Welcome to Metropolis
Well. I had a busy first day in the city. If you've read The Devil in the White City (which is fascinating as all hell, by the way) you might recognize the Museum of Science and Industry, which is the only remaining building from the 1893 Chicago World's Fair or White City, which saw the first Ferris Wheel among all kinds of other inventions meant to show up the Paris Centennial exhibition a few years earlier and make a name for Chicago and Americans as capable of arts and architecture rather than simply hog-butchering. And there were murders. Lots of murders.
But I digress. The museum was my favorite part of the city when I was a kid and it's still pretty exciting. We learned about trains, played a theremin, saw a real U-Boat, watched a chick hatch, and got jeebied by a great many things including a motorized tiger, the "main street of yesterday," and jars of babies. You know it's right up my alley. There's also Colleen Moore's Fairy Castle, which is a dollhouse built by the original flapper. It's got suits of armor from Valentino's collection, diamond-encrusted thrones, etc. etc. Basically, if you were ever a little girl, this thing would make you squeal hard enough to shatter a live human.
Speaking of that, we also visited the American Girl store in the Magnificent Mile shopping district. Good lord. The place is three stories tall and includes a cafe and a theatre. And hundred-dollar dolls as far as the eye can see. When I was a girl, we had the option of four historical-themed dolls, all of whom had a series of books and costumes to go along with the doll. For some reason, my mother actually shelled out the cash to get me Samantha, the victorian girl. I still can't believe she went along with that. Why mom, why? These days, the girls seem to prefer custom-made dolls in their own likeness (ah, vanity). You can even get crutches for them, and outfits that match your own. And there's a doll hair salon. Um.
I don't know. It was fun, but I kind of long for the simplicity of hand-me-down Legos now that I've seen it.
And then we got a genuine Chicago-style hot dog with everything, and went out to a bar in Wicker Park. The bartender repeatedly referred to me as "Norcal." And people on the street keep remarking about my tattoo. I feel very slightly like an oddity.
Next tme: stay tuned for my trip to the Bean.
posted by Leah @ 5:57 PM
6 Comments:
Chi town needs tour guides like you. wish I was able to walk down LSD with you. what's up with the no dancing though?
I still have much investigating to do! I've heard talk of there being good dancing somewhere around here, but no clues as to where. Last night we went to check out a very Marina-esque club and left when they made us wait in line, but let a crowd of five hideous bimbos in without waiting. New strategy is in order. I'm going to get to the bottom of this. There are sexy folk out there and I intend to join them.
The dolls look kind of scary. But I have to admit, I am still just as excited about all those Kirstens in all her fabulous outifts! Oooh--look---it's winter Kirsten in her adorable historically-accurate sweater and mittens!
MUST HAVE DOLL
SHE HAD FABULOUS NEW OUTFITS, NEM. Purple, with polkadots.
And for 300 fucking dollars, you can now get a horse and carriage for the colonial doll, Felicity.
Devil in the White City represent! Made me wish I possesed awesome time travel powers...
My dad was a project manager on some of the exhibits at MSI (Petrochemicals, Networld, and Genetics, if I recall correctly). That chick hatchery? My dad did the detailing and engineering on that (no foolin').
The American Girl store... I had a girlfriend a few years back that was obsessed with that store. We would go there and she'd drool over them and the outfits and such. In retrospect, it's probably the only real thing that she ever revealed to me (she was a habitual liar).
Glad Wicker Park and Trevia worked for you, BTW. If I were still in Chicago, I'd be living there now. LOVE that area.
the doll shop scares me WAY more than that super cool robot. (roz)
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