University of Chicago, or The Hidden Fortress

I woke up on Friday, July 14 (Bastille Day) and decided that there was no help for it: I absolutely had to have about 10 pages from Michael Loewe's Biographical dictionary of the Qin, former Han and Xin periods (221 BC - AD 24). My dissertation could not move forward even one inch unless I had it! There was no getting this book through UIC, for though three libraries in the inter-library (I-Share) system had it, it was non-circulating. But of course the University of Chicago had it, and I had been meaning to get down there and look around. Princeton has an agreement with them (and various other libraries) as part of a deal called the Research Library Group, with interchangeable library privileges, which is to say I am allowed in to the University of Chicago library. But first, I had to get there.

We live on the north side of Chicago, and getting down to the Loop (downtown area) is already a bit of a project--maybe a half-hour bus-ride. U of C is about as far south of the Loop as the Loop is south of us. To make matters worse, though, it is almost impossible to get to with public transportation. Of course, I could have driven my car (which we haven't yet gotten around to selling, despite various parking hassles). But I wrongly assumed that driving all the way through the big city would be scarier than taking public transportation.

The smart way to do this probably would have been to call up one of Colin's colleagues, who are all very good about giving us helpful practical advice, and ask them how to get there. But the CTA (transit website) yielded what looked like a pretty simple route, which involved riding the redline (our L line) straight down, then getting on a bus that practically went through the campus. But wow, that redline stop was sketchy. It was where the redline goes down through the middle of the freeway (Dan Ryan) now under construction. The L stop was under construction too, with an under construction skybridge over part of the freeway. Also, there were police-men with dogs there. I guess it was better that they were there than not, but still creepy. After going over the exceedingly disturbing skybridge, I had my usual sense of direction muddle trying to figure out which way was east and which way was west and finally asked one of the disaffected people at the busstop. West. I needed to go east. It's hard to describe why the Garfield stop was so disturbing. I mean, there were a few actual businesses, actually open, and plenty of cars and people. Maybe it's because all the other white people who had gotten off the train with me looked extremely nervous and displeased. The only other white people were the policemen with the dogs.

Anyway, got across the street to the eastbound bus. Now up to this point, I had been very impressed with the Chicago bus-system, but the 55 Garfield bus demonstrated that not all buses are created equal. This one was badly in need of new belts. And, if you can believe it, it was leaking! I mean, where I was sitting, water was dripping on me. At least, I hope it was water. And the bus went through some neighborhoods a lot worse than the redline stop, where all the businesses were barred and out of business. What do people do when at noon on a Friday not even the Chicken Shack is open!? It seemed a quandry all right. The bus went through a park and a few more questionable streets--then all of a sudden we were in Princeton. Or might as well have been. Mansions and pretty gothic buildings. Nicely kept streets and landscaping. Welcome to the University of Chicago, a weird hidden forest in the midst of miles of ghetto. No wonder so much weird thinking comes from there. How can you think straight when you're practically under seige?

A few of the nice buildings had holes on them, or graffiti, or broken windows. Police cars were slowly cruising up and down the street. And then there were kiddies with backpacks, looking like they should still be in high school. Wow, thank goodness I didn't end up going to school there. What a bizarre atmosphere. Though I could see that if you actually lived there you might think of things differently. You would see campus as the center of things, the downtown as somewhere you went on an excursion to occasionally, and the northside as hardly existing at all.

Well I've got to say that I like my north side very much, thank you. Although things in the library went smoothly enough, after a bit of casting about. The reference room is small and seems less friendly than ours, but maybe that's just because I don't have any friends there! I got what I needed anyway, and even got back unscathed, taking the 55 bus to the green line instead, which was nearer east and did not involve going all the way out to the nasty freeway place. Still, it was a tense little journey and gave me a headache. Never had to risk life and limb for a library book before! It made me miss Princeton and resolve to go down there as infrequently as possible.

I found out later that there is a seemingly more complicated way involving an express bus from the Loop (express meaning "does not stop in the ghetto") which meets up with the 55 Garfield at a somewhat more palatable place. Or I could always zip down the famous Lakeshore Drive in my car. But when I got back up here I would have to find a place to park it, which is the main deterrent of us taking the car out, ever. We have to sell this car. Probably I will use the money to buy a new computer. Mine hates these 90 degree days and is heating up so much it practically burns my hands. So enough for tonight. Stay tuned for the next episode: Faculty Barbeque in Oak Park!