The next installment in my weekly escape the house photo shoots wasn’t as lengthy or involved as most of the others I’d done, mainly because it was way too hot and humid to spend several hours out shooting. The entire week had temperatures in the mid to upper 90’s with 80% or higher humidity. Really uncomfortable weather, and so hot that even doing something pretty low key like walking around shooting photos could risk heat exhaustion. I kept putting off going out, and while I got a lot of work done for the upcoming Fall semester, really wanted to to shoot. I finally went out on Friday, but cut things short by limiting my shoot to walking for a mile up Western Ave, in the Beverly neighborhood on the far southwest side of Chicago. It’s close to home, and the mile I walked along Western was a shorter distance than I’d covered on most of my earlier walks. It was still nasty hot and uncomfortable, but I carried water, wore lots of sunscreen, and wasn’t out for a long time.
Beverly is kind of an interesting neighborhood. There’s a lot of big, old, well maintained homes along tree lined streets there, and it has just a bit of a suburban feel while retaining an urban neighborhood vibe. It’s also known for being one of the more integrated neighborhoods in Chicago, and for having one of the lowest crime rates in the city. It’s maybe not the most exciting neighborhood, but it’s pleasant, safe, and comfortable.
Western Ave. is one of the big north/south arterial streets in Chicago, running the entire length of the city and into the suburbs. It cuts right through Beverly, where it’s mostly the same sort of business district you find in neighborhoods anywhere near the edge of a city, with lots of medical and insurance offices, service businesses, fast food, etc. Some of the buildings have a cool mid-century vibe, not too different from the types of buildings I found when shooting in suburban Oak Lawn a couple weeks earlier.
Here’s my favorite shots from this hot, sticky photo shoot.
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