Enjoy this seasonal blog post from The Connector's archives. It first ran Dec. 10, 2010.
So this post comes a day late for Hanukkah (sorry), and a couple weeks late for Eid (also sorry), but we still have a ways to go before Christmas and Kwanzaa. The stores will be busy this weekend and next, and that has us thinking about fun, unique gift ideas for your friends and family that also resonate with MPC's mission of building a more socially equitable, environmentally sustainable, and economically competitive region. Also, check out some specifically water-themed gifts over on the What Our Water's Worth site.
First things first, once you're done reading this post, turn off your computer, put on some warm clothes and sturdy shoes, and go buy your presents the old fashioned way. Walk down the street, talk with people in shops, take a quick hot cocoa break, and keep your hard-earned dollars here in the region. Chicago has some great shopping streets beyond Michigan and State. Try Division just west of the Polish Triangle, 18th Street near the Pink Line Stop, or Andersonville. Elmhurst, Oak Park, Woodstock, and Homewood all have great downtowns for shopping and strolling.
I live in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood, and I was able to buy more than half my presents within a half mile of my house this year. It feels good. Walking around your neighborhood is the best way to see what's working and what isn't, perhaps giving you some ideas for making your neighborhood a better place in 2011 (and if you need a few ideas on how to do that, download the Placemaking Chicago guide).
OK, on to the gifts...
Speaking of walking, Kristi DeLaurentiis suggests buying any foodies in your life a gift certificate for one of the Chicago Food Tours. These three-hour tours through the Near North Side, Bucktown/Wicker Park, or Chinatown feature tastings at multiple restaurants and ethnic eateries, and the chance to burn off a few calories between stops. MPC has, coincidentally, done work in all three of those neighborhoods as part of our Community Building Initiative. Small world.
If you can't make it into the city, Dominic Tocci recommends a ticket for the Metra Electric Line and a gift certificate to Flossmoor Station, a microbrewery in the heart of the southern suburbs, a very-short stone's throw from the train station. It's transit-oriented development, adaptive reuse, and a good pale ale all rolled into one.
MarySue Barrett offers a different approach. "Make a sandwich, wrap it up, go have a picnic in of our region's great places, go home, shake out the crumbs, and use that same sandwich wrap again." You can't exactly walk there to pick one up, but Reuseit.com is a Chicago-based supplier of reusable food containers.
Water bottles are a great idea too. They cut down on garbage (since many plastic bottles, unfortunately, don't make it to the recycling bin), and since they typically get filled from the tap, encourage awareness and investment in our water infrastructure. They're also easy to put in a stocking. I like CamelBak products, which you can buy at most sporting goods stores. MarySue's kids like the Bobble brand, and you can find those at many transit-accesible stores throughout the region. Bobble bottles include a water filter.
Mandy Burrell Booth and I had the chance to talk with Fox meteorologist Amy Freeze the other day for the What Our Water's Worth campaign (look for that story in the spring), all about changing precipitation patterns as a result of climate change. The forecast calls for a higher likelihood of megastorms in the years to come. That means we need to invest in green infrastructure, but also umbrellas. The Chicago Architecture Foundation's store has a good one featuring the Chicago River, which has been all over the news this year. A timely buy.
Kim Grimshaw Bolton recommends a balaclava for winter cyclists. Despite perception, we don't actually get that much snow here, so the streets are OK for cycling most of the year. It's the cold, dry air that dissuades even the heartiest velophile. As a result, many winter cyclists opt for a warm hat over a helmet, which is dumb (I am one of them, trust me, it's dumb). Balaclavas can fit under a helmet, which is smart. You can get one at the Bike Shop on the Fox in St. Charles or the Orland Park Cyclery. In Chicago, head to REI off the Red Line's North Avenue station for one that wicks away moisture and has some windproofing capability.
While you're there at North Avenue, head into the Apple store to check out what a public-private partnership can look like. Apple assisted the CTA in remodeling that station in exchange for some development privileges, and the result is a lively public space, complete with an engaging fountain, tables and chairs, and ready access to restaurants, shopping and transit.
And, since you'll likely want to hang out at the store a bit, I heartily recommend the Arcade Fire's third album, The Suburbs. The San Francisco Planning and Urban Research Association, a group very comparable to MPC, has a great review of the album on its blog. It's not the first rock album to explore urban planning issues, but it's one of the more complex, both musically and thematically. The album is certainly a cautionary tale about poor planning - front man Win Butler sings of how "First they built the road, then they built the town. / That's why we're still driving round and round." But there are also fond memories of childhood in safe, clean communities, riding your bike to a friend's house after school, which leads to an earnest fear that our communities, whether urban or suburban, is breaking down as we drift further and further into a digital world.
SO, lace up your boots, grab some reusable bags, and walk down the street this holiday season. Shop in the real world, surrounded by real people. Take the train, be it Metra or CTA, to a shopping district you've never been to. Take the bus. Take a friend. Have something weird and new for lunch. Take this holiday shopping season as an opportunity to reconnect with your neighborhood and the region, and then take action to make them even better in 2011.
What other gifts speak to a more socially equitable, environmentally sustainable, and economically competitive region? And where do I walk to buy them? MPC would love to hear your thoughts.