Obsessions, originals and oddities #AtoZChallenge

As in years past, this month I’m participating in the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge. 2016 marks my fifth anniversary, so to celebrate, I’m hosting Friday Blog-Ins here in San Diego; you can find out more info about where we’re meeting each week on my A to Z Challenge page.

My monthly theme is Chicago From A to Z, so stay tuned from Monday to Saturday for new posts on the Windy City. Or sign up for my mailing list (delivered weekly, on Fridays) so you don’t miss a thing!

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Obsessions

I must admit, I’m slightly obsessed with Chicago’s Art Deco style. Although it’s something I probably wouldn’t use to decorate my own home, there’s something so stunning about the gilded, over-the-top age of decorative bits and pieces at every turn.

For instance…

The ornate embellishments of the Art Deco style are really intriguing, for some reason, even though my own style preferences tend to be more minimalist.

Originals

Some of Chicago’s many original inventions include:

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• Ferris wheel
• The word “asswipe” (courtesy of novelist Saul Bellow, 1953)
• The phrase “on fleek” (courtesy of Chicago teen Kayla Newman, 2015)
• Deep dish pizza
• Kielbasa
• LSD (to refer to Lake Shore Drive, not acid itself)
• Doo-wop
• Meatpacking
• Birth control pills (you’re welcome!)
• Playboy (sorry, ladies…)
• Televised political debates (sorry, world…)
• Pullman sleeping cars on trains
• Skyscrapers
• Nuclear reactions

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Oddities

In 1900, the flow of the Chicago River was reversed by the city. Instead of flowing into Lake Michigan, as it naturally did, the river’s flow was reversed for sanitary reasons: namely, preventing sewage from polluting the lake (the city’s main source of drinking water), which in turn worked to curb infectious water-borne diseases like cholera and typhoid.

But, oddly enough, scientists are currently pondering the possibility that the flow of the river should be reversed again – allowing it to flow back into Lake Michigan – due to concerns related to climate change.

Your turn!

What’s your favorite Chicago obsession, original or oddity?

Additional Resources

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• Art Deco World: Chicago, Illinois
• Chicago Architecture Foundation: Art Deco Skyscrapers tour
• Chicago Art Deco Society: Walking tour
• Chicago Magazine: Top 40 Chicago Words–Our Contributions to the English Language
• Chicago Slanguage
• Chicago Tribune: Reversing the river and Top Chicago innovations
• Helix Magazine: Reversing the Chicago River, Again
• Mental Floss: 15 Foods Invented (or Perfected) in Chicago Besides Deep Dish Pizza
• WBEZ: 13 Chicago inventions and firsts

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