I had no idea. Really, I didn’t. In 1999, a movie was released called The Matrix (you may have heard of it). In this movie, there are several references to Chicago. Recently, and I mean fifteen years after the initial release of the movie, I watched it. In 1999, I was an undergraduate. In 1999, apparently Neo was on the run and moving toward “an old exit [at] Wabash and Lake,” aka Harold Washington College–an exit from the matrix.
Here’s the clip where you can see the reference.
I remember when The Wit wasn’t there or Dunkin’ Donuts, and I remember Old Timers, too. Some of you have been teaching in the neighborhood a very, very long time. And PhiloDave’s post about Ephrem (and I couldn’t agree more!) got me to thinking about what our little corner of The Loop has looked like over the years.
My goal in this post is to gather a little bit of institutional memory about how The Loop has changed and what our colleagues remember about those changes. I was quite fond of Old Timers, and the conversations I had with colleagues there.
Anyone care to wax nostalgic and provide a little piece of their HW Loop memories? Anyone remember that matrix exit on the corner of Wabash and Lake? Anyone know if it still works?
The Harold Lounge 