Colourful Flowers And Chinatown
by sarahcoggrave
Overall, Chicago was not my cup of tea. However, I must applaud it for embracing the arts, and celebrating botanical beauty.
The MCA was superb, as was Jane Addams Hull House Museum; and the Lincoln Park Conservatory bowled me over with its fantastic flowers. The Botanical Gardens were a little lifeless during my wintery visit, but pictures from other seasons suggest an incredible show. Even the slightly disappointing Skokie Northshore Sculpture Park suggested a valiant effort to bring art into more obscure corners of Chicago.
After a rather long winded hike from Skokie to the nearest metro station (turned out to be miles away), I once more sought out nature – I was excited to find that Chicago was awash with conservatories – one at Lincoln Park, another at the Botanical Gardens and a further example at Garfield Park.
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My metro (subway? inner city transport?) day ticket gave me the chance to experience plenty of teeth rattling journeys across the city that day, much of them on elevated rails travelling above, rather than under the ground. As the weather was once more cold, I eagerly anticipated the tropic warmth of a conservatory.
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Upon entering I was struck by a mesmerising display of yellow umbrellas, suspended high above the plants. Not only is yellow my favourite colour, but the umbrellas were, for me, a fond reminder of rainy Northern England.
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Once again, another free conservatory – brilliant to have free attractions in a US city like this, considering how expensive the country can be for visitors (and no doubt residents also). Furthermore, the flowers did not disappoint – colourful and exquisitely arranged.
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After enjoying more flowers – conservatories and botanical gardens (plus unusual trees) became a dominant, and unexpected theme during my six week trip – I ventured out once more to wait on the chilly station platform.
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Chinatown followed – such places intrigue me.
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I’ve never been to China, but I often wonder, are Chinatowns more stereotypically Chinese than China itself? Or do they just appear this way by virtue of contrast with their surroundings?
On a related note (perhaps) I find that being abroad makes me feel very British, a feeling I don’t experience much at home. Being away from home, makes one more aware of national characteristics and patterns. Japan in particular being a good example of this.
Whilst there I felt absurdly tall and fair, but also scruffy – particularly in Tokyo where everyone was immaculately dressed. In Italy I felt very pale, meek and quiet. In the US I felt very reserved, but not unduly out of place. I also felt obscurely excited/relieved to encounter things I associated with home. Like the umbrellas, bread in Japan (hard to come by) or an the work of a British artist in a foreign gallery; and perhaps more shamefully, global chains like Starbucks (which isn’t really British, but nevermind).
When I first arrived in Japan, it was comforting to order the filter coffee I get from time to time back home. Cheap and with a free refill, the value for money (rather than the dubious taste or company ethics) lure me back there. That bland, anonymous sameness of global chains can sometimes be oddly comforting, much as it’s nice to visit local, independent places.
Back to Chinatown – architecturally interesting, and much more vibrant than much of central Chicago.
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Splashes of colour and decorative features made this area feel more welcoming somehow, and I spent a long time enjoying a wander around a gift shop. Its wares were fairly predictable, but this doesn’t take away from their novelty or interest.
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This was my last day in Chicago, and whilst the stay had been so-so, I was glad to be moving on. I grabbed some supplies from Whole Foods, anticipating the hunger and boredom that would characterise a long distance train journey – around 25 hours in total to reach Boston. As darkness fell I snuck back into the hostel common room (in spite of having checked out already) to count down the hours before a late night visit to Union Station.
See also:
Contemporary Art, Chicago Style
Winter At The Botanical Gardens
Tracing Other Places 