Holiday Shopping in Chicago

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I recently braved the crowds which were surprisingly large for a recession on Saturday and went shopping for Christmas gifts. A few photos from my travels in downtown Chicago.

Upper left – an Agent Provocateur bag left in the trash. Someone probably purchased something for their girl and then realized that bringing the bag home is a dead giveaway. Or this is really saying “here is a gift which ostensibly is for you but is actually for me.”

Upper right – I love the slogan “Enrich Your Mind” on this shelf of books at Best Buy. Let’s go through the “mind enrichment” – you have:

1. A Danielle Steele book (is she still alive? She was writing trash when I worked at a bookstore in the mid 1980’s… damn looked her up at wikipedia and she is only 62)
2. J.D. Robb is really Nora Roberts, another hack romance novelist
3. A Michael Jackson bio book. ‘Nuff said
4. There’s the book about Dexter the serial killer
5. Don’t forget the biggest loser

Lower left – a cool view of the Trump Tower from almost bottom to top – it is hard to find an unobstructed view showing that much of the building in one shot

Middle right – I love the concept of a bow on a car. “Look honey, I gave us a liability!”

Lower right – a camera shot of people relaxing at Bistro 110 post holiday shopping. I like the reflections

Cross posted at LITGM

12 thoughts on “Holiday Shopping in Chicago”

  3. The garbage container and the shopping bag are color-coordinated – was it intentional? What does it say about the person? What do you think, Carl?

  5. Hmmm…this is the first thing that I noticed when looked at the picture. What didn’t come to my mind is that the bag is a giveaway!
    It would be fun to seat with you in a street cafe and listen to your speculation about passersbies.

  6. I actually don’t mind the Macy’s, but then I didn’t grow up in Chicago. I still like wandering around the building and I like the Christmas window displays. I don’t understand the boycott. It’s such a lovely historic building – who will move into the space if its not Macy’s? Help native Chicagoans, help me to understand the boycott!

  8. M, you reminded me: yeah, some natives really don’t like Macy’s – I recall a particular comment I got more than a year ago.

    But I loved the building, and the dome – thank you again for showing it to me.

  9. The difference between Marshall Fields, before the May Company and Target and Macys is elegance versus vulgar. When Macys assumed control of Marshall Fields the company reps would descend all dressed in black from head to toe en masse like a flock of crows. In Macys first year the advertising campaign featured famous faces, Martha Stewart, Donald Trump, Jessica Simpson, etc. etc. Famous, but tacky and vulgar. The old Fields was elegance and oozed “Je ne sais quoi”. It represented urban sophistication and refinement. It inspired. Macys is urban, but uninspired like the head-to-toe black attire of their corporate minions.

  10. MadinMidtown – I know, there is no point in expecting reasonable argument from someone self-identifying as MAD; still: all-black garments ensemble is much more elegant, on the background of late-victorian opulence, then anything else. In fact, anything else will be “tacky and vulgar”.

    Also: “Je ne sais quoi” juxtaposed with “oozed is an aesthetic nonsense.

  11. MadinMidtown – your points are well-taken. I guess my worry is the beautiful building itself. If Macy’s leaves, what will take its place and how would that affect the architectural integrity of the place? That was my main confusion :)

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