I never walk in my neighborhood, even in the daytime. I've been living here for five years.

I live in a fairly quiet, safe, middle-class suburb of Chicago - right on the edge of an industrial district. The grounds of my apartment complex are beautifully landscaped to resemble a tropical fishing village. Strange, I know, but it's really pretty, especially in the fall when all the leaves are multicolored. The first photos are of the bridges, island huts, and network of ponds in the courtyard of my complex.

To contrast this oasis, I took an hour walk on the streets around my apartment, choosing three or four directions. I took photos of all the gorgeous industrial facilities nearby. I honestly feel that they are just as beautiful as my complex's courtyard, if not even more so. But that's how I'm wired.

I usually see all this stuff from my car window, but I got a whole new perspective while walking. It was cold and quiet - the only other people I saw were hard-working Hispanic men in my neighborhood on their way to or from their night jobs, and one guy who pulled over in his car and tried to talk to me - I had my headphones on and decided it was more prudent to keep walking, seeing as it was about 1:00am.

I noticed details, the walk became almost dreamlike - the cracked pavement of the auto shop on the corner, the gray roots of a tree, two men standing outside the day labor place, clouds of fragrant steam from the laundry room exhaust chute. I will only be here until October - rising rent will force me to find a cheaper apartment - but I'm so glad I walked last night, and plan to do so whenever possible before I have to leave.