I. Sunday night: Meet in the lounge on the second floor of our hostel at 5.30. Bring along the small notebook I gave you and a pen (I'd recommend you carry these throughout your time in Chicago). We'll be taking the Red Line to Chinatown, so be sure you have your 5-day CTA pass along, as well at your room pass for the hostel (in case the outer door is locked when you get back). Once we're there, we'll spend a few minutes at Chinatown Square as a whole group, and then you'll be exploring Chinatown in your small groups, ending up with dinner. As you return to the hostel on the Red Line, you may want to get off at Roosevelt and go to the supermarket there. Then back on the Red Line, getting off at the Harrison exit and going north to the hostel.

As you explore Chinatown, think about the following questions, which are my general guidelines for neighborhood visits during our time in Chciago:

II. Guidelines for Neighborhood Visits.
In general, notice the following aspects of the neighborhoods you visit:

A. Physical Aspects. Is it residential/commercial/industrial or some combination of these? What are the buildings like (how old, how large, what style, what condition)? What about the streets and parks? Are they clean, littered, covered with glass? What can you tell from the street signs and the names of businesses and buildings? Are there supermarkets? Banks? Can you tell anything about the ownership or clientele of restaurants or bars from the signage? Are there signs of more than one ethnic group (maybe over time)? What kinds of automobiles do you see? Do people seem concerned about security with their cars, houses, or businesses? What about grass, plants, flowers, trees? Are the boulevards and yards well kept or overgrown? Is there graffiti? Murals? Gang signs? If there are condomiums or houses for sale or apartments for rent, what is the price range?

B. Institutions. What kinds of businesses, churches, synagogues, mosques, social service agencies, schools, restaurants, bars, etc. Is there a police presence in the neighborhood. For the churches, what about size and denomination? Are they grand buildings or converted storefronts? You may be able to enter and explore religious buildings, or they may be locked up (that tells you something too). Notice if there's a library and how it presents itself to the community (the library in Chinatown is the busiest in the city--what does that tell you?) Go into some of the commercial establishments too; maybe eat a meal and notice the other customers--age, race/ethnicity, language, family groups or alone, interactions among customers or staff.

C. People. Describe the people you see in this neighborhood, including age, gender, social class, race and ethnicity. Do you hear languages other than English being spoken? Are there lots of children or teens? Do people strike you as loud or quiet? What about the way people dress? Are there people hanging out? What age? Does anyone approach you? Challenge you? Offer you help?

D. Miscellaneous. What are the major activities in this neighborhood? Do you see it as a neighborhood in transition? Deteriorating? Fixing itself up (gentrifying?) What can you conclude about the history of this neighborhood, and what would you predict for its future? Did you feel safe in this neighborhood? Welcome? Why or why not? What about the people who live there: are there signs that they feel the neighborhood is dangerous? Do you think it is a high-crime area? How would you feel about living in this neighborhood.

E. Other. Would you recommend this neighborhood to members of future field trips as a good/interesting neighborhood to visit? Is there anything they should particularly look for? A restaurant where they should eat? Anything they should avoid.

You are doing a version of qualitative (field) research, and this means that you yourself are one of the instruments of research. Pay close attention to your own feelings, reactions, intuitions. They certainly aren't the last word; you could feel nervous in what would turn out on closer examination to be a very safe neighborhood. But your reactions are important to notice and a good starting point. Also be guided by your own comfort level in initiating conversation with the people you meet. People on this field trip in the past have often noted the general level of friendliness and helpfulness among Chicagoans, and I endorse that. Bus drivers, for example, are sometimes a gold mine of information. If several of you are going somewhere on the CTA, you might try splitting up where you sit, rather than sitting together. If you initiate conversation, perhaps mention that you're in Chicago for a week with a class, and ask for suggestions of places to visit and things to see and do. Or ask whether they live in Chicago, how long they've lived here, how they like it, what they like best (and perhaps worst). Also, compare impressions with the others in your group; it's always interesting when other people have very different reactions.