PHOTOGRAPHY
©2019 Michael Priorie. All Rights Reserved.
By 1998, I was getting a little restless and, admittedly, slightly bored with the Urban Views project. I knew that I needed to explore new places in the city. On this day, I traveled to Chinatown. This was down on Wentworth. This little store caught my eye. It has this charm to it.
©2019 Michael Priorie. All Rights Reserved.
Back in the 1990’s, a couple friends of mine had a punk band called Jejune. Patrick was around fourteen or fifteen when he formed the band with his friend Mike. Chris joined as a bass player shortly thereafter. They played a lot of shows in the Chicago area and had enough of a following that they put out a cassette demo.  When Mike left as drummer, they revived the band for a short time in 1998 with their friend Guppy on drums. They asked me to photograph them one afternoon during band practice. I took these during their break. The first three were imagined for album artwork that never happened.
©2019 Michael Priorie. All Rights Reserved.
Jefferson Park terminal is sort of the epicenter of Chicago’s Northwest side. Located in the Jefferson Park neighborhood, it’s terminal connects the Metra commuter rail line, the CTA Blue line, and several bus routes. The terminal opened in 1970 and marked the end of the rapid transit line until the CTA expanded it’s service to O’Hare airport in 1984.
©2019 Michael Priorie. All Rights Reserved.
Carrera De Los Muertos is a 5k race that is held annually in Pilsen on or around Halloween. The United Neighborhood Organization (UNO) supports Hispanic communities by organizing events like this one as a catalyst to improve wellness and prosperity in neighborhoods such as Pilsen. Dia De Los Muertos (The Day Of The Dead) is annual holiday  celebrated in Mexico that is more of a celebration of life than a somber remembrance of the dead.
©2019 Michael Priorie. All Rights Reserved.
2016 was a stellar year for Chicago baseball. It marked the end of a 108 year drought for the Chicago Cubs. They won the World Series that year against the Cleveland Indians. I visited Wrigley Field about four days after their win and the area was still in celebration mode. It was just so unbelievable. All around the park, especially on the wall along Sheffield Avenue, the owners of the team allowed for people to write messages on the walls. Among the congratulatory remarks were more sentimental ones. Remarks to loved ones that are no longer here whose team finally won. My mother passed that year and this was her team.  I wrote in the little space I found. “They finally won, Mom”.
©2019 Michael Priorie.  All Rights Reserved.
While there are plenty of great food choices in Pilsen, there’s one place that I return to time and time again; The Jibarito Stop. It’s a family owned business and the food is incredible. Inside, nothing beats the community vibe, especially during the summer. One day while I was eating lunch, I looked up and saw this on the wall. The lighting at that moment was perfect. It’s story accurate.
The jibarito sandwich originated in Chicago. It is made with two fried plantains sandwiched together with chicken or steak then topped with lettuce, tomato, and mayo. Especially good with a side of Arroz con gandules!
©2019 Michael Priorie. All Rights Reserved.
This is the Ashland stop on the Green Line. Here you can transfer to the Pink Line to travel south. When crossing over, you walk up the stairs and cross over via a pedestrian bridge. It’s a fantastic viewpoint to see the skyline to the east. The elements on this day made it perfect.
©2019 Michael Priorie. All Rights Reserved.
When I was really young, I remember seeing these City Of Chicago parking lots all over the city. They were eventually phased out by the 1980’s . Back then, community shopping areas were the norm. The big box stores of today were not around. You had your neighborhood grocer, perhaps a fruit market, a bank, a library, and maybe a department store to buy some clothes. These lots allowed  you to park your car off the main street and then walk to whatever store you were going to.
©2019 Michael Priorie. All Rights Reserved.
A couple more images from one foggy day in downtown Chicago. I couldn’t plan this any better.
©2019 Michael Priorie. All Rights Reserved.
I love to take pictures in foggy weather. It’s mysterious and unpredictable. Chicago’s downtown area (Streeterville, Magnificent Mile, The Loop) is perfect for this. It allows for the city to become something else. It romanticizes the skyline. It makes you truly appreciate the beauty of this city.
MICHAEL A. PRIORIE 