One neighborhood of Chicago that I haven't explored much is Hyde Park. It's known for it's Gothic style University of Chicago campus, as well as one of Frank Lloyd Wright's prairie style homes nestled among the university buildings. The day we went to tour FLW's Robie House, it had snowed the night before, making the Hyde Park neighborhood look especially picturesque.
Before the tour began, we walked around a little bit of the UC campus, admiring the buildings that reminded me so much of my visits to Paris. Even the dormitory buildings were towering Gothic structures, topped with a dusting of fresh snow. My friend and I reminisced about our experiences in college, each of us wishing we had taken the opportunity to study abroad at some point. Instead, we've chosen the path to travel abroad through the years, without the study part.
The last time that Steven and I went to Buffalo, we visited another prairie style architecture home by FLW. I could see the similarities in the expansive floorplan, the furniture choices, the long lines that beg your eyes to follow, and the iridescent stained glass windows that offer beauty, and privacy. The Robie house only had three families live within it's walls for it's first few decades of existence. After that, it changed hands a few times and thankfully, the Frank Lloyd Wright Trust cares for it now. They offer regular tours, and hope to complete some huge restoration projects in two years time. Steven and I have taken Mort to walk around another notable neighborhood, Oak Park, in the past. We admired FLW's home and studio there from the outside, and I hope to go back sometime soon to tour the inside, as well as pay a visit to Hemingway's birthplace in the same neighborhood.
After the tour, we drove over to Chinatown to enjoy a warm bowl of pho on a cold day. When it's cold outside, it can be so easy to decide to cozy up inside and not venture out. While there are definitely days made for hot cocoa and reading books while it's frigid temperatures, I'm glad my friend was able to convince me to get a little inspired over the weekend with a tour of an architectural landmark. The cozying up came after, with bowls of hot soup.
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