wyliepoon
Senior Member
SSP forumer Shawn works as a guide on one of Chicago's many boat tours. He specializes in tours that deal with the history and the architecture of Chicago, including information on a lot of the new condo towers going up in the city (his work at City Hall and his presence on SSP really help him there). We Toronto visitors were given free tickets to go on his tour on Sunday afternoon. Here are the photos from the cruise...
Lake Point Tower
This tower reminds me of ROCP
Trump Tower is right and centre in the view of the Chicago River looking from Lake Michigan
NBC Tower
Tribune Tower
Wrigley Building
London Guarantee Building and the Mather Tower
35 East Wacker
Marina City towers
Coincidentally, this tripartite Chicago School-styled building has a "Chicago School" sign on it
The massive Merchandise Mart building
Heading up the North Branch of the Chicago River. An area that used to be home to warehouses and industry is now seeing condo development in the form of new towers and adaptive reuse of old warehouses. Some parts of this stretch of the river have attractive riverside parks.
The South Branch of the Chicago River is a watery skyscraper canyon, which is very unique. Here you can get some great views of the Sears Tower.
The Art Deco armchair skyscraper of the Civic Opera Building
Boeing World Headquarters (relocated from Seattle in 2001)
Old Main Post Office, now abandoned with a new Post Office located across the street. In a story similar to how our Bloor Viaduct was built in preparation for a subway many years later, the Post Office was built with a hole for a boulevard (Congress Parkway) to run through it. 20 years later, the Eisenhower Expressway was built through the building.
The Centennial Fountain, located at the end of McClurg Court along the Chicago River, commemorates the 100th anniversary of the Sanitary District of Chicago, the body the carried out the feat of reversing the flow of the polluted Chicago River away from Lake Michigan and towards the Mississippi River.
Every hour on the hour, a massive jet of water is fired across the Chicago River from the fountain for 10 minutes. I was told that this jet "aerates" the water in the river, but I don't know how this aeration will benefit the river.
The Chicago Spire site... which when built will be the tallest building in North America and the tallest residential tower in the world.
Having gained all the necessary approvals, I've heard that construction on the Spire will begin within the next few months. Drilling has already taken place at the site.
Off to another great water feature in the city... Buckingham Fountain.
A few Canadian visitors
Views of Chicago from the Adler Planetarium, which is located on a headland that juts out into Lake Michigan.
View from Burnham Harbor
The old Meigs Field airport terminal
Old Meigs Field control tower
*****
BONUS
Video clips of 26th Street, the Mexican shopping area of Chicago.
Chicago is home to the largest Mexican community in Midwestern US. They make 26th Street the second largest shopping street in Chicago (second to North Michigan Avenue) by volume of sales.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_TMYiFLzELg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_TMYiFLzELg
Lake Point Tower
This tower reminds me of ROCP
Trump Tower is right and centre in the view of the Chicago River looking from Lake Michigan
NBC Tower
Tribune Tower
Wrigley Building
London Guarantee Building and the Mather Tower
35 East Wacker
Marina City towers
Coincidentally, this tripartite Chicago School-styled building has a "Chicago School" sign on it
The massive Merchandise Mart building
Heading up the North Branch of the Chicago River. An area that used to be home to warehouses and industry is now seeing condo development in the form of new towers and adaptive reuse of old warehouses. Some parts of this stretch of the river have attractive riverside parks.
The South Branch of the Chicago River is a watery skyscraper canyon, which is very unique. Here you can get some great views of the Sears Tower.
The Art Deco armchair skyscraper of the Civic Opera Building
Boeing World Headquarters (relocated from Seattle in 2001)
Old Main Post Office, now abandoned with a new Post Office located across the street. In a story similar to how our Bloor Viaduct was built in preparation for a subway many years later, the Post Office was built with a hole for a boulevard (Congress Parkway) to run through it. 20 years later, the Eisenhower Expressway was built through the building.
The Centennial Fountain, located at the end of McClurg Court along the Chicago River, commemorates the 100th anniversary of the Sanitary District of Chicago, the body the carried out the feat of reversing the flow of the polluted Chicago River away from Lake Michigan and towards the Mississippi River.
Every hour on the hour, a massive jet of water is fired across the Chicago River from the fountain for 10 minutes. I was told that this jet "aerates" the water in the river, but I don't know how this aeration will benefit the river.
The Chicago Spire site... which when built will be the tallest building in North America and the tallest residential tower in the world.
Having gained all the necessary approvals, I've heard that construction on the Spire will begin within the next few months. Drilling has already taken place at the site.
Off to another great water feature in the city... Buckingham Fountain.
A few Canadian visitors
Views of Chicago from the Adler Planetarium, which is located on a headland that juts out into Lake Michigan.
View from Burnham Harbor
The old Meigs Field airport terminal
Old Meigs Field control tower
*****
BONUS
Video clips of 26th Street, the Mexican shopping area of Chicago.
Chicago is home to the largest Mexican community in Midwestern US. They make 26th Street the second largest shopping street in Chicago (second to North Michigan Avenue) by volume of sales.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_TMYiFLzELg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_TMYiFLzELg
