We don't have locals

Originally uploaded by .Kerri..

P&J in conversation the other night asked how we like our new (since Jan.) neighborhood. Neighborhood isn't really the right word for it. People live near us, yes. But they drive into their subterranean parking lots and have little contact with one another. And no one is outside walking for the sake of being outside- it's taking the dog for a quick walk, or pushing a pram and that's it. So in spite of the ever-growing density of housing in this area, J and I are still able to haunt public spaces with little-no crowds. I don't know if this is a plus, because: I like people. So I was thinking about how Grant Park and all the other public spaces we linger in and think of as a part of our daily experience are spaces we share almost entirely with a transitory public: tourists, mostly. It's a strange feeling that places we appreciate (but know we can come back to countless times) are being appreciated by most others we're surrounded by in a fleeting way. Few of the people I see at the fountain one day will ever return.