the old ‘hood

July 21, 2007 at 11:38 am · Filed under travel

Last night I visited my old neighborhood for the first time since I left Chicago. It was weird. Lots of things changed - buildings disappeared (torn down for new development I suppose), a few new bars opened up, and a place selling gifts and handmade soap stood on the corner where I used to wait for the bus.

Some things remained the same, though. The shoe store catering to Ukrainian and Polish residents displays a bizarre stock of footwear ranging from streetwalker-chic to gardening-grandma. A garage (and place where homeless people sell palates at all hours of the day) advertises a “Breaks Job” as one of its signature services. Jukin’ Pizza (slogan: “We’re off the Heezy for the Cheezy”) has yet to open for business. 6-packs of High Life in 16oz cans cost $5. And the clerks at CVS say things like “Geez - that smells like ass!” and “You lock my keys in there, I’ll be using your head for a doorstop!” while customers wait to buy their Friday night booze.

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