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The view from our stop on the “El” (elevated train). This is looking southeast toward downtown, the direction we usually go. In the other direction the Blue Line runs toward O’Hare, Chicago’s gigantic airport (which is planning some expansion).

The entry gate into the main avenue in Chinatown, on Chicago’s South Side. Naturally, other nationalities besides Chinese, including Vietnamese and Japanese, are represented in the Chinatown neighborhood.

The view from the Red Line stop at Chinatown looking north toward downtown Chicago.

A view down North Avenue in Wicker Park at the low-hanging full moon. Next Friday for our core class we’re creating a radio segment about neighborhood change in Wicker Park. This should provide insight into what’s happening in the “hipster” neighborhood, where home prices have increased astronomically and trendy chain shops have moved in. Other groups from the class will produce pieces on Bronzeville and Humboldt Park (a neighborhood adjacent to Logan Square).

Looking west down the Chicago River. Did you know that in the late 1800s Chicago reversed the flow of the river so that all the city’s sludge didn’t flow into Lake Michigan, their main water source? Thanks to the reversal, the river’s a little cleaner these days.

A fun shot of some ducks on an ice island in the Chicago River.

Looking across the floor at the Chicago International Auto Show at McCormick Place on the South Side. I went along with a couple friends who have much more knowledge and interest in cars, but found the show for the most part fascinating in these turbulent times for automakers. I wonder how many people come in from the Chicagoland suburbs for this event. Thanks to the interesting artificial light inside the convention building, I was able to get some sweet shots, as you can see below.