My kind of town

Chicago is hands down the most bike-friendly town I've traversed thus far. Everywhere, there are bike paths, bike lanes, bike signs, bike racks, and, yes, lots of folks on their bicycles. (Too few bike *helmets* for my liking, but I'm working to pare down my lecture to a 3 second sound bite that I can rattle off at stop lights. How about: "Keep your brains on the *inside* of your skull. Wear a helmet." Pithy, no?)



The fact that the mayor is an avid cyclist certainly can't hurt, but I wonder if the "cars and bicycles living in harmony" can be replicated in other cities. Sure, there's still quite a bit of work to be done here -- better road surfaces, for one thing, and more pestering...I mean educating...folks to wear helmets, and some sensitivity training for the truculent individuals manning the public buses -- but overall I must say I'm impressed. Add in the fabulous thrift shops (what? I needed some new pants!), deep dish pizzas, and steadily growing community gardening scene, and this may be the perfect city. And the beautiful public spaces. And live music. And... My experience may be biased by the great folks I am staying with and the best week of weather since I left DC in April, but Chicago has a lot going for it.



A post on the urban agriculture scene is on the way soon. Right now Ollie and I need to hotfoot it over to City Farm for the weekend volunteer shift....



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