It’s its USP, the rickety elevated trains that run through the Downtown Loop and which everyone knows as the L word in Chicago.
For a wide-eyed Scottish adolescent with American cousins my entry point to Chicago was through The Blues Brothers.
And Elwood tossing and turning in his sleep above the Plymouth Restaurant.
The filmmakers depicted his room as being right next to the L tracks, named for the elevated position.
With the location now a small park in front of the restaurant.
Your inner Elwood
I channel my inner Elwood in the Palmer House Hotel these five days in Chicago.
Where I nod off every night to sleep, with the clanking train in my ears.
The L couldn’t be easier to navigate, no validating tickets here.
Just book your $2 trip (yes, you read that right) or $5 all-day ticket.
Which praise be, you can pay for too in old Earth money at the machine.
And if even that confuses those new in town there is help at hand at the information desk.
With Old Willie giving me a pass without the need for the machine.
And chewing the fat with me about Scottish white soul band The Average White Band.
An L of a ride
Let’s go round again… and that, of course, means a return to the scene of the crime from my first day here.
The Gaybourhood of North Halsted Street, Andersonville.
And it’s spiritual home the multi-bar Sidetrack where we gather on a hot and sweltering night to celebrate Pride.
In the company of Veronica Pop, Boy J and Tender Oni.
Tender, or Oni, they go by either nomenclature, is championing Drag Kings.
And wows us with an out-of-this world Bruno Mars.
While Boy J prides themself that they can survive and does a mean Bruno themself with Veronica’s Lady Gaga.
Partners in time
We watch it all from the intimate main bar with slushy cocktails in hand of course.
Before doing our own thang on the dance floor.
Where a 4ft tall pocket rocket owns the floor, announcing to everyone that it is her 30th birthday.
She has me at ‘you only look 35’ when I tell her I’m twice her age.
She only, of course, has eyes for her partner, who holds on to her protectively.
Looking out from under the peak of her Cubs baseball hat.
Halsted Street is just down the road from Wrigley Field and I join the wave of happy sports fans back to the Belmont train.
It’s cooling down, there is lightning in the sky and the Chicagoans have brought the thunder.
The L word in Chicago.
I am travelling with Aer Lingus from Edinburgh through Dublin and now back with my luggage and staying at the Palmer House Hotel.
