What Is Sketchy?

by Katie Flood

Prior to my arrival in Chicago, I was hesitant to move to Pilsen because I was afraid that it would be sketchy. I grew up in the suburbs surrounded by perfectly landscaped yards and paved roads that are repaired frequently. Everything always looks nice, AKA, not sketchy. But since my arrival in Chicago my idea of “sketchy” has changed significantly. While there are parts of my neighborhood that aren’t glamorous, I feel safe and welcomed in these spaces. This doesn’t mean that I’m not cautious, but it really has made me question why and how we categorize things as sketchy.

            Merriam Webster Dictionary defines “sketchy” in three ways:

                        1. “not complete or clear”

                        2. “done quickly without many details”

                        3. “likely to be bad or dangerous”

I think that a lot of times we focus too much on the third definition. We see a building and define it as sketchy based on its appearance, which is not incorrect by the first two portions of the definition, but then we automatically assume that because it wasn’t well made or is missing parts of it, that it is a place of danger.

I know that this is the mindset that I take when I look at things, but I also see myself working my way out of that mindset through my exposure to parts of the city that are automatically deemed as sketchy and therefore are unapproachable. I think that when coming to Chicago it is important to focus on the assets that each community has, rather than defining them by the problems the community faces.

Being a part of the Urban Intensive Track during my time in Chicago has given me the opportunity to expand my horizons and learn to appreciate the beauty of various neighborhoods throughout the city.

As a class we have visited Uptown, Garfield Park, Humboldt Park, Englewood, as well as many others. I love that I get to experience neighborhoods that I probably would not have made an effort to visit outside of class time. We chatted with different organizations such as Breakthrough Urban Ministries and Erie House.

One of the neighborhoods that I have grown to love is Chinatown. I have gotten to know this neighborhood through my internship and my personal exploration. This weekend, I took my friend to visit. We explore the shops, walked around the main streets, and found some delicious food for dinner. I love that I am able to be so invested in such a vibrant neighborhood.

On a completely different note, make sure you bring an umbrella!

A Walk Around The Neighborhood

by Katie Flood

This week, the Chicago Semester students all participated in the Pilsen Plunge. Basically, we spent our class day touring through Pilsen. I am one of the six girls who chose to live in La Casa student housing in Pilsen, so for me this was a great chance to explore my own neighborhood.

The day started off with a lecture from Maria Bucio, who works with La Casa as a part of The Resurrection Project. We all learned about why and how La Casa was formed, and the extreme effort they take to help their residents succeed in college.

We then headed on a mural tour of Pilsen. Pilsen is covered with murals that show the history and culture of the neighborhood. We went to a school down the street from La Casa that showed different historical figures in Mexican history. They were painted on the panels of windows by students at the school. This was my favorite part of the day because I learned a lot about the murals that I did not know before.

As the day went on, we went to lunch at a Mexican restaurant and listened to a speaker talk about the history of the Pilsen neighborhood. It was interesting to see how much Pilsen has changed over the past few decades.

Our last stop was the National Museum of Mexican Art, where we had a tour of the Day of the Dead exhibit. We looked at all of the different altars and Day of the Dead themed paintings. I was particularly struck by the altar honoring the victims of the Sandy Hook tragedy. This altar featured the faces of all of the victims, with a mirror on the the bottom, reflecting the faces of featured above. The tiled mirror was lined with rolled green scrolls, which we later learned were prayers that had been written by the students from the school that created the altar. I was touched by this method of honoring those who were lost in such a tragic event. 

The Pilsen Plunge made me stop and think about how very little I know about the neighborhood that I live in. I told myself that I was going to make more of an effort to explore my area while I am here.

Two of my apartment-mates and I decided that we were going to take a walk around our neighborhood after we got back from our internships. We picked a direction that we don’t normally go down on 18^th street, and found many small little shops, restaurants, and even a small grocery store just down the street from our apartment building. It’s amazing what you find when you just head a little bit away from your normal route, not to mention I can now go to that small market for some basic produce when I don’t feel like walking to Jewel or Cermak Fresh Market.

I really appreciate living in a neighborhood that continues to blow my mind. I’m excited to continue to explore during my time here in Chicago.