Chicago

 If you follow the news, you would never visit Chicago! 

Buckingham fountain in Grants Park

Today's  CBS news headline is a perfect example.

It begun:

"Local News

3 dead, 14 hurt in Chicago weekend shootings, according to CPD."

Yep and that is the normal feed I usually see from that beleaguered city. 

My own country Jamaica which has only a slightly larger population, (3.5 million to 2.7) had a similar problem because of our murder rate.

 Happily it's being rapidly reduced now, so hopefully the reporting will reflect that soon.

What no one tells you about places like Jamaica and Chicago, is the beautiful, quiet side. I only discovered Chicago's pretty side on a visit there about two years ago.

 In every country you have to know which areas you have to avoid, but in Chicago and Jamaica they always make it appear that everywhere is dangerous😡.

In my book, that city should be renamed the architectural capital of the USA as I have rarely seen such a diverse collection of beautifully designed buildings in a small space, anywhere in the world.

Entrance to Grant's Park downtown 

Grant's Park is where Obama made his victory speech in November 2008 to over quarter million people!👏👏👏

The park was constructed  on the site of tge great Chicago fire in 1871. Debris and rubble from the fire was used to dump up some of the land for the Park. 

I was lucky enough to get tickets for Obamas Library for this Wednesday,  so flew in on Monday. 

The planetarium 

A marina on Lake Michigan 

So naturally I hit the streets right away to get acquainted with my environment and yes, it was pleasant.  

For from what I have seen today, its still a beautiful city, pedestrian friendly and well maintained. 

Glad I got to come before fall really sets in, for it is now in the 60's and as the nomenclature says, its really the windy city.

Ps. Public transportation is easy, efficient and cheap and downtown is really pedestrian friendly.  For the pedestrian crossings seem to be camera operated, so as you arrive at the crossings, most automatically change for you to cross. 🫠👏👏👏 .

Love it.