L Train (“el” Train) Chicago – In Another Minute (Week 239)
This past week I got to go to Chicago, Illinois, for the second time in a month. This time I’d like to show you a quick minute of one of my favorite things to do in a city: ride the public transportation train. The CTA (Chicago Transportation Authority) train is most often referred to as the L train or el train (short for “elevated train”) – even though part of the system is underground, giving you the classic subway experience.
The coolest part of the L Train Chicago is the loop that five train lines (e.g., the pink line) ride around downtown, which, in turn, is actually called The Loop because of the trains encircling it. The 1.79-mile (2.88 km) long circuit of elevated railroad takes four 90-degree turns as it loops around the shopping and business area – giving you cool views of the high-rise canyon, sharp turns and streets and rivers (to + fro The Loop) from above as you cross them via train bridges.
Please keep in mind that this is an edited and sped-up video of riding the train – so you don’t get to see everything or experience how slow the trains really go around those curves. I will probably upload a longer, slower, more complete version some day soon.
Also: to see what the Chicago elevated train looks like from the streets below and other Chi-Town impressions, please check out my video from two weeks prior: Chicago (Illinois) – In Another Minute (Week 237)
I know the video quality isn’t so awesome. I shot all of this on my iPhone through one or two panes of glass (depending on the shot). My compact camera has been messed up for a little while, and using my DSLR for driving footage is senseless. In perfect timing, I’m getting a new compact camera today… as soon as I’m done uploading + publishing this video! I cannot wait to show you footage shot with that new beauty…
Why did I travel to Chicago for a second time in November? Of course, to spend more time with my father, Günter Westphal from Hamburg, who was in the city for an art residency. This time Scott got to come with me as well, we finally had stuffed deep dish pizza with John and Margaret from Lost and Found Travel and Chicago Elevated (best walking tours), went to a Blues club; and my dad held a fascinating presentation about his social art work at the Experimental Station.
The song in this video is called “Stormy Blues” by Arne Bang Huseby . He has made the song available via a CC BY 3.0 Creative Commons license. Thank you, Arne!
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| el train aka L train in Chicago, Illinois |