Birthday Weekend in Chicago-part 1

it was my birthday last saturday and i decided to fly to chicago to spend it with one of my dearest friends, nicole!  i have been to chicago before but this was the first visit while nicole is living there.
because i had already been, nicole had the great suggestion to visit Wicker Park and Wrigglyville (two neighborhoods of Chicago i had never seen!), so friday, we hopped on the train to spend the day exploring. it was absolutely wonderful :)

have i ever mentioned i love trains...they are so...oh i just love 'em!

so happy to be with her for a few days!

 

first glimpse of the city!

all train stations have beautiful windows...this was no exception!

so stylish, even when 7 mos pregnant!

i love the sun glare, a million tiny windows and the steam floating up.

beautiful architecture

amazing food from a local eatery in Wicker Park.

 Wicker Park is the artsy district of Chicago; streets are laced with vintage shops, clothing boutiques, neighborhood cafes and furniture resale shops. i absolutely loved the neighborhood and have since started plotting my relocation there-ha! charming and quarky and inspiring!

ready to shop!

the train going by...never got tired of hearing that sound!

i am planning to move here :) so cute, right?!

contemporary brownstone

castle-style brownstone

i thought the use of potted plants was especially impactful against the black railing, door and window frames; the chartreuse and purple varieties make all the difference!

ok, they have a gate with a mailbox on it. love that. love the detailing around the windows and the roofline.

chicago is pretty hip but this outdoor taco stand is amazing! yellow chairs are PERFECT...we walked by smelling fresh tortilla chips and salsa. YUM.

subway tiles.

 that night we made one last stop in Wrigleyville to see a Improvised Shakespeare Troupe at Improv Olympics. i have never laughed so hard in my life! absolultely hilarious and insanely quick-witted. it was an absolutely delight to see the show!

at Improv Olympics

we ended up back home after a lovely, evening train ride. :)