Revisiting Wicker Park

After work yesterday, I headed over to Wicker Park to meet up with folks for dinner. Liz was still feeling sluggish from her journey back, so I ended up staying late at work and just hopping the Blue Line over.

It’s been a while since I walked all the way down to the Damen exit (after a bit, it starts to feel like you’re walking the plank). I discovered that I was the only one around, so I paused to snap this photo of the tracks, the path, and the sun.

At Handlebar, I met up with Justin, Kent, and Rob. While we were waiting for the ladies to join us, we hunkered down at the bar.

Outside, chatting post-dinner. L to R it’s Rob, Justin, Kent, Gretchen , and Kate.

Amazingly, the last record I have of coming here is for Dave’s birthday, back in 2005. That’s over 10 years ago! I feel like I’ve been here since then but… can’t seem to find any other posts!

Afterwards, Rob headed home while a few of us continued on to a bar. Gretchen was meeting folks for a friend’s birthday party (Carlos, someone I work with [small world]).

Instead of hitching a ride, Kent, Justin, and I decided to walk. Traipsing through Wicker Park was a really fun thing, and I’m glad we did that (and I got a chance to chat more with Justin, along the way).

En route, we encountered the Bloomingdale Trail/606 and decided to walk it for a stretch. It was my first time up there since the new construction – and crazy to be walking down a paved road.

I’ve walked along this stretch a few times, many years ago. But this was back when there weren’t any steps up to the trail… and you had to find a low spot (like the one near Paulina and Bloomingdale Ave) and bring your own steps.

Eventually, we found our way to Charleston – which I then recognized as the bar where I recuperated, when I fell while being chased by a puppet, a few years back for Journey to the End of the Night.

Had a bit of an early night, but it was super fun to be in Wicker Park again. At nearly every step and every block, I kept thinking back to how I had been here oh so many years ago.

Related:
Up All Night with Kent and Rob (2003)
Goodbye, Rena
Happy Birthday Dave!