Emerald City

Frank L. Baum, who wrote The Wizard of Oz, lived near Humboldt Park. The building where he resided, in typical Chicago fashion has been torn down. A small plaque sits outside the scattered site public housing there today.

I've often thought of Chicago as the real life Emerald City. I like to walk around Humboldt Park and wonder if Frank L. Baum Standing on the same sledding hill and looking at the Chicago skyline thought the same thing.

Ok, the sledding hill probably wasn't there and the skyline barely visible, if at all. If nothing else, I have my own Emerald City to inspire me.

Starved Rock

I'm from Wisconsin, and I'll admit to having a Dairy State snobbery about scenic beauty. I thought Illinois was just cornfields, and falt ones at that. Some place I could safely pass through on my way to hiking and camping up north.

well, I was wrong. About 90 miles west of Chicago, Starved Rock State Park is an oasis of beauty on Illinois river. There are many canyons you can hike into, boasting waterfalls that freeze in the winter. There is also a lodge that will welcome you with a roaring fire after to warm you up after your winter hikes.

Noel and I hiked into the canyons back in January. Sure winter hiking requires a little more bundling, but the rewards are many. The scenery is often more beautiful in a stark way, and you don't have to share.

I captured this serene scene.

Viva Boricua

Puerto Rican pride runs deep in Humboldt Park, as evidenced by the two Puerto Rican flags bookending Division Street beween Western and California. Weighing several tons, they are anchored 50 feet in the ground.

The Puerto Rican community has similarly deep roots in Chicago, originally coming from the island to work in the cities many factories. Over the years, Chicago's Peurto Ricans have been centered in Humboldt Park, but they also thrived in Lincoln Park, and Wicker Park.

Today, you'd be hard pressed to find any Puerto Ricans in Lincoln Park today. Beginning the 70's that neighborhood was transformed into haven for young professionals. Yuppies, their detractors called them, and still do.

Today, Humboldt Park is threatened with the same transformation. Facing this, many of the residents have banded together to promote a Puerto Rican identity. The most visible signs of this effort are the giant flags.

The nature of the American cities is change, and whether Humboldt Park will remain Puerto Rican is an open question. After all, Humboldt Park was built by Norwegians. Today little evidence of them remains, beyond the Norwegian American hospital and some black and white photos. Maybe in the future , all that will remain of the Puerto Ricans of Humboldt Park will be these giant flags, and the sense that our city has lost something unique.