North Wabash Avenue, Chicago, July 2010

I kind of wish I were into Transformers movies..

... because then I would be able to see how the streets of Chicago appeared in their most recent installment, and I would get to utter those words that I love to utter, with an outstretched index finger, whenever I encounter the cinematic opportunity: "Heyy I was there!"


We didn't realise, when we were visiting the windy city last summer, that movie crews had taken over sections of downtown Chicago until our tour bus narrator advised us that we would be changing our route (as if we knew which route we were expecting to take otherwise!) because the street on which we were supposed to drive had been invaded by a production studio!

We didn't see any of the invaders of course.. nor did we see Shia Labeouf meandering about. But hours later, on our way back to our hotel, we found ourselves in the vicinity of the excitement that had caused our detour earlier, so decided to check out the set.. as seen in my photograph above. We were soon ushered away, along with the others that had gathered, and advised to join the rest of the oglers on the opposite side of the river:

I'm not sure what they were gathered to see because there wasn't anything going on while we were there. I will assume they are locals because in the few days' vacation that we had, we couldn't justify spending it watching a artificially demolished street waiting for some action.. Still, it was a neat experience. And everytime I see the trailer on tv, I smile.. and if someone is around, I point at the scene with the Marina City corn cob parking garages and chirp "I was there!"