WICKER PARK — Morning-after reactions to the presidential race were mixed among commuters, residents, and workers near the Damen Blue Line "L" stop.
At the "L" stop, concessions vendor Dashrathal Patel told DNAinfo Chicago that he shut down his stand one hour early Tuesday so that he could go home, pick up his wife and drive to their polling center at a nursing home in the Albany Park neighborhood.
The Patels made it to the polls by 6:45 p.m. just a few minutes before closing.
Patel unzipped his jacket to show off a blue button-down shirt, which was no coincidence.
"Obama," he said, referring to his vote.
On the "L" platform, Heather Snider, 28, a lawyer who described herself as a moderate Republican, said she'd voted for Romney.
"I agree more with him than Obama on healthcare and the way that the government works in general, particularly with getting the economy turned around," she said.
Columbus, Ohio, native Meghan Garrity, a media buyer who voted for Obama, was thumbing through the election coverage in a newspaper.
"I'm excited. I did not stay up all night [to watch], though," she said.
Kalin Fields, 25, a stop-motion graphic designer did stay up all night, or most of it.
"It took forever for Romney to concede and then another hour for Obama to talk," said Fields, who'd tuned into CNN coverage.
Just outside of the "L" stop, or rather in an alley alongside the tracks, Nancy Grek, 63, a retired manager of a law firm, was overseeing a crew of movers.
"I'm so happy! I was ready to move to Syria if Romney got elected," Grek said. When asked why Syria, she replied, "It would be quieter there."
Having lived in Wicker Park studio apartment for the past few years, Grek is moving Wednesday into a larger apartment in Lakeview.
"I did early voting because I had to deal with packing. I went to bed at 3 a.m. and woke up at 5 a.m. I was so scared [Romney would win]. I told everyone I know to go out and vote."
