grocery trips to Chinatown.

We've had some good times in Chicago. Most of you probably know by now that I'll be moving to Columbus, Ohio in June. I think I'm already getting nostalgic about Chicago. I love that I can just hop on the El and go to Chinatown after work, and then walk home. There's just something really cool for me about a pedestrian lifestyle.

I'm going to start posting about different things in Chicago, so I can remember my life here. I know it seems early, but when I think about it, I only have about 5 months left in the windy city, and it will go by quickly.

t-giving in chi town

since we'll be going to LA for a good chunk in december, we are spending thanksgiving here in chicago. although i'm sad i won't see family, i'm excited about spending thanksgiving here. we're getting together with 2 other couple friends (we all live within 5 blocks of each other) for our t-giving dinner. and a baby will be there too!!!

will and i are bringing mashed potatoes, gravy, creamed corn and a pumpkin pie. we got the america's test kitchen cookbook from a friend and it is AWESOME. every recipe we've tried has been amazing, and i love it because they tell you everything they tried and why/how they came up with the recipe. so we will be using the book for all our dishes. except the pumpkin pie, which we'll pick up from costco because i love costco's pumpkin pie.

depending on my mood, i might also try to create a simple centerpiece for the dinner.

things i am grateful for this year:

• a job in this economy, = a means to pay rent and living expenses
• an opportunity to live in a new place during our first year of marriage
• my church, our small group community
• friends, both in LA and chicago
• my husband and the ways i get to know more about him as the days go by.

it is no small thing to make friends and feel a sense of community in a brand new place, especially for someone like me, who lived in the same city for 28 years. i have a newfound appreciation for international students or people who transplant to a new city or country for work, school or life circumstance. i am so grateful that we have friends, not because that means we're cool, but because i know that friend chemistry and other such things are out of our hands. i feel grateful for people who took initiative with me to hang out in the early days. the other day i was reflecting with will on my first few weeks here. looking back, i was so much like a deer caught in headlights. i think on my 2nd or 3rd day here we went out to dinner with those same 2 couples we're spending t-giving with and i remember feeling really out of it and in a daze. everything felt surreal. my friend e is super busy as an ER resident but she took time to take me out to lunch and hang out with me during that first month. that meant so much to me, because at that time i had no friends, no work, no community, no car, no snow boots to even go out. haha. it is funny looking back at my own self just 11 months ago. now i have a job, friends, a community, i know my way around the city, i got all the fall/winter/cold weather gear and i know which grocery stores to shop at.

because of all of that, i think this year i've just felt so grateful for basic things like an income, friends, church and a warm winter coat. they are basic but so essential!

we've had the awesomest fall weather and it hasn't snowed yet. i checked the weather and it's supposed to snow on thanksgiving. i know i might regret saying this later, but i'm actually excited about it snowing on thanskgiving. it will be beautiful.

city

i am going to attempt to describe a difference in life in chicago v. los angeles. i don't know how to label it. it's not necessarily "unity", but i'll just use it for lack of a better term.

first, i want to say that chicago does have major divisions, but i won't get into that here.

so here i go. i have contemplated this question a lot:

Q: what brings the city of LA together?
A: the lakers.

Q: what brings the city of chicago together?
A: downtown, pockets of the city, certain foods (i.e. pizza), the weather and events.

for example, if there is something going on in the city, you can bet that wherever you go, people will be talking about it, and most people will have gone to it. i remember when the taste of chicago was going on. everyone talked about it - at work, church, social gatherings. it was the same when the air show happened, when there was a bad storm, after the marathon, the jazz festival, the u2 concert, the 4th of july fireworks over the lake. there is a way in which it seems the city moves and breathes together.

that is all.

beautiful fall weekend + random

after a couple weeks of cold weather, we had a beautiful fall weekend here in the midwest. the sun was shining and it was warm. i spent most of my time outdoors, walking among the crowds in downtown, and hanging out with friends at maxwell street market where we enjoyed tacos, horchata, coke from a bottle and fresh churros.

on another note, my hair has gotten very long and i'm thinking about chopping it on my trip to LA in december.

friends r and e had their baby about a month ago and i'm so in love with her! i haven't seen her in over a week and i'm getting desperate. a visit is forthcoming.

last month we used our crockpot for the first time and made chili. and then will made chicken soup. the thing is awesome. i need to find more recipes.

i can't get over how much i love chicago. lately i've been realizing that it's been like a dream to live here for the last 10 months. some things i love about it:

work is 2 miles from home, church is 1 mile from home (yes!!!)

friends live close by: caddy corner from us, and 5 blocks away

there are so many cool areas around the city, each with their own personalities

i get to meet people from all over. more than half the people i meet here are not from here

the trees

the way the city comes together (i'll try to expand on this in another post)

also, i'm going to see the nutcracker next month with a friend. i haven't been to the ballet here so i'm looking forward to that.

peace out.

random thoughts about chicago

i haven't written about chicago in awhile, but i've had random thoughts floating around, like...

i can't stand the pedestrian culture in chicago. no one obeys the pedestrian signals, and i think it's very dangerous and unnecessary. is waiting 30 seconds really going to set you back that much?

i miss being in the food capital of the world. yes, LA. it's amazing that although i'm currently living in the 3rd largest city in the u.s., the food in LA is like 10 times better.

ok, i have positives too. :)

we have had the mildest summer EVER! it has been so nice. i think there have been maybe 7 hot and humid days total. otherwise, it's been in the low 80s.

i love summer in chicago. everyone is outside enjoying the weather, the park, the beach, the streets, the lake, the pier. it's awesome.

i found my favorite summer activity = free music at millenium park. there is an outdoor music pavilion. the seats in the very front must be bought. but right behind that, a great big lawn stretches out for the rest of us. people bring their blankets, lawn chairs, picnic tables, food, wine, cheese and relax and enjoy the classical music. it is awesome! i've already gone 6 times, and i'm going to milk it for all it's worth. i think it's my hollywood bowl equivalent, but it's much more accessible and it's free.

summer, please don't go!

can i just tell you...

...how much i love chicago?

it is such a great city. one of the things i like most about chicago is how walkable it is. i remember being amazed by how many people were out and about when it was 20 degrees. imagine what it's like when the weather is nice. there was one day in winter when it hit 60 degrees. during the lunch hour, the streets were filled with people who were taking strolls, out for a runs or chilling at the park munching on their food. no bench, stair or potential sitting area was left empty.

it reminds me of my travels to other countries. when i was in italy i relished how people chilled outside in the evening and enjoyed being outdoors. it creates a community feel to be out like that, rubbing shoulders with people rather than being trapped indoors or being in your car. in LA, i feel like people only go outdoors to go to the beach or go shopping at the newly popular outdoor malls like the grove.

another thing i love is how great the public transportation is out here. when i lived in LA, i tried to take public transport. i took it to work everyday and used it to go in and out of k-town. there is still a special place in my heart for the public transport efforts in LA.

but MAN. here in chicago, i live car-free! well, i guess i cheat a little because will has a car. but i almost never drive. it is common for people to not have cars here, or to have one car rather than two. actually, i don't know any family who owns two cars. one friend moved here from LA and after a year he sold his car and got a bike. today i was walking out the front door to the bus stop at the end of my block and thought, how lucky am i that i don't have to drive to work every day! it is totally doable to live here without a car. imagine that! it is seriously a dream come true for me. ( that sounds cheesy :P)

even when we do drive, 20 minutes is considered far.

i am getting a bike this weekend. my friend from denmark is moving back home and offered to give me her bike. i cannot wait to ride it!

what is wrong with this picture

it's june and temps were averaging in the 60s this week, with rain and wind. i am wearing my wool coat with thinsulate again but i still cannot stay warm.

spring in chicago

temperature-wise, spring in chicago feels like winter in LA. it is sunny, but in the 50s or 60s. i am so LA and still sporting my long wool peacoat lined with thinsulate while people are in shorts and tank tops.

visually, however, it is an altogether different story. everything comes to life. from the first tiny green leaves on trees that grow into full green trees, to tulips and daffodils, to flowering trees. who ever heard of flowering trees in LA?

well, it seems like all of the trees here flower for a few weeks before the blossoms fall off. it's freakin' awesome.

taking coats

i have not learned the art of offering to take people's coats.  or rather, i find it hard to get into the habit of doing it.  let me educate you, you warm climate peoples.

during the winter in a cold weather climate, people are usually bundled up in big, long, thick and heavy coats.  so when a guest arrives, the host takes the cumbersome coat off the hands of the guest and either hangs it in a closet or puts it in a room as a courtesy to the guest.  

i, however, have been a very bad hostess and never did this once the entire winter.  shame on me!

hot

remember i said i'm starting to talk like a midwesterner? here's one example:

when i say the word "hot", it's starting to sound like a cross between "hot" and "hat".

by the way, the weather is absolutely wonderful today! yay!

midwestern accent

i think i'm beginning to acquire a very slight midwestern-chicagoan accent.  i can't remember what words it affects, but sometimes i say things and i'm surprised by how they come out.

big government

if there's one thing chicago is good at, it's big government.  

one thing that annoys me is the traffic directing people.  in LA, people direct traffic if a signal is not working, or if there is some big event.  here, there's someone directing traffic on every street corner in downtown.  and they direct traffic according to the light.  if the light turns green, they say go.  if it turns red, they say stop.

WHY???

billboards

something i noticed about chicago - there are waaay less billboards here than there are in LA.

i like it.

chi town's k-town

the excitement for today was accompanying will to the barber shop. he had been to 3 different barbers here, with no luck. today, in sheer desperation he googled "korean barber" and found someone. the guy was in chicago's k-town, and so i couldn't resist the opportunity to go with him on this little field trip.

all i can say is, if LA's k-town is like korea in the 70s, then chicago's k-town must be like korea in the 50s. a few weeks ago we went karaoke-ing for a friend's birthday, and the noraebang was so ghe-tto. the machine was super slow and kept doing weird things. that thing must've been one of those machines from the first batch of karaoke machines ever made or something. hehe.

but still, it was fun to go over there and get a taste of something familiar. and will got a great haircut.

me & the bean

will is gone, so this week i'm exploring the city with my camera. i went to the bean for the first time today. it was pretty mesmerizing.





here's a shot of me at the bean. it's like one giant curvy mirror. so i used the reflection to take some self portraits. this one's for you, mom. i know you want to see pictures of me. ;)

it was in the 50s today. it was a gorgeous day. people were lightly dressed. i saw some pedestrians in t-shirts and one lady was walking the street with flip flops!

coffee + spice

after my photography class on saturday, i hopped on the bus and went over to the coffee & tea exchange in lakeview.  they sell coffee, tea and spices by the lb or oz.  

the coffee beans are kept in barrels, like so...

the coffee averages $8/lb.  and the spices you can buy by ounce, averaging about $1/oz, which is amazing considering prices of spices at the supermarket.

i picked up some spices and fair trade organic coffee from mexico.  will and i used our coffee grinder for the first time that day. 

being in lakeview brought back some good memories.  will and i came to chicago over memorial day weekend in 2007 to visit friends, and they lived in lakeview at the time.  i remember walking down broadway and even going into the coffee exchange with will back then.  sometimes i still can't believe i'm actually living here!

although it's been cold and lonely at times, overall i am loving life here!  it's a special time for me and will, making a home and family together in a new city, building new relationships and figuring out life together.

cabin fever: part 3

happiness is...

wearing a pea coat instead of the down jacket that makes me feel like a snowman.  and wearing normal boots instead of snow boots.

i did this the other night and i was psyched.

it's also wearing tights and a skirt.

i also did this, but it wasn't fun.  i was freezing my butt off.  literally.

earthquake?

our building shakes pretty frequently and at first i would have that native californian knee-jerk reaction of wanting to duck and cover every time i felt a tremor.  over the past few weeks i've grown accustomed to the shaking and told myself there are no earthquakes in chicago.

well, right when i was getting over stressing every time our building shook (like 5 times a day), will tells me that once in awhile there are earthquakes in chicago.  

just great.

sicilian bakery

for some reason, i didn't try many desserts when i was in italy.  i missed out!  but last night we died and went to heaven at pasticceria natalina.  from the moment we walked in, i absolutely loved the place.  it was cozy, with one bar, and the decor was sparse but very well chosen.  the young woman behind the counter was so friendly and helpful.  she described in detail that they don't use any processed or industrial goods in their baking, that everything is made from scratch, and that the desserts are made every morning.

it turned out she was the owner, natalie (thus the name of the shop), along with her husband.  they actually import sheep's milk ricotta from italy and use it in their desserts.  

well, it was SO good.  we ended up getting 3 desserts (will's weakness) and tea.  here is the cannoli we had.  it wasn't super sweet.  it was just right.  and they filled it on the spot, telling us that this was the right way to serve cannoli.