View from the Hancock Lounge

Wicker Park

Don't give a photographer an iPhone. Ever since I've had my iPhone I take it out to take pictures whenever I see a good cloud. Or a good bike. Or good street art. 

In this case my friend H and I were walking down Milwaukee Ave after we grabbed some ice cream from the new hipster ice cream store (everything on Milwaukee in Wicker Park is hipster) and I had to stop for to take this photo of the clouds photo. I am sure Chicago skies don't compare to the ones in say, California. But this isn't bad, is it?

Greek Town

Greek Town is a small part of downtown Chicago with Greek restaurant after Greek restaurant.
The food I've had there was so-so but nothing beats getting to eat/drink on a terrace on a hot Chicago night - with this view:

Ok, maybe a view over the lake would beat that but I haven't found a restaurant that has to offer that yet. Any recommendations?

In the Loop

Wicker Park Street Art

Wicker Park is one of the newer, cool areas. One might call it the "hipster" hood. The streets are lined with hip cafes, funky t-shirt shops and expensive boutiques. And street art.

One of these two is actually in a different neighborhood - Bucktown - which is like the younger, free-spirited, granola sister of Wicker Park but is slowly turning into hipster town as well.

Chicago Botanical Garden

Lincoln Park street art

I took this picture in some alley last night in the Lincoln Park neighborhood when my friend and I were looking for a bar to have a nightcap at. At first I thought it was just some street art but looking at it now, the figure looks like our corrupt ex-governor, turned reality-TV-star Rod Blagojevic. Which makes this street art even more interesting.

Ravenswood neighborhood

Art Institute

One of the lions guarding the Chicago Art Institute

Night alley

Chicago Gold Coast

Andersonville

Andersonville was originally the Swedish neighborhood of Chicago. Nowadays you also see a lot of Middle Eastern and Mexican culture there. It is also famous for being very gay and lesbian friendly. Kind of like a grown-up version of Boystown (for those of you who don't know Chicago very well - Boystown is a gay party-neighborhood in Chicago).

The Swedish influences are still very much visible all over Andersonville though.

Swedish shop in Andersonville where I hear Swedish spoken whenever I am there

Mural at a Swedish cafe/restaurant

I have never met a Swede or a Norwegian that I didn't like (and believe me, I've met a lot, even lived with a few), maybe that's why I love this neighborhood so much.

Free concerts in Millenium Park

Millenium Park is in the middle of the loop in Chicago. And in this park, there is this amazing stage on which they hold free concerts throughout the summer. People bring picnic blankets, wine and cheese (or as in our case - Corona and roasted almonds) and make it an evening out with friends, listening to music and being surrounded by the Chicago skyline.

Sheffield Garden Walk

The Sheffield Garden Walk is a yearly neighborhood festival with concerts, food and drinks. I am not quite sure why it's called "Garden Walk" as I didn't see any gardens in the area the festival was held in. Nevertheless, my friends invited me to join them to see two bands they liked in concerts and I did.

The location

Terri Hemmert - my favorite radio DJ from my favorite Chicago radio channel - 93XRT presented the first band

Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears playing at sundown

Lakefront

To be honest, I am not exactly sure what this area is called - it's close to Navy Pier though. If anybody recognizes it and can enlighten me - please do so!

Chicago Gay Pride

I love the Chicago Gay Pride. The colors, the spirit, the hot men and women. The weather forecast predicted thunderstorms for the day of the gay pride and the sky looked very dark and threatening. But that all changed when the parade started. The sun came out and it was a beautiful day. How can anybody say that god doesn't love the gays?

Rogers Park

This is in the Chicago neighborhood East Rogers Park.

My workplace

I am a photographer but I also work two days a week as a nanny for a super cute 3 year old. Being a nanny in the summer is nice. This is where I spend my afternoons:

The playground at Albion beach.

Belmont harbor

Chicago seen from Belmont harbor.

Old Town Roots and Folk Festival

Yesterday E and I went to a music festival close to were we live. There is festivals going on all the time, I think just yesterday there were about 5 different ones, that we knew about. That is one of the things I really like about Chicago - the city tries to make living there to be fun for you.

I took a bunch of photos with my iPhone and couldn't really decide on which ones to post, so I am posting a bunch. It looked like rain the first two hours we were there. It eventually did rain a little bit, for about 5 minutes. Then the sun came out.

You'll notice - I have a thing for pretty clouds.

The sky when we arrived:

We were enjoying the sun on our new picnic blanket

They had very tasty, home-made lemonade there

And there were kids running around everywhere

Then the clouds came

It rained a little bit but the sun never completely went away

After the rain ...

Oh and there was good, live music and tasty food too.

Skyscraper

In the loop - taken with iPhone

No dumping!

One thing that Chicago has, that New York doesn't are alleys, so people don't have to put the trash on the streets. When I talk to Chicagoans about New York - the Chicagoans always point that out to me.

Purple house

This purple house is about two blocks from where I live and I love it. I love purple so that is one point drawing me in but I also like how it is almost under the tracks of the elevated train (the L). Though I am sure the people who live there are not so happy about the noise, the grittiness of the tracks together with kitschy purple of the house are just really appealing to me.

Navy Pier

The Navy Pier is one of Chicago's most popular tourist attractions.

Happy Independence Day!

I am in Ohio right now, visiting my new niece and the rest of the family so this photo is from last year - next to Lakeshore Drive at the lake. 

Happy 4th of July everybody!

America, America

Beginning to rain

I took this picture on of the Willis tower (Sears tower) Monday in the south loop with my iPhone 4G.

Downtown Chicago seen from a South Side beach

I took this photo with my Canon 40d. There are bike paths along the lake which I took all the way down from Lakeview - where I live to the South side - around the Museum of Science and Industry. The beaches on the South side are often empty even on a sunny day - compared to the north side beaches which on a sunny day like this one here are often so packed that have to get off your bike to walk through the crowds. 

Lincoln Square

One of my favorite neighborhoods in Chicago - Lincoln Square - the German hood.

Taken with iPhone 4.