Lifetecture

I have traveled downtown to the Loop by both bus and “L” during the past week and on both occasions my view has been blocked by Google. That is, the view from the window of both the train and bus has been partly covered by the mesh screen of the Google map symbol; placed there to advertise their new partnership with the CTA. Lately, I’ve been spending a lot of time observing the world virtually, through the digital lens of my computer; so it felt strange to have that world follow me into the “Real” or analog world of the bus and train.

Chicago is geographically a very flat city, but the buildings downtown create an alternate topography. From outside the Loop and away from the Lakefront, the city appears like a rugged mountainscape, only with regular, geometric facets in constructed form and artificial colors. Pilsen is not very far from the Loop, as the crow flies, and to me the approach from the South is much more dramatic because of a sudden drop-off in height. The South-West side is divided from the Loop by the Chicago River and the Expressways, which create a canyon effect between the city and the neighborhoods. The North side topography is less extreme, with high-rises blending in with taller buildings in the neighborhoods. As a result the Northern approach to the Loop is gentler. The Sears Tower dominates the city terrain and stands as its tallest peak. Seen from the South-side its height is even more extreme. The Hancock Center appears more dominant when exaggerated by the view from the North-side. The cityscape will have two new additions in coming years: Trump Tower which is rapidly approaching its final height, and the Spire by Calatrava.

Going downtown is always an event for me and I have two ways to get there: the #60 bus, which leaves from just outside the house, or the Pink Line “L” train which goes from 18th St. station. Taking the train always feels like I’m going backwards to go forwards, as the trip involves a 15 minute walk (or 5 min. bike-ride.) So I usually take the bus; but at rush-hour the train avoids the impasse created by downtown traffic. The CTA Bustracker tool has made my life a lot easier. Lucky for me my bus, the #60, was included in the second round of their Beta-stage trial. Before this device, taking the bus was an act of faith with a lot of waiting in vain. Now I can check the arrival times at my stop before I leave, allowing me more time to potter around the house, or to make a mad rush downstairs, depending on the estimated arrival time.

Having the shadow of the Google symbol framing and impeding my view of the city in such an overbearing way has been trying. It’s like a digital interruption of my everyday analog world. I wonder if I’m arriving at a place where the two are blending, with the worlds becoming intertwined?