Mapmaking

This is me making a list of where I want to travel in my neighborhood, and drawing a map of the surrounding territory. Also this is me realizing it's really tricky to take a picture of yourself.

Map of Zatterberg

This is the map I made of Zatterberg and surrounding areas, also known as my neighborhood. As soon as I can scan in a copy, it will be here.

Geared up to Go

Before leaving, I felt the need to change into darker clothing. Unfortunately I couldn't find my black hat.

Who still uses typewriters?

On the way to my first stop, I passed the "Typewriter Store" which I think is really a front for some shadier activity. Nothing shady was going on at 2 a.m. however. My first outdoor photo made me realize that the flash is not always my friend.

Supplies

Stop number one was a run for supplies. Armed with more batteries for the camera, caffeinated beverages, and chocolate bars filled with nuts, I was prepared to explore the 'hood in darkest of night.

A Rare Bird

This photo, however crappy, is priceless! The man in the TV/VCR repair shop only works late at night. I attempted to stroll by and snap a picture but they all were too blurry. Once I accidentally left the flash on and almost gave myself away! Taking zoom photos from across the street only works apparently if you're a private eye and equipped with an awesome camera. I had to duck walk behind a row of parked cars and take this through the front windows of a car directly in front of the building, and even then... it's not the best picture, but it was worth it for photographic evidence of this nocturnal creature. Also - I couldn't get a photo of her, but his wife? partner? female counterpart who dressed exactly like him and has the same haircut, she was there, too, in the corner, out of range.

Cemetary Night Vision

Leaning over the lowest spot in the wall that keeps in the dead (notice barbed wire) I held the camera up high but angled downward, hoping to catch a glimpse of a shambling corpse or two. This proved to be more difficult than I imagined. Only with the 'night vision' feature was I able to see anything at all, but it made everything all sepia toned.

Spooky Doorway

This doorway looked way spookier before it was lit up by the flash. It has a certain Jekyl/Hyde-ness to it, with the two doors - one dark and one white, one with a light, one without.

Empty Ashland

Late at night, even major streets like Ashland are empty. Here I am totally jaywalking across a four-lane, median-divided boulevard and there isn't a car in sight.

Rabbit Numero Uno

This is the first of MANY rabbits I saw on my walk. I live on top of Watership Down part two.

Unicut

The Unicut building could only be photographed with night vision.

Wavy Wall in Night Vision

This is the wall of the tiny parking lot across the street from Unicut. Why it is wavy, I have no idea, but I have a strong feeling that it's wavy in daytime as well as nighttime.

Under the Metra

Only certain streets have crossings running under the metra. When it rains, they flood immensely. They look ominous most other times, but especially at night.

Ravenswood looks Shady

Looking south, Ravenswood looks pretty shady at night. It's like that going north, too.

Night Photography 027.jpg

And if you walk about twenty feet the next "street" is Honore, which in my neighborhood is less a street than it is an under the El parking lot. It only runs for two blocks, to Montrose, and then disappears into the ether. Many streets in my neighborhood are discontinous, some are even non-linear.

Hole in the street!

I ran across this hole in Berteau very near the metra crossing. This is extremely susp

Church on my corner.

Even churches look creepy at night.

Zatterberg Park

The namesake of my neighborhood, Zatterberg park. Sorry this photo is really dark.

Me in Zatterberg Park

This shot took several tries.

Creepy Shell Garden

Walking back past my place, I have made one complete loop over most of the southeast side of my map. I thought I took a picture of my deserted street, but cannot find it. I did find this picture of a neighbor's creepy shell garden. They also had in their yard one of those horrible bathtubs filled with plants, which in the dark looked like it was just full of junk. This is a much better photo.

Port-a-Potty

On the way north on Hermitage I passed a Port-a-Potty. They smell just as bad at night.

House of Sufism

Further north on Hermitage, I passed the House of Sufism. Not much going on here at night.

Church/Temple/Mosque thing

I always thought this big building was a temple of some kind, but it turns out despite the rounded dome and minarets, it's just some kind of Christian church.

Mary in the Garden

But it has a secret garden in the back! With a little Mary statue that sort of glowed at night.

Bizarro Church Sign No. 2

This sign made me reconsider this being a Christian church. What is that symbol? Maybe it is a temple, for some kind of cult.

Were-Rabbit Attack

I thought using my pen light to stun a rabbit by shining its eyes would get me a closer photo - that was a plan that went horribly wrong. It charged at me, darted around me and ran off into the street. I got this photo first. He looks innocent here.

Track

The track of Chase Park was... not that exciting at night, either.

Stone Soup

I passed Stone Soup, but used the no-flash night vision to photograph their sign, lest I make the activists more paranoid that they're being watched.

Creepy children at play.

Now I'm convinced that everything can be made to look creepy if you photograph it in night vision.

Truc Lam Buddhist Temple

South on Ashland, the Truc Lam Buddhist Temple. There was a light on in this window, I swear! I saw the top of a buddha statue, that must have been sitting on some kind of altar! But I couldn't see any people, and this shot turned out really dark and crappy. Night photography does crap for capturing indoor light or color.

truc lam buddhist temple extravaganza

Edit - I went back by the Truc Lam house very recently and THIS had been built on their lawn! Obviously they are preparing for some kind of awesome buddhist idol showdown action.

Bizarre little guy

People in my neighborhood really have a penchant for hiding miniature statuary in their shrubbery. This guy was about six inches tall, stashed beneath a rather large red pine tree. I don't get it.

Klonders Corner

By the now closed Zephyr Cafe (um, which is actually an Irish pub now - when did that happen?) is the sign for Klonders Corner, a 'neighborhood' that spans only one four way stop.

Where the El Curves West part 1

Somewhere between Ravenswood and Wolcott and just south of Leland, in a deserted parking lot that may have been surrounded by a chain link fence, the El takes a slow arc from a North heading to a Westerly one.

Where the El Curves West part 2

Once across the first barrier, I was able to walk under the curving El for a while. There weren't many lights around here.

The Limousine!

This is a great photo - somewhere different every night in the neighborhood the owner of this vintage 80's limousine has to find a place to store this oversized heap. I hadn't seen it anywhere in months and thought the owner had finally given up on the thing. Seeing it tonight, I now think it had just been in the shop for repairs. Previously the limo had a dent in the passenger door and that has now been fixed, also where both missing chrome side strips were just long gashes, now there is white duct tape. On the whole it looks far more presentable, if still lamentably out of date.

Robots Guard Storefront from Larceny

see caption.

Western stop from two blocks away under El tracks

I tried to get a shot of the Western stop from the backside, but it's rather dark.

Western stop from side, and mural

This shot from the side of the Western stop shows how large it is, and how bright - the mural is illuminated in its glow.

Lincoln Square - Not for Nightowls

The square of Lincoln Square is pretty dead at 3 a.m.

Huttenbar Closed

Even the German bar is shut up tight.

The actual square of Lincoln Square

It's really more of a rectangle. And there's not much to see here at night.

Quaint

But don't let the covered windows of Huttenbar fool you, Lincoln Square is a safe place at night - just look how this trusting soul left his Giant bicycle barely secured!

Modernity Encroaches

At the top of the square, which is a one-way pedestrian friendly area filled with local shops like the 100+ year old Merz Apothecary and Timeless Toys, there's a Walgreen's, a McDonald's, and an incredibly out of place statue of Abraham Lincoln.

Dude in Western Stop with Dunkin Donuts Coffee

Coming around the back of the Western stop, there were two people inside! I could only capture one on film, and he looked suspicious - hence the fuzzy nature of the photo. It's really hard to take these while you're moving. Also - oh, why didn't I get a picture of that! - the Dunkin' Donuts inside looked closed, but someone was working (was it him?) because there were fresh donuts laid out in the trays and some on the counter, and this guy had a Dunkin' Donuts coffee. Only now does it all add up.

Other, less savory nighttime activitites...

Include throwing up outside 7-11. Don't worry, it isn't mine.

Sleeping

It's getting really late, and even the lions on Western by the ... place that has those dragons, seem to be sleeping. I suppose they always have that droopy look about them, though.

Wells Park Gazebo

I really wanted to get a shot of the Wells park gazebo at night, because it has these beautiful round globe lights... that were not on. So I had to use the night vision in order for anything to show up. Now instead of looking like a ripe candidate for a Monet painting it reminds me of the carousel from Something Wicked This Way Comes.

Sulzer

Similarly, this shot of the Sulzer from across the park was one of about 16 that didn't turn out that well, and required night vision, but then still didn't turn out that well. My laziness in not wanting to walk closer came back to bite me when I realized that I had brought a book to return along with me, and it's still in my bag as of this morning.

Golden Angel

I considered stopping for something starchy and some coffee, and then remembered that I had meant to go to the Golden Pancake on Lawrence and Hermitage, too, and not gotten up there. Thinking about how far it was from me made me decide to skip food and just head home.

Truck

At night, deliveries are made.

Montrose

The Montrose stop looks lit up, and makes me think it's a more normal time of evening than it really is. Soon the brown line will start running again! Time to go to bed.

Last Rabbit

My last attempt at getting close to one of the many neighborhood rabbits.

suggestive water spout

This water spout sticks out of the wall of this building I pass by every time I go, pretty much anywhere. I always wonder if it was made to hang to the left, or if some accident bent it that way.

Home again!

Back home, not a single light is on in my building. Because it's 4 a.m.! Time to get some sleep before work tomorrow.