[SolarWind]

 

[SolarWind]

July 3, 2007

July 6, 2007

^ Trump Tower is located above the sailboat mast on the left

July 11, 2007

July 20, 2007

 

[Edward]

If only our Trump was anything as sexy as this one. Thanks for posting and I look forward to seeing this one rise. Is it making much of an impression on the skyline from outside the core yet?

 

[scarberiankhatru]

Ooo, I love corporate curtain walls. Trump Chicago looks imposingly large in person and it was barely 1/3 done when I saw it. The base is...underwhelming, though, to say the least - it's definitely built for the skyline rather than street level.

 

[Hydrogen]

Trump Tower aside, downtown Chicago just looks great.

 

[SolarWind]

June 12, 2007

 

[wyliepoon]

Is it making much of an impression on the skyline from outside the core yet?

It's lined up with the mouth of the Chicago River from the lake the same way that Old City Hall is lined up with Bay Street here in Toronto. Highly visible location on the skyline.

 

[MisterF]

And to think people complain about Toronto's waterfront being blocked off! For all the talk of Chicago as a model waterfront city, a lot of their waterfront isn't very accessible.

Otherwise, their Trump tower looks great. Almost as good as the black monolith Trump Tower in New York.

 

[Urban Shocker]

The Grand Canal is even worse - no broad pedestrian walkways there.

 

[Conrad Black]

Thanks for all the Chicago updates SolarWind.

 

[Hydrogen]

And to think people complain about Toronto's waterfront being blocked off! For all the talk of Chicago as a model waterfront city, a lot of their waterfront isn't very accessible.

Do you mean along the river, or along Lake Michigan?

 

[MisterF]

Both. These two waterfront public spaces look great (I've never been to that little parkette on the river but it looks nice in the picture):

These, not so much

You literally have to walk under tunnels to get to a narrow concrete walkway on the side of the highway.

Not trying to rag on Chicago, just a reminder that the grass isn't always greener.

 

[Edward]

Do people swim in the lake here or is it too polluted?

 

[SolarWind]

Do people swim in the lake here or is it too polluted?

People do swim in Lake Michigan. The Chicago Park District tests beach waters for E. coli bacteria daily. According to a July article in the Chicago Tribune, there have been 14 closings at Chicago beaches this summer, compared with three during the same period last year. Sea gull droppings are a contributing factor to the increase in bacteria found along the shore.

Fourteen closings may seem high, but that number is across all beaches and there are several. Many still remain open while one or two experience elevated bacteria levels on a given day.

 

[SolarWind]

It's lined up with the mouth of the Chicago River from the lake the same way that Old City Hall is lined up with Bay Street here in Toronto. Highly visible location on the skyline.

Here are some pictures from the Columbus Bridge looking west along the Chicago River. Lake Michigan is behind me.

June 8, 2007 - afternoon

Photoshop job by Ghost at SSP:

June 12, 2007 - morning