Chicago – home of the skyscraper

I found this descriptive quote in a brochure that sums up my view of Chicago – “the city of broad shoulders and vertical dreams.”

View from 360 Chicago, top of the John Hancock Tower

 

Most of my spring 2015 trip to this Great Lakes, mid-west city (I was taken to task by a native of Chicago when I called it a city in the east) was focused on discovering the volume of tall buildings.

Willis (Sears) Tower in the centre

So, why does this “second city” ("second" to New York, "second" built in the same site) have so many skyscrapers or cloud busters?  After the great fire of 1871 wiped out the Chicago, the landscape was a blank canvas. It became the centre for innovative architects with towering ambitions who participated in many contests to build recognizable landmarks.

The construction continued through the 20^th Century with modern office towers, company headquarters, mail-order distribution centres and eventually condominiums (Marina City – the first urban residential city within a city in 1963) stretching the skyline along Lake Michigan. 

The theme – taller was better. For a quarter century, the Willis Tower (formerly Sears Tower) was the tallest in the world. 

Trump Tower on the Chicago River

 

Marina City

 And in this century, the building hasn’t stopped with the latest triumph – the 98-storey Trump Tower. However, I was told by my local tour guide that the large TRUMP letters gleaming onto the Chicago River are a source of controversy for the locals.

 I took two walking tours, an architectural river cruise and a trip to one of the observation decks in the sky – great ways to see, explore and learn more about Chicago’s vertical masterpieces.

Speaking of masterpieces, the Art Institute of Chicago is filled with famous paintings and works from around the world.

 

 For a Canadian, one of the best Americana experiences is a baseball game on a sunny afternoon. The 101-year-old Wrigley Field is the iconic place to do that.

 

 Chicago is no slouch when it comes to live theatre with plenty of choices. I took in two plays – a comedy/drama and a musical.

 As the song says – Chicago is my kind of town.