Fun with Filters - Chicago

I took a ton of pictures in Chicago, not all of which have appeared online; and am teaching myself how to use filtering apps - what better way to combine the two?
I ran a few of last month's pictures through EyeEm, a popular photo sharing site and app, last night, to play with the filters a bit. Here are the results.

I took this shot of the back side of Merchandise Mart, facing the Chicago River, last month on my last day of vacationing in the City of Broad Shoulders. A soft filter helped emphasize the greenery on the lower half of the building.

I liked the orderliness of these Divvy bikes all lined up in their parking slots. A soft filter helped the bikes shine out against the background even more.

Fresh Filter 3 brought out the Wicker Park street scene in the background, and really made this directional sign pop!

I applied Fresh Filter 2 to this wide shot of Chicago's Flatiron Building (only a little bit shorter than ours) to bring out the colors and angles. Looks good to me.

The Warwick Allerton Hotel's reputation - at least its neon sign - precedes it down Michigan Avenue. Urban Filter 4 sharpened the picture and brought the sign out even more, while slightly toning down the streetlight's unescapable glare.

Day on the El

In case I've never come out and disclosed it, I kind of have a crush on the Chicago elevated. It's fast, it runs above the streets where all the best views are, and it's bursting with photogenicness - everything the New York City subway isn't. 

I had one afternoon left before Greyhounding back to New York, and what to do with it was a no-brainer. Here's a best-of of my Wednesday shots. 

Nighttime Eating

Night time theme today. A Chicago foodie who I follow on Instagram recommended Velvet Taco, at Rush and State in the River North, among a few other eating spots. As soon as I saw red velvet cake on the menu, I had to go (for a born and raised non-Southerner, I do love my red velvet cake).
And here it is, waiting its turn with a fish and chips taco and a buffalo chicken taco. After one more visit to the 24 hour Starbucks, I walked through River North, past the new Halal Guys outpost, and over the State Street Bridge.

Hyde Park

Today, I took the express bus down to Hyde Park and wandered around the University of Chicago campus with smartphone in hand.
Hyde Park literally feels a world apart from the Loop and the rest of Chicago, despite being just a few miles down Lake Shore Drive.
First, a view of Midway Plaisance, a long, parklike expanse of green that stretches from Washington Park across Hyde Park.

Apartment tower rising high above Hyde Park.

Concrete desert as seen from the 55th Street Green Line, the closest El station to Hyde Park. A short bus ride away, but a world away.

 

 

Riverwalk and the 606

Great day in Chicago. I didn't make it to church (catching up on sleep will do that every now and then), but you win some, you lose some. This afternoon, I went back to the Riverwalk and explored its full length, and then hit the long-awaited 606 with Rita, one of my best friends, later in the evening. Great pics and great conversation all-around (bonus Easter egg for Daria fans). Rita's one of those sometimes too rare people who I can just endlessly converse with. Truly a godsend, and worth the many hours on Greyhound.

 

 

Sweet Home Chicago (if only!)

I got into Chicago at 2:30 this afternoon after a long Greyhound ride from Montreal to Detroit, and an even longer one from Detroit to Chicago. After checking into my hostel and eating lunch, I headed off to the Chicago Riverwalk, the Pritzker Pavilion, Maggie Daley Park and the nearby marina, trusty Android in hand.

Last Day in Montreal

For my last full day in Montreal, I explored Parc Jean-Drapeau, wandered through the Old Port, and finished up the night with a smoked beef sandwich from Schwartz's. The poutine was so-so, but that sandwich was worth the trip - plus the trip to the nearest TD Bank branch to find a no-pesky-fee ATM. There's a reason why Schwartz's is a Montreal household name.

Montreal At Night

Even Montreal sleeps - or barely stirs - sometimes.As those who know me well (or even halfway well) know, I'm a major night owl, and one of my favorite things is to go out late at night with a good Spotify playlist and a cup of coffee (or other beverage) and stroll. 

Why not take some pictures while I'm out there?

Trip to Mont-Royal

Lured by the appeal of great skyline shots and the thrill of seeing something new, I took on Mont-Royal, Montreal's namesake and urban mountain.
Instead of hiking the whole way up and back, I took the #11 bus to the overlook point, took the walking trails to the much better overlook point at Chateau Mont-Royal, and casually hiked down.