Flagship Walgreens: My dream home

Forget fancy Lincoln Park condos and grand estates in North Shore.

I want to move into the new Walgreens drugstore on State Street.

For those who haven’t heard everyone freaking out, Walgreens has opened a two-level flagship store in the former (RIP) Loehmann’s space. And it’s pretty amazing.

Seriously, if I didn’t have to earn a paycheck or see my husband, I could spend all of my waking hours here. And I pretty much could. It has everything a gal could need.

Fantastic wines on heavy rotation (literally)

Cheese heaven

Nail salon

Frozen yogurt on tap

And let’s not forget the sushi bar, espresso bar, Freestyle Coke machine, humidor, international newsstand, virtual make-up artist display and virtual bartender.

Excuse me while I start packing now…

Fountain zen

This is likely the last day before we endure winter’s wrath. Snow’s-a-coming. I took this as an excuse to wear short sleeves. And walk home from work.

Maybe it was the fresh air or the whimsical soundtrack in my headphones, but I couldn’t help but notice how gorgeous the fountain in Exelon Plaza is at night.

Taken at Chase Tower at Monroe and Dearborn, Chicago.

In the year 2000 (err, 2011)…

So, you can charge your electric car at Walgreens. What the? Is this The Jetsons?

I’ve seen a few electric-car charging stations in parking garages around the city. But at Walgreens in Logan Square? This is amazing.

Looks like you just swipe your credit card and plug your car in. If only someone would create a station like this for iPhones…I would pay. I would pay big bucks.

Also, this reminds me of:

“Sand. Saudi Arabian sand!” This long-standing Conan skit was hands down my favorite.

Photo bombed at Buckingham Fountain

If you close your eyes, you can imagine you’re lounging in an Italian piazza when sitting in front of the Buckingham Fountain.

In my opinion, it’s one of the most gorgeous landmarks in the city. And no matter what my husband tells you, it was not donated by the British Royal Family.

I took my friend Lisa who was visiting from “SF” to the fountain this weekend. We waited a good twenty minutes to see the water show. And this was it. Apparently, Buckingham Fountain only gets sassy with its lights and water at nighttime. Take note. At least that gave enough time for Lisa to get a Chicago dog that failed to come with tomatoes.

Then, this Segway tour photo bombed our pics.

Random Kingdom

File this under things you don’t see every day. This faux Minnie Mouse was spotted near the Roosevelt CTA station last week passing out flyers.

We have trains, attractions, and apparently, Minnie Mouse. Yet, Chicago is no Magic Kingdom.

I regret that I didn’t see what the flyer said, but she didn’t need it to get my attention. I’ve always been freaked out by characters in costume (see: any photo of me age 0-5 with Santa or the Easter Bunny). *shudders*

How to know if you had a fun night out.

What’s your hallmark of a fun night on the town?

Personally, it’s finding a random memento the next day with a vague recollection of how I acquired it.

Like this Sears (ahem, Willis) Tower postcard I found in my purse on Sunday morning.

I don’t go out much these days. But since my friend and I were both husbandless this weekend, we recruited another friend for a last-minute dinner at Mercat a la Planxa and after-dinner drinks.

I remember the amazing tapas and the boisterous conversation. But not how I got this postcard. I assume this is a sign of a good night.

Hey fun fact from the postcard: “The Willis Tower, standing 1,451 feet fall, is the tallest building in the United States, and dominates the Chicago skyline.”

Concrete city within a city

To me, the hustle and bustle and anonymity of city living is strangely liberating.

That’s why it seems odd that there would be a high-rise prison in the middle of downtown.

A few years ago when my friends and I were pouring our entry-level paychecks into crappy Lakeview apartments, one co-worker was a baller living in Printer’s Row. We had no idea how he afforded such a nice, conveniently located apartment. One that happened to be located next to a city prison. Sometimes, if you timed it right, you caught a glimpse of the prisoners.

What I find fascinating about this correctional facility is that, at first glance, you might think it’s an older condo building. Except the views through the tiny windows probably aren’t as spectacular. And the residents aren’t exactly leaving for work every day.

I forgot about the prison until we passed it this weekend.

Did you know it existed?

Living the (urban) dream

I must admit, it’s been a while. How are you?

There have been countless events the past few months that have made me pause and reflect. Some lucky and some unlucky. Most notably, I’ve had a huge change in scenery. I went from living in Logan Square and working in River North to living in South Loop and working in the Loop.

But, sometimes a change in scenery is just what you (I) need.

The views in this city are amazing. But everyday, for the past week and a half, I’ve taken in this particularly breathtaking view and realized just how lucky I am. I’m more or less living the life I’ve always imagined.

I have a sweet husband who makes me laugh everyday.

I have incredible, interesting friends who make me a better person.

I live in an amazing apartment in a delightful city.

I have a fun job that challenges me and enables me write everyday.

The only thing that would make it perfect would be having all of my family and close friends here. But alas, you can’t have it all.

So, before you throw up, I promise to post less about the sap and more about the weird.

Cheers to living the dream, whatever yours is.

Did someone say “free?”

Last Monday, I was reminded that summer + indie music + FREE = a serious crapload of people.

It was the first really warm evening of the summer. So, the husband, some pals and I went to the Iron + Wine show in Millennium Park, along with the rest of Chicagoans age 15-45.

Although Iron + Wine was great, we spent the majority of the time drinking wine (sans iron) and people watching. Seriously, I don’t think I’ve ever seen more people in one place. It was also a goldmine for latfh.com. I’m glad I didn’t wear my romper.

The most enjoyable/annoying part of the evening was watching hordes of people try to sweet talk the “security guard” into letting them jump over the gate in front of us to get in.

We decided since we really came to hang outside and chitchat, next time we’d see a jazz or orchestra performance. Or maybe we wouldn’t pick the biggest free show on the warmest day of the year.

Hallelujah, warm weather.

Sweet. Jesus. The past two days in Chicago have been over 80 degrees.

(No, you just didn’t hallucinate. That said 80 degrees.)

In typical fashion, Chicago skips spring and runs head first into summer. Only to backtrack to fall in a few days. Typical indeed.

Anyway, it’s funny how people immediately flock to patios for drinks and parks for picnics on warm days. Moods are lighter, and the city itself seems a bit shinier.

These are the days that make living here in the winter worth it.