Visit Chicago: Midwest’s heartland and architectural wonder

From the Renaissance Schaumburg Hotel, it’s a very short drive to downtown Chicago, America’s third most populous city, also known as the “Windy City,” the “City With Big Shoulders,” “Second City,” and “Chi Town.”

It has been many years since I was last in Chicago and I looked forward to revisiting the Marshall Field’s department store and enjoying a boat tour on Lake Michigan. But Marshall Field’s just had a name change to Macy’s and is now part of the Federated Conglomerate. Chicago has also recently gained a lot of attention as it is the home of President Barak Obama and just elected its first Jewish Mayor, Rahm Emanuel.

Chicago’s shoreline was pointed out to me on the boat tour as being awash with the greenery of the 10-acre lakefront park that surrounds three of the city’s main museums: the Adler Planetarium, the Shedd Aquarium and the Field Museum of Natural History, all built on the southern section of Grant Park. Grant Park is also the home of the Art Institute of Chicago. Fran Bolson, president of the Greater Woodfield Convention and Visitors Bureau (representing Schaumburg), my knowledgeable guide made certain that I got to see Millennium Park during my visit to Chicago.

I saw the modern sculpture “Cloud Gate” (known by the locals as ‘The Bean’ in the park and when I faced ‘The Bean’ and Lake Michigan, the image of the Chicago skyline came to my view. I did not get to see the Plensa Crown Fountain spouting water from the faces of prominent Chicagoans (as if the faces are spitting) as this is a winter phenomenon when the outdoor restaurant is closed and a skating rink takes over in its place.

It seems that this Mayor Richard M. Daley — the son of the much maligned Mayor Richard J. Daley — decreed that no buildings could be built on the shoreline without a portion of dedicated greenery. Chicago has been known for the skyscraper since 1885, when the first steel-framed high-rise building went up in the downtown area, in the Loop and along the lakefront and Chicago River. The tallest buildings in the city are the Sears Tower — which is also the tallest building in North America — and the John Hancock Center.

I have also learned that in addition to its well known architecture river cruise, The Chicago Architecture Foundation has added five new tours that add another dimension to the city. Three tours of note are the Vice to Nice, Synagogue by Bus and Preservation and Pubs. The Vice to Nice: Transformation of the South Loop tour highlights the transformation of this area filled with characters and corruption to one full of residents and students. The streets showcase architecture ranging from Romanesque to contemporary, designed by famous and little-known architects. The buildings also tell fabulous stories of colorful politicians and reformers.

Synagogue by Bus is an offshoot of the popular “Churches by Bus” and explores Jewish history, tradition and architecture. The needs of each congregation’s worship are reflected in the various decorative and structural elements of the architecture. Three prominent synagogues, Anshe Emet, Temple Sholom and Emanuel Congregation are the highlights of the May 1 tour.

The 40th anniversary of Landmarks Illinois is celebrated in the new tour, which explores issues surrounding historic preservation. Docents describe the reasoning behind preservation and how it shapes the future of Chicago. A guest of Landmarks Illinois greets each tour to discuss the history and character of each location. Friday, April 29 covers the west route ending at the Sky-Ride Lounge, 105 W. Van Buren; Friday, May 13 does the south route ending at Kasey’s, 701 S. Dearborn and the last tour on Friday, June 17 covers the north route ending at Cardozo’s Pub, 170 W. Washington.

The Chicago Architecture Foundation not only sponsors these fascinating tours but is a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing public interest and education in architecture and design. It is also sponsoring an exhibition, Chicago Model City that includes a highly detailed scale model of Chicago at its headquarters located at 224 South Michigan Ave., Chicago, Ill. You can also get more information by visiting the website at www.architecture.org or calling (312) 922-3432 or become a face book fan: www.facebook.com/chicagoarchitecture or follow on twitter: www.twitter.com/architecture.

To plan this and a visit to the fascinating city of Chicago, you can also contact your local travel professional.

Copyright by Marcia Abramson

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