Lesley Weidenbener: Viewing a city as a tourist is an eye-opening experience

My husband and I spent last weekend in Chicago, where we saw a concert at a newish venue called The Salt Shed, strolled the Chicago Riverwalk and explored the city skyline on an architectural boat tour.

Thanks in part to beautiful weather but also the vibrancy of the city, we had an incredible time. So did our good friends, who live just north of Chicago in Evanston and joined us on most of our weekend adventures.

It was a reminder that sometimes acting like a tourist in your own city can give you a new perspective on its amenities.

We visit these friends at least a couple of times a year, but typically, we stick closer to their home. We might dip into Chicago to go to a restaurant or an event, but we often stay clear of more touristy outings or avoid what we think of as the hassle to get downtown.

This weekend was different. I bought tickets to see The Marcus King Band at the Fairgrounds at The Salt Shed, an outdoor space along the Chicago River in the West Town neighborhood. It was our first visit to the venue, which was once a Morton Salt packaging and distribution facility. (If you haven’t been there, I highly recommend it.)

The next day, we headed downtown on the Metra, a double-decker train that took us from Evanston straight to the Chicago Riverwalk (so much for the trip becoming a hassle) for just a few bucks. We had boat reservations with First Lady, a cruise line associated with the Chicago Architecture Center. We went in part because my husband and one of our friends had never been and in part because I could do it over and over.

The tour — led by volunteer docents — is packed with information about the city’s history, architects and architecture, and the latest trends in real estate development. What’s great about doing the tour more than once is that the skyline is always changing, so every visit is a little bit different.

Later, we stopped at a restaurant where a friend’s daughter is a waitress. It’s one of more than a dozen places to get food and drinks — and do a lot of people watching — along the riverfront.

The Chicago Riverwalk is an example of what an incredible asset a downtown river can be if it’s developed well. Obviously, Chicago is a much different city than Indianapolis, but I find it impossible to visit another city without thinking about how the best parts of it could be transported to where I live.

What was striking, though, was how often I heard our friends say something like: “Wow, I didn’t realize this had changed,” or, “I didn’t even know this was here. This is great.”

Our friends had become tourists in their own city and were seeing it through the eyes of visitors. They had a glimpse through the problems and annoyances (think traffic, crime, construction) that bog down our daily lives to see why people like me think Chicago is so special.

We should all be doing that in Indianapolis. We should visit the Indianapolis Zoo, not for some special event but just to see the elephants. We should ride on the Monon Trail, not for exercise but with our eyes open to what’s around us. We should visit Eagle Creek Park and rent a kayak.

Let’s experience our city like tourists. We will appreciate the positives more (and maybe even discover some great things we didn’t know existed) and recognize problems that need to be solved.

I’m still trying to decide where to start my journey. What about you?•

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Weidenbener is editor and assistant publisher of IBJ and The Indiana Lawyer. Email her at [email protected].