Chicago North Side Tour - Argyle
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Our next stop is at Argyle. In order to get the Argyle, one has to travel via the red line. I got on the brown line at Fullerton and traveled North to the Belmont stop, where I switched over the the red line. It was about a 20 minute ride North 'til Argyle, and there I was! Argyle has notoriously cheap Southeast Asian food. I used to volunteer at a cat shelter in the area, and would always be amazed at how inexpensive the food was here. Chicago's main Chinatown is on the South side of the city, but for Northsiders, Argyle is a pretty good place to experience a little taste of Asia.
Many times, attorneys of ethnic descent will set up shop in areas where people of the same background reside. This ensures that the customer will have an opportunity to engage with an attorney with an understanding of their respective culture, language, etc.
Vietnamese grocery store -- home to an entire wall of fresh seafood, Chinese herbal remedies (slowly growing popular in American culture due to increased awareness of various international medicinal treatments, like Ginseng and Green Tea), and even Vietnamese and Chinese versions of Coca-Cola and Fanta (this store carries a tapioca flavored Fanta) beverages.
Other stores and eateries in the area.
Back on the Red Line, looking out the window, it's easy to see the difference between one area's real estate and city development and another's. The next two pictures are images of the less residential and poorer (relative to Lincoln Park) areas of the city's North side. (Mind you, these areas are all within minutes of one another via public transporation).
A condominium high rise near one el stop above; boarded up windows of an old warehouse from another el stop below.
And the trip continues....
Next stop: Belmont -- home to Chicago's Gay Pride Parade and other eclectic happenings