Chicago - not really a big city
I am here in Chicago visiting Beth and Josh. Some things that have surprised me about Chicago, making me wonder about its big city status: Many restaurants close at 7 pm on Sunday, those that are open do not take credit cards, and coyotes roam the streets. Doesn't sound like a big city to me. (Ok, so it was only one restaurant that closed and another that did not take credit cards. But I am pretty sure that was a coyote we saw).
Monday was actually a really nice day: sunny with highs in the 60's. So we did a lot of outdoor things, including going to the Chicago Botanical Gardens (If the Missouri Botanical Gardens are called MoBot, would the Chicago Gardens be called ChicBot?)
Anyway (I am a bit low on sleep right now), even way up here there are signs of spring.
6 comments:
Hi Beth and Josh!
Coyotes??
Now that you mention it, I sort of remember Tim's uncle telling me about several coyotes that prowl around their backyard (they live just north of Chicago in Grayslake). Still, the idea of coyotes in the suburbs is less surprising that in the midst of Chicago.
Abby, do your family dogs ever have run-ins with coyotes?
What part of the city were you in that had resturants that closed at 7 and didn't take credit cards? The business center of the city does close down a bit early (particularly on a Sunday), but all the interesting enclaves certainly don't.
As for coyotes, my family has not had run ins with any dog-like creatures. I do know that ever since they restored the health of the Chicago river, more and more wild animals have been showing up (I think they had problems with beavers a few years back as an example). I find coyotes hard to believe as I didn't think they came that far north, but I readily admit that I am solely an invertebrate biologist. What I know about vertebrates could fit into a timble.
Give Beth and Josh hugs for me!
I think I've heard tales of coyotes in big cities - there was one in New York not so very long ago.
My favorite band, Sleater-Kinney has a song about coyotes in Portland. I think it is based on this story:
http://dogsinthenews.com/issues/0202/articles/020215a.htm
The one that closed at 7 was called Food Life. The one that did not take credit cards was called Tempo and was near the watertower. I think Food Life was near that same area.
Ah yes, then you were near the business center. You would have been alright anywhere else. Things around there do close rather early. But all the ethinic areas and little subareas of Chicago are usually open much later. Certainly, we would make late runs to Chinatown on weekends when I was at UofC.
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