river of elevated trains, only the
Welcome to Chicago
Chicago is the home of the blues and
the truth of jazz, the heart of comedy
and the idea of the skyscraper.
Here, the age of railroads found
its center, and airplanes followed
suit. Butcher of hogs and believer
in progress, it is one of the world’s
great cities, and yet the metropolitan
luxuries of theater, shopping, and
fine dining have barely put a dent in
real Midwestern friendliness. It’s a
city with a swagger, but without the
surliness or even the fake smiles
found in other cities of its size.
As the hub of the Midwest, Chicago
is easy to find — its picturesque
skyline calls across the waters
of Lake Michigan, a first impres-
sion that soon reveals world-class
museums of art and science, miles
of sandy beaches, huge parks and
public art, and perhaps the finest
downtown collection of modern
architecture in the world.
The Loop
The Loop is the center of Chi-
cago and without a doubt the most
iconic section of the city. If you’ve
never been to Chicago, begin here.
Whether on an official architecture
cruise along the Chicago River, or
an unofficial one along the veritable
The Sears Tower
that shattered previous records for
most jaded could shake that feeling
of awe at the canyons of LaSalle
and the cliffs of Michigan Avenue.
Moreover, the Loop contains a
world-class collection of public art,
in the form of huge street-side stat-
ues by many of the 20th century’s
most famous sculptors.
Architecture
First Wave
In the late 19th century, Chicago’s
downtown was an ideal location
for architects of ambition; the
Great Chicago Fire of 1871 had
literally gutted the downtown area,
creating a relentless drive to re-
build and ample space in which to
do it. Chicago’s engineers solved
the problem of the load-bearing
wall, liberating structures from the
limits of what a masonry foundation
could support. Built in 1885, William
LeBaron Janney’s 10-story Home
Insurance Building was the first to
use a steel-frame skeleton to support
its walls — at one-third of the weight
of a structure using conventional
means. Real estate prices and
building heights soared in the years
that followed, but the boom years of
the 1920s financial bubble saw an
unprecedented wave of skyscrapers
CHICAGO
buildings are converting office
size, including the still-extant Mather
Tower, Tribune Tower, and later the
Chicago Board of Trade.
Second Wave
The second wave, oddly enough,
occurred during the 1960s and
70s, when urban centers across
America were experiencing white
flight and severe population decline.
The answer of Chicago’s first Mayor
Daley was simple: build, and then
build some more. As a result, while
the residential population spread
across a wide range of suburbs,
commercial activity remained fixed
at the center of the city. It was during
this time when Chicago gained its
most famous modern skyscrapers,
including the three of the tallest: the
Sears Tower, the Aon Center, and
the John Hancock Center. (It was
also during this time — as occurred
during the first wave — when a giant
swathe of early skyscrapers were
recklessly demolished.)
Third Wave
The third wave of supertall
construction is underway right now.
Driven by downtown Chicago’s
residential real estate boom (the
hottest in the country prior to the
current financial crisis), existing
space to condominiums and
hotels, and builders are racing
to erect what will be some of the
world’s tallest buildings, which may
radically re-shape the city’s skyline.
The latest result of the building
spree is, of course, the Trump
Tower, now the second tallest
building in the U.S., and the ninth
tallest in the world. In the past six
months, construction has ground
to a halt as virtually all sources of
credit dried up, leaving a few of the
most intriguing projects in jeopardy,
including the highly anticipated
Chicago Spire.
• The Skydeck, 233 S Wacker Dr
(Quincy/Wells CTA), +1 312 875-
9447, [11]. Apr-Sept 9AM-10PM,
Oct-March 10AM-8PM; open
every day of the year, including
holidays. “The Ledge”, which lets
visitors walk out in a transparent
balcony suspended 1,353 feet
above the street. To avoid the
crowds, visit after 4PM.
• Hancock Observatory, John
Hancock Center, 875 N Michigan
Ave (Chicago Red Line), 1-888
875-8439, [3]. 9AM-11PM.
360-degree view from the 94th
floor. Not quite as high as the
Sears Tower Skydeck, but with a
better view!
John Hancock Center
 Chicago Convention &
Tourism Bureau
2301 South Lake Shore Drive
Chicago, IL 60616
(312) 567-8500
http://www.choosechicago.com

WELCOME TO Photo credits

• Chicago Theatre: Richard Yuan

CHICAGO (http://www.flickr.com/photos/
yuan2003/1812264749/)

• Millenium Park: Ed Yourdon

(http://www.flickr.com/photos/
yourdon/4904351522/in)

Chicago Theatre Millenium Park