Absolute Bus Stop

Knowing that we'll get a lot of visitors downtown during the holiday season, Chicago is pulling out the stops and rolling out the red carpet. Or at least the red chairs. This is the bus stop at State and Madison (also notable as being 0 North/South and 0 East/West, the starting point of our city's grid system). Actually, the chairs are part of a certain vodka company's ad campaign.

I Love This Pound

I sense sarcasm.

I never had the pleasure of having to go to it so I don't know. Maybe the Chicago City Car Pound is a wonderful place. Somebody felt strongly enough about it to graffiti this sentiment on one of the steel girders near the pound.

Here's a close-up of the nut/bolt on the steel girder. Rust makes an interesting patchwork design.

Out Takes

It's always so messy when the Transformers and the Decepticons fight it out in your city.

I'd forgotten that parts of Transformers 3 were being filmed in Chicago. I was momentarily taken aback when I passed by what had previously been a parking lot and saw this. I haven't seen any CTA buses turn into Optimus Prime but apparently there will be fireballs flying around this weekend.

Up Up and Away

OK this picture is from the middle of February. You can tell because it is sunny and the sky is blue. It has been rather gray and dreary the last few days.

This is the Kinzie Street Railroad Bridge. I have to admit that until I took this picture and was doing the research on this bridge, I thought it was being repaired because it always was in the raised position. I did think it was a little odd that the repair was taking so long (I first noticed this bridge last year). The bridge allowed railroad traffic over the Chicago River. The main user was the Chicago Sun-Times printing plant. After the printing facilities were relocated, there was no need for this railroad bridge, so it is permanently raised.

Grab It

Another scene from the North River Chicago Industrial Corridor in Lincoln Park. This one is from the General Iron Industries Recycling Center.

I can't help but think of that Claw Vending Machine Game when I see these cranes grabbing piles of stuff.

Bad Traffic

Traffic was all piled up today. It was a real mess.


You don't typically think of Lincoln Park as being an industrial area but it is home to the North River Chicago Industrial Corridor, which contains a steel manufacturer, and various scrap metal salvaging and recycling centers.