Chicago Nights

For some reason, I thought it would be a good idea to wander around the streets of Chicago with a camera (and no tripod) after a night out at Rush & Division (all shots were taken post-2AM). Surprisingly, some of the photographs came back non-blurred. It's amazing how empty the streets look in some shots... several hours prior, you could barely move because there were so many people out for Black Friday.

'X' Marks the Spot

"Rooftopping" in Chicago. A nice view from C-View Bar at the top of Affinia Hotel... looking down at the intersection of Michigan Avenue and Superior. This was basically the heart of the Black Friday madness in downtown Chicago.

Chicago Architecture

View from hotel room at Affinia (if you look really close, you can see me in the building reflection). It's kind of crazy to think that even though I'm on the 29th floor, I'm still surrounded by buildings twice as tall.

So... I meant to walk around the city of Chicago on Friday to do some shopping and take some pictures... but it was black Friday and the streets were INSANELY packed with shoppers, protesters, religious preachers, and street performers. I didn't make it out of a two block radius. Nonetheless, I still think I managed to capture some interesting pictures. Enjoy!

Sunrise Descent to ORD

Look closely at the shoreline and you can see smoke coming out of a nuclear power plant. This is the Indiana/Michigan side of the lake.

On an American flight from BOS to ORD. The series of photos here document the sunrise descent to ORD... first, flying over lake Michigan and then going past the city of Chicago. One of the reasons I like taking the 6AM flight to Chicago (other than the fact that it's the least likely to be delayed), is that you can see dramatic sunrises like this (just need to sit on the left hand side of the plane). 

Right now I'm about halfway over Lake Michigan. The center of the lake was covered in fog.

First glimpse of the Chicago skyline as we come out from the fog.

The city had a bit of a haze over it on this particular morning... and since the sun was still at such a low angle, it was casting shadows in the haze (behind the buildings). I thought it was a cool effect.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving! These are a few photos I took on a late November afternoon at JFK Park in Cambridge, MA.

Red Leaf

Sunset along the Charles illuminating one of the few red leaves left on the tree.

The Fall

As I was walking around Cambridge this weekend, I could barely see the ground in some spots... about 95% of the leaves are now off the trees. It's definitely evident in the pictures I took. On the first one, you can see that the bench is almost entirely covered. Bring on winter and snowboarding season!

Late Autumn Sunset

We had a lovely Sunday in Boston... temperature was above 60 degrees. However, even with the warmth, you're reminded that winter is rapidly approaching. All the trees are now barren and the sun goes down earlier and earlier each day. These are a couple images I took right before the sun vanished.

The Fanciest Parking Lot in the World!! (nighttime)

Recently, I posted an image of this insane parking lot here. However, it was a daytime shot... thought I would go back at night and get an even more dramatic image. This night I found out that the parking lot actually has "bouncers"... because I got "shooed away" by some giant guy (3 times my size) when I tried to climb to the top (I think a wedding was going on at the top floor?).

To recap... this parking lot in Miami is something to admire. It has a price tag of $65 million dollars and has attracted the attention of people from around the world. Located at the end of a posh shopping area in South Beach (Lincoln Rd), it features vaulted ceilings, beautiful panoramic views of the city, and a high end boutique. It's been used for art exhibits, weddings, wine tasting events, yoga classes.... and even parking cars.

Miami Nights

Some "bubbly" in plastic champagne flutes! Why doesn't any bar in South Beach use real glass?

Cruising the Ocean Dr. strip on a warm Saturday night in South Beach... lots of neon lights, palm trees, and interesting people in the streets. These are a few photos I took while there.

The start of Ocean Dr... beginning of the "deco walk"

One of the annoying things about shopping in South Beach, is that most clothing stores don't put price tags on the items. Although, I guess most people shopping in those stores don't need to ask what the price is.

Palm Trees and Sunshine

Entrance to South Beach 

Poor Bike

Just saw this while walking around on the street... pretty much everything not locked or screwed into place, was stripped off. I would be pretty bummed if I came back to this (one of the reasons that I lock my seat and tires in addition to the frame).

Art Deco - Miami Style

Miami is famous for its "art deco" style... and one of the tours that seems to be the most popular with tourists is the "art deco walk". Everywhere I walked in the city, some shop was advertising this type of tour. I'm not quite sure why people actually pay money for stuff like that. If you just wander around the city on your own, you're surrounded by those types of buildings... and you do not need to pay anyone to look at buildings. Anyways, these are a few pictures I took while wandering around Miami.

As I sit in my apartment in New England, I miss the warmth and sunshine.

A Late Fall Afternoon on the Charles

On the almost fully repaired Boston University bridge looking out over the Charles River towards Boston's skyline. It's quite a beautiful view. This shot was taken on a late afternoon in the fall with the sun behind me. You can notice many trees along the river have already changed color. The sailboats were out in full effect this day.

Don't Fence Me In

In the Fenway area looking towards the Citgo sign.

Back to Boston

Had a great trip to Miami... but back in Boston now. Greeted with some lovely fall colors.