That Last Pun was Oak Kay

In my experiencing of walking so far, I have found a fondness to places that remind me of home. There is nothing that reminds me of home more than trees. I also wanted to investigate how people strategically place trees where people are going to be walking. This may be because of oxygen consumption especially in the city, but I would argue it is for curb appeal and walkability. Tree place a sense of comfort and give the city of Chicago a unique aspect. The trees in Chicago have the ability to drape over the streets and give shade that cannot be found in a city such as Los Angeles. The most walkable streets have trees and some of the most remarkable streets are based around the trees. I found this on my first walk, when I found the street of Halsted was most walkable when there was trees and the thriving businesses of the street had larger trees outside. I could even make the argument that the trees brought the footraffic to these businesses. I am going to tell the story of Chicago through trees.

Field notes: I started walking near an area where I would like to learn about. I do not spend much time on the east side of the L tracks. Then I walked toward the tracks to see where I had ended before and actually unknowingly started walking down a street that I had already walked down (Fremont). I saw yet again how the trees draped over the street, but this time there was a smell of fall in the air or maybe described as dead leaves. I love this smell, because it puts me in the mood for fall.

Then I turned toward Halsted and passed boy that smelled of Marijuana. This was so strange to me because last time that i walked down this street all I saw was babies and puppies. Just a reminder of another aspect of the city. At this point when I was walking I started to notice a decline in trees. This decline in foliage put an emphasis on the buildings and I did not like that. The buildings were ugly and beaten down. Once I got a little farther down Halsted I noticed the increase in trees and how the businesses started to get nicer. I then saw Oz Park which has a plethora of trees and I started to feel a gravitational pull toward all the green.

I felt refreshed after the park and was very happy to see people enjoying the great outdoors. This also reminded me that it would be very hard for me to live in the loop and not see big trees all the time and live in a concrete jungle. I would be so depressed and in need of some green.

response to Malchik: I would argue that walking is a privilege in America especially. My family recently moved from a large neighborhood that had plenty of side walk space to adventure each day to a dead-end street that does not have sidewalks and is next to one of the busiest streets in town. When we moved the first thing I noticed was that I had to drive somewhere to go for a run or walk. I felt like I did not have a place and could not walk in someone else’s neighborhood because it was not mine. Now that I have moved to the city I love walking everywhere, but I cannot walk at night in fear of being robbed or something worse. The threat to walking in other human beings and their capabilities to hurt. I am not afraid of a building falling on me, but a strange person approaching me and treating horribly. Depending on where you live directly effects how you get anywhere. If one can walk to work but it is not safe, one must find another mode of transportation such as a train or car. If you live too far to walk, then you are stuck with other modes of transportation. If all aspects of your living conditions are correct for walking one can have many health advantages and bring about a better quality of life.

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