215 W Washington St

I moved to Chicago in June 2022, right after graduating from college. I had only been to the city a handful of times, didn’t know it well, and didn’t really know anyone there. I was leaving behind my family, friends, and my girlfriend at the time while starting my first full time job and a completely new chapter of my life. My roommate was a coworker starting in the same program as me. Neither of us knew much about Chicago, so we mostly looked for something nice and close to work. We ended up at 215 West Washington Street, about a five minute walk from our office. The apartment was on the 46th floor and had an incredible view of the city. For someone who had never really lived in a major city, it was pretty surreal to see Chicago from that high up. The apartment itself was great, but I quickly realized the Loop wasn’t a place to live. The nearest grocery store was about 0.7 miles away and was a Target. On weekends, the area could feel almost completely empty. It wasn’t really a neighborhood. It was mostly a place where people worked and tourists visited. It was convenient for work and the train, but it didn’t have the everyday life that makes a neighborhood feel like home. My roommate was a good guy and a good roommate, but we were pretty different socially. He was comfortable spending most of his free time on his own, while I wanted to explore, try new restaurants, and meet people. I ended up doing a lot of that on my own. I also got into rock climbing and bouldering because of him. He was really good at it, while I was coming straight out of college and trying to lose some of the weight I had gained. The first four to six months were probably the hardest. Chicago was beautiful in the summer, but I was doing long distance with my girlfriend and going back to Michigan pretty often. I didn’t know many people yet, and I spent a lot of time by myself. Eventually some friends moved to Chicago, which helped. Living on the 46th floor could also feel isolating. At night, I could look out over the city and see people working late in the office buildings around us. I started recognizing some of the same people even though they had no idea I was there or that I could see them. The view was incredible, but sometimes being that high up made me feel like I was observing the city rather than actually being part of it. About a year into living there, my girlfriend and I broke up after being together for several years. It was difficult, and I spent a lot of time reflecting on the relationship, the past, and what I wanted my life to look like. I started putting much more effort into things I already enjoyed, like cooking, playing guitar, reading, trying new restaurants, going to the beach, and playing sports. I also started going out with friends more and really engaging with the city. That second year brought a lot of personal growth. My job settled into place, I made more friends, and I started feeling like I was actually living in Chicago rather than just working here. Eventually, I met my current girlfriend, who I have been with ever since. I also fell in love with Chicago itself. I love how walkable it is, the culture, history, food, sports, and opportunities. There is a real sense of pride here, and the community is incredible. You can find a community for basically anything you could possibly be interested in, and I am not even exaggerating. I genuinely think Chicago is one of the best cities in the world. After two years, my roommate moved back to the East Coast, and I moved to Old Town, just north of River North. I would never live in the Loop again, but 215 West Washington was a great place to live and an important part of my life. There were difficult and lonely moments, but there was also a lot of growth. I still feel nostalgic when I walk by the building and look back on those two years with a lot of appreciation.