this really affected me! Funnily enough i lived pretty much right above Hopleaf, it’s such a great spot. I swung by Andersonville during the Autumn, and that neighborhood has changed so much (not entirely for the better — lots of small shops had been replaced by chains). That last line that you said about Chicago and the bittersweetness of not being able to stay in a city that is so nourishing made me emotional. This makes me miss Chicago so much! thank you for this!
Thanks for sharing all of this, Michael--I'm so glad that you connected with the piece! seeing all of the new ways that the city is gentrifying/changing each time i'm there is always so jarring and sad, maybe especially because it really does feel like chicago has been able to maintain so many of its small shops and distinct neighborhood-specific character. as a side note (this is something I meant to work into the piece and forgot, oops), I always love seeing the layers of texture and history on the older brick buildings when i'm there--the sides painted with the name of whatever the building was originally, what it's turned into since then (if it's some sort of generic chain, this is just disheartening, though).
bread, butter, sardines… heaven
this really affected me! Funnily enough i lived pretty much right above Hopleaf, it’s such a great spot. I swung by Andersonville during the Autumn, and that neighborhood has changed so much (not entirely for the better — lots of small shops had been replaced by chains). That last line that you said about Chicago and the bittersweetness of not being able to stay in a city that is so nourishing made me emotional. This makes me miss Chicago so much! thank you for this!
Thanks for sharing all of this, Michael--I'm so glad that you connected with the piece! seeing all of the new ways that the city is gentrifying/changing each time i'm there is always so jarring and sad, maybe especially because it really does feel like chicago has been able to maintain so many of its small shops and distinct neighborhood-specific character. as a side note (this is something I meant to work into the piece and forgot, oops), I always love seeing the layers of texture and history on the older brick buildings when i'm there--the sides painted with the name of whatever the building was originally, what it's turned into since then (if it's some sort of generic chain, this is just disheartening, though).