My Adventure with Farnsworth

The order in which these photos appear, starting from the top, is the order to which I went to each place.

This is the Nielson Building @ 200 W Jackson Blvd. #27

I visited this locale on May 13, 2014.

As you can see, I was quite embarrassed as I was taking this photo. There was some people walking by looking at me as if I was crazy. I don't know about you, but I think it is cool to take selfies with Farnsworth. They are missing out..

I was unable to go into the actual office, however, I told them I was a DePaul student doing a homework assignment, and they let me up there with a name tag on, making me look extra important! The Nielson Company focuses around what consumers watch and buy in various markets observing consumers in more than 100 countries.

42 S Dearborn

I visited this locale on May 13, 2014.

This is Newton Minow Way. The brown sign is in the top left corner. I thought this picture was adorable because Farnsworth and I both have our glasses on and are trying to squeeze into the selfie.

This is an honorary street sign dedicated to Newton Minow, a previous chairman of the FCC from Chicago who is most famous for his speech on "Vast Wasteland", which criticizes television broadcasters for not doing more to better serve the public’s interest.

I visited this locale on May 15, 2014.

1058 W Washington Blvd 

This is Oprah’s Harpo Studios. Did you notice that "Harpo" is "Oprah" backwards? Don't worry if you did not, it took me awhile to figure this out....well, actually I had to look it up. Harpo Productions, Inc. is a multimedia production company founded by Oprah Winfrey. It is the home of Harpo Films, Harpo Radio, Inc., Harpo Print, LLC, and half of the Oprah Winfrey Network aka OWN.

I visited this locale on May 15, 2014.

322 S. Green Street, Ste. 100

This is CAN TV Chicago’s Public Access TV. Upon arriving here, I used the elevator and went up a fefw floors until I realized that suite 100 was on the first floor and there was no reason for me to use the elevator! Ooops, awkward! The young lady at the desk behind the window was very kind. I told her I was doing a class project and asked her if she could tell me a little about CAN TV and if I could take a picture. She explained that CAN TV stands for Chicago Access Network Television. CAN TV brings forth relevant information about Chicago communities and the happenings around town. It is a public, educational, and government access cable television service with five channels for different themed programs.

1801 West Harrison Street

I visited this locale on May 15, 2014.

This is the old Cook County Hospital. This place was boarded up and a bit sketchy. I felt as if this place had ghosts roaming through it. They should turn it into a "haunted house". I would definitely love to go through it.  It was the old facade used for NBC's medical drama television show, ER. County General Hospital was the fictional hospital that functioned as the setting for the old Cook County Hospital.

1516 W. Wrightwood Avenue

I visited this locale on May 20, 2014. 

This is The Family Matters house, which is shown at the beginning and the end of the opening credits. It was also utilized to create shots for scenes set at the "Winslow" house. After taking this photo, a car drove by asking what I was doing. I explained that I was a DePaul student running around the city taking pictures with Farnsworth for extra credit. She happened to be a fellow Blue Demon and appreciated my efforts! 

1340 North State Parkway 

I visited this locale on May 20, 2014. 

This was one of my favorite places. I wish I could have gone inside. It is insanely beautiful. I would love to rent a place out here for the weekend. It is too cool! It is the Hugh Hefner's Original Playboy Mansion, which was seen on television for Playboy Penthouse variety show in the 1960s. Hefner hosted this popular syndicated television show at this home he purchased and opened the first Playboy Club on the North Side of Chicago shortly after.

The Flats Head to Seattle for a Grey's Anatomy Pilgrimage

I found myself in Seattle for a media studies conference, so headed out on a Grey's Anatomy pilgrimage.  What better way to spend your time that to seek out TV locales. Much to my dismay, most of Grey's is shot in LA (and bummer of bummers, the big Ferry accident episode was shot on green screen--and in a parking lot nonetheless).  Anyway, I was not deterred.  I walked a mile and a half uphill from the Space Needle to 303 West Comstock Street on Queen Anne Hill (in cowboy boots and I'm paying for it now) to find the location used for exteriors of Meredith's house.  (For those non-Grey's enthusiasts, it's the house that previously belonged to Meredith's mother and then was later shared by various combos of docs and interns/residents.) Below you can see the hills and steps of the journey, as well as Flat Stanley & Flat Farnsworth's appearances.

Notably, while I was doing the pictures in front of the house, locals did laugh at me as they drove by (but what are you going to do. They can't steal my joy).

Joliet Prison

Joliet Prison was used for the television show Prison Break. 2005-2006 the Fox Network shot the first season of its show Prison Break. This was one of my favorite shows, so sad it still isn't going on anymore. It always kept you on the edge of your seat. 

The Original Playboy Mansion

The Original Playboy Mansion is located at 1340 North State Parkway. It was used for Hefner's Playboy Penthouse television variety show in the 1960's. The mansion had 70-room classical French brick and limestone. For a period in the 1970s, Hefner divided his time between the Chicago mansion and the Mansion West, moving full-time to the California mansion in 1974.