Exchequer by Chipka
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Description
There is a stretch of Chicago’s Wabash Avenue that retains much of Chicago’s old charm; the buildings are old, by city standards; the plumbing is dubious (by anyone’s standards;) the rats are healthier and the cockroaches are able to trace their family lines back to the dry, sandy homeland of Morocco. They’re German cockroaches, after all, and German cockroaches are from Morocco. Funny how that works. Thankfully, many of the most venerable cockroach families have sought browner pastures elsewhere. Few (if any) remain on a particular stretch of Wabash Avenue.
The Exchequer Pub does not have cockroaches, Moroccain-German or otherwise. It has good food, and is a favorite haunt of college students on a lunch-time prowl, or business people during the happier hours of the day. By night, it glows with reflected sodium vapor streetlight, or the greenish, bluish, silvery wash of light from el trains, heading from somewhere to somewhere.
There are times when Wabash Avenue is as quiet as a ghost street. It exists in the part of Chicago that closes when it gets dark. When it gets dark, the 200 block of South Wabash Avenue is home to ghosts, wafts of newsprint riding on a breeze, and the occasional taxi-cab ferrying passengers from somewhere to somewhere else. The street takes on a particular, aged charm when nights grow dark with a smear of hepatic, orange sodium vapor light. The Exchequer Pub and other restaurants half-shadowed by the elevated train tracks add a different kind of life to the near silence. It is a pleasant thing. It is sometimes lonely, but in one, perfect way. It is when the southern stretch of Wabash Avenue expresses loneliness that something else emerges. A pleasant thing. It’s never the same thing twice; it is never experienced in exactly the same way by any two people.
It’s been a long time since I’ve been to the Exchequer pub. I enjoyed numerous lunches there with friends in purple socks. I purchased cassette tapes from Rose Records, a few doors down. Rose Records no longer exists. I have no need for cassette tapes. Friends wearing purple socks have moved elsewhere and engage in different activities now. But the Exchequer pub remains, quiet in the night, and orange in the reflected glow of soon-to-die pressurized and electrified sodium vapor.
As always, thank you for viewing, reading, and commenting, and I hope you’re all having a great weekend.
Comments (26)
Sea_Dog
What a great looking place. Definitely worthy of stepping inside and bellying up to the bar. This shot so perfectly captures you descriptions of this stretch of Wabash Avenue I expect to see a discarded newspaper blow by. Well done, chip
photosynthesis
This has such a rich golden glow to it - a fine piece of urban nostalgia & romanticism (as is your written commentary)...
wotan Online Now!
Lovely city lights... I love the night and it is the time that I find inspiration to manipulate my stock photos!
clbsmiley
This is a great capture and info. :) Love the lighting.
auntietk
Such atmosphere! I love the marble on the above-street facade. Wonderful!
mgtcs
Sorry for not being around that much. That most high-maintenance queen called " Real Life" has been acting up again and in dire need of attention. This sometimes keeps me from the really important stuff, such as friends, art, fun... Anyhow, let me say a few words about your post. This superb picture does indeed convey a sense of loneliness, albeit of a "good" kind, the variety which is closely related to nostalgia. We don't have proper pubs in Northeastern Brazil, only places where you go to eat and then leave, not to stay around. In spite of that, I can relate to the type of atmosphere a place where college students hang around to chatter away about issues that seem to be of great importance for them. I even remember being one them myself, marveling today at the things I held so dear at the time. The architecture is very pleasant and welcoming, to the point of gently beaconing one to come in and have a look around knowing that you will be accepted as you are, unlike what one may find in more expensive and sophisticated places where it seems that you will be weighed and, most likely, be found wanting.
flavia49
fabulous chapter of Chipka's Chicago
sandra46
GORGEOUS IMAGE! GREAT CAPTURE IN THE NIGHT!
MrsRatbag
Wonderful sense of desertion and warm crumbling beauty waiting to be reinhabited...I love the colour tones, and that old embellished architecture!
RodS
Niiiice shot, Chip! The lighting here is just delicious!
Blush
Been seeing your comments on friends images...very insightful and I love to read them..I write poetry....I have over a 1,000 some odd poems there...it is www.allpoetry.com and I am blushfulmoon there.......Pixieluna did an image and asked if she could use one of my poems for the image...of course I said yes..I got it listed in my favs...if you want to look... Anyway nice to meet you Love this night life scene you have done here..I am not too good at night images.......so I really like them... Love this one...and the lights........This is a fav:) Hope you come visit me in my gallery as well
MadameX
This is absolutely delightful! It makes me wish I was right there on the street so I can walk in and have a pizza and beer. You have conveyed with this image and your description a warm invitation and acceptance that one rarely finds nowadays. I just love this image!
Sepiasiren
what I find most interesting about your work is how you seem to capture solitary moments where the architecture stands alone. DO you threaten to kill those who would step into the shot? Lol. Whatever the cause it is always brilliant as you can make the focus the beauty of the landscape...marvelous work as per usual my friend.
ToniDunlap
Charming, yes. Your wonderful way with words sure make it seem so. And make this viewer wish that she had the pleasure if visiting there, especially since there are no rats or cockroaches. German or otherwise LOL. The photo makes it truly inviting. Bravo Chip!
lior
Excellent composition, the colours are really amazing, excellent render, very well done!
netot
I really like how the lighting increases the quiet atmosphere of the image. The architecture is very interesting and your description makes you want to know the place. I can imagine myself walking with my wife and going to the place for dinner. Yes, walking. I can not imagine arriving by car. a car would ruin the mood.
durleybeachbum
I shall have 'friends with purple socks' on my mind all day now. It helps a bit that purple is complementary to the orange in your photo.
helanker
GEEES! Your description of this city makes me want to go there and see it all by myself. And this shot is a super beautiful shot and I so love the warm tone, you can conjure up. Looks awesome. BTW! We dont dance in the Club called "High Cress" :)
evinrude
Very high coolness factor.
fallen21
Excellent capture.
beachzz
I wear purple socks, but I've never been to Exchequer. I don't know if that means anything, but I just thought I'd throw it in. Love this shot, the lonely night club, the street--way cool!!
anaber
Hi:)I can imagine this place, and understand the mood..and reading you, almost feel that *taste and smell of ghosts, all´round. To me, very pleasant almost always..and YES!!! never the same twice! It´s fine, if all is changing around, but The Place is there to stay! I love the glow of this color of sodium, that make feel the tranquility and the solitude together. Hhmm..surprised about the cockroach families, and so amazing if they are also past!! This, is a nice memory, very well depicted here for you in a great photo, as always! Thank you very much chip, also, for your appreciation in landscape.You, somehow,touched the point,yet,you touched me too. Thanks!!!
icerian
Another nice building "in the dress of night".
Lashia
Awesome night scene, great warm lighting washing the streets- thanks for sharing! :) By the way, have you checked out the Halloween Photography Contest! "Zombie Apocalypse!"
kgb224
Stunning capture my friend. God Bless.
CloverLinda
Chicago seems to be a photographers' dream.......wish I was there. Terrific capture.