Rochester, NY
View Larger Map
Rochester, a city in New York State. I first know about Rochester was when my classmate come here as a student of Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT),in the early 70s. Our aim to Rochester is to attend Lilac Festival Concert which begin at 7.00p.m., at Highland Park, Rochester, on our journey to Niagara Fall. Another reason is, being hearing impaired, I am interested to have a look at the city, friendly to the deaf people. The other reason is that Rochester is the capital of Eastman Kodak.
Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. The Rochester metropolitan area is the second largest economy in New York State, behind the New York City metropolitan area. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City. It is the county seat for Monroe County. Because of the high prevalence of imaging and optical science among the industry and the universities, Rochester is known as the world capital of imaging, and also known as Kodak town. It is home to Eastman Kodak, and Xerox was founded in Rochester in 1906 as The Haloid Company. The Institute of Optics of the University of Rochester and the Rochester Institute of Technology in nearby Henrietta both have optics programs. In 2006, the University of Rochester became the largest employer in the Rochester area, surpassing Kodak. Rochester is the gateway to the scenic and culinary delights of New York's Finger Lakes region.
Rochester's population is approximately 219,773, making it New York's third most populous city after New York City and Buffalo. The tallest building in the city is the Xerox Tower(443 ft), located in downtown at 199, Clinton Avenue South, is 443 feet (135 m)tall. It was completed in 1968. Bausch & Lomb Place (center), and Chase Tower (left). Kodak Tower, located at 391, State Street, built in 1914, is today only the 4th tallest in Rochester.
Rochester has one of the highest populations of deaf people (per capita) in the United States, and as such sign language is not an uncommon sight around the city. It's not a given that you'll see ASL being used if you visit Rochester—unless you drop by the Rochester School for the Deaf, or the National Technical Institute for the Deaf at Rochester Institute of Technology—but you never know.
For deaf people, few cities in the world are as accommodating as Rochester. Most businesses, especially in Henrietta and Brighton, are accustomed to working with deaf customers and often have teletype machines and dedicated TTY phone numbers. Open-captioned films are regularly shown at the local multiplexes (in particular, at Regal Henrietta), and many major events will be interpreted. At RIT, nearly all events have both captioning and interpreters. Wherever the event is held, a quick phone call is often all that is needed to ensure the presence of an interpreter.
Rochester and Niagara Fall are within the Niagara Frontier Region. The Niagara Frontier region of New York State consists of 5 counties situated near the Great Lakes of Erie and Ontario, just across the Niagara River from the Canadian province of Ontario and its Niagara Peninsula region. Buffalo, the state's second-largest city, and Niagara Falls, the "honeymoon capital of the world".
Rochester subway
From 1927 to 1957, Rochester had a light rail underground transit system called the Rochester Subway. It was the smallest city in the world to have one. There are proposals to put in a new system, possibly using some of the old tunnels. One includes converting the Broad Street bridge tunnel—the former canal aqueduct—into an underground pedestrian walkway, which would also include a Rochester Transportation Museum, and a tram system. The Broad Street Aqueduct was used as a subway tunnel
The former canal and subway tunnels have become a source of controversy. Many city homeless use the tunnels for shelter, and a few areas near tunnel entrances have gained the reputation as being dangerous. The city has considered multiple solutions for the space including recreating a canal way, putting the subway system back in or filling the tunnels entirely. The plan to fill the tunnels in has generated criticism as the cost of filling would be comparable to restoring the subway
Note there is another Rochester in Minnesota.
22/5/2010(Saturday) - New York - Syracuse- Rochester
Depart New York, Penn Station, at 12p.m. by Megabus, to arrive 6:30 PM at Rochester, Eastview Mall. MEGABUS.COM departures are located adjacent to Penn Station, on the north side of West 31st Street at the northeast corner of 31st Street and 8th Avenue.
Syracuse, NY
We stopped for an hour at Syracuse. Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, central of New York State, United States, and the fifth most populous city in the NY state. The city is named after the original Syracuse, (Siracusa in Italian) a city on the eastern coast of the Italian island of Sicily. Syracuse is not popular place for sightseeing. It is formerly an industrial town, but most have relocated to other places. The economy now is basically depend on education and the service industry.
Rochester, NY
Rochester Arrival: Arrivals and departures are located at entrance #4 on the north side of the Eastview Shopping Center. Eastview Shopping Cente is a regional shopping mall. Visitors can enjoy shopping at more than 180 specialty stores, dining at six sit-down restaurants and catching a movie at the Regal Cinema. Eastview is also home to 5 major department stores: Lord & Taylor, Macy's, JC Penney, Sears and The Bon-Ton. The Mall is open from Monday - Saturday - 10:00am - 9:30pm
We arrived at Eastview Shopping Cente, Rochester rather late, and the bus service to the downtown has stopped for the day. The shopping mall is also far from downtown of Rochester. We have no other choice, but to take a taxi to downtown. The taxi driver is a Ceylonese, friendly and take us straight to the hotel. The hotel is an old hotel, but the location at downtown is its attraction. As we arrive late at downtown, we are too late for Lilac Festival Concert which begin at 7.00p.m., at Highland Park, Rochester. We missed the festival.
Rochester is not tourist area. It is the birthplace of amateur photography, Rochester has long been known as Kodak Town. Lilac Festival, Highland Park (Sa Su: Park at MCC, 1000 E Henrietta Rd, Brighton), (info@lilacfestival.com), which was held between 14-23 May 2010. For ten days every May, Rochester's flagship festival celebrates the community—and its flowers—in beautiful Highland Park, designed by renowned landscaper Frederick Law Olmsted.
Our hotel is East Avenue Inn Downtown, located at No. 384 East Avenue, Historic District, Rochester, NY 14607 (Formerly Days Inn). Located just steps from the busy nightlife district of the East End at East Avenue and Alexander Street, its location is the hotel's biggest selling point. Across Alexander Street is the Murphy's Law, opposite is Anchor Bar Rochester NY.
Rochester's East End, within downtown, is well known throughout the area for being a center of late-night activity. It gets its name for being the stopping point for East Avenue, and both East and the surrounding streets are crowded with bars, nightclubs, coffee shops and high-end restaurants. The Eastman School of Music, one of the top musical institutes in the nation, is also located within the neighborhood along with its auditorium. The Eastman Theatre now plays host to the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra and other musical/drama events. Scattered around the city are also pockets of restaurants, bars and nightclub.
We have a night walk around the East End. A police patrol was stationed at the corner of one of the street, the police inform us or may be comfort us that if we faced any problem in the city, just make a call, they will be around in the short time. It is indeed comforting words from police. Not many tourists are around in the Rochester downtown, especially Asian.
The Little Theatre, located at No. 240 East Avenue, run by a not-for-profit corporation, the historic Little Theatre, shows a wide variety of foreign, independent and classic films in five theatres. There is also a cafe bakery (serves a full dinner menu along with wine and beer), sometimes with live music. $7 ($5 weekend matinées). It is heartening to know that theatre or cinema showing films is still operating today in Rochester. Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, 108 East Ave, one of George Eastman's greatest legacies, is having their performance at Eastman Theatre, their main performance place. It is located at 60, Gibbs St (at East Main). The newly renovated Kodak Hall at the Eastman Theatre is the best place to catch the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, one of the best mid-sized city orchestras in the country.
We have coffee in Java's Cafe, 16 Gibbs St (next door to Eastman Theater/Kilbourn Hall). Another downtown coffee shop, more popular with the art house crowd. Java's prices and products are similar to Spot. They also sell a variety of large homemade cookies in a variety of styles for about a dollar.
After coffee, we went to the Chinese restaurant, Golden Port Dim Sum, just opposite the cafe. The restaurant was owned by Vietnamese Chinese, seems popular with the locals. The performance by Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra at Eastman Theatre just over, there are many musician having their dinner here.
The night in Rochester is equally exciting, as the hotel is located at the East Avenue, where the night life just begin. Moreover this is Saturday night. We did not joined the Saturday crowd at East Avenue. As we need a good rest after traveling from NY.
23/5/2010(Sunday) - Rochester- Buffalo
Downtown
We wake up early and have a walking tour around the downtown. Walk along East Ave until we reached Main Street East. The downtown is having many historical old buildings, with the Kodak Tower standing tall in the area.
High Falls - The majestic High Falls of the Genesee are what attracted settlers to the area. A 96-foot (29 m) waterfall in the center of downtown is certainly a unique sight; viewing is best from the Pont de Rennes pedestrian bridge. But also take a walk around the old warehouses on the west bank between the bridge and the falls; this is the area known as "High Falls" and home to a very nice museum/visitor's center and some very old milling equipment. We walk along the bridge, until the other end where the bridge connect to Plant Street, which lead to St Paul Street. We then walk into Ward Street which lead to N Clinton Street. The area is residential area. We walk along N Clinton Street until Central Avenue. The railway track is crossing the street above. Finally we reached the Cumberland Street, where Greyhound bus station is located.
As it is still early and is Sunday, there were no people walking around downtown.
Greyhound bus station
The bus station is located at 186 Cumberland Street, Rochester, NY. A small bus station. It is located at the land land border by Joseph Avenue, Cumberland Street, Central Ave and N Clinton Ave. The security at the bus station was tight, border guard board the bus for security check prior to departure to Buffalo. This is because the Rochester is near to border of Canada.
Rochester is only about 90 minutes away from one of the world's greatest natural attractions, the spectacular Niagara Falls. You could also go to Buffalo, the state's second-largest city and home to historic architecture, major league sports, and plenty of Buffalo wings. To the east, Syracuse is also 90 minutes away.
Monday, June 21, 2010
New York - The Big Apple
New York is the most populous city in the United States, and the center of the New York metropolitan area, which is one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. A leading global city, New York exerts a powerful influence over global commerce, finance, media, culture, art, fashion, research, education, and entertainment. As host of the United Nations Headquarters, it is also an important center for international affairs. The city is often referred to as New York City or the City of New York to distinguish it from the state of New York, of which it is a part.
View Larger Map
Located on a large natural harbor on the Atlantic coast of the Northeastern United States, the city consists of five boroughs: The Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island. The city's 2008 estimated population exceeds 8.3 million,[2] and with a land area of 305 square miles (790 km2),New York City is the most densely populated major city in the United States. The New York metropolitan area's population is also the nation's largest, estimated at 19.1 million people over 6,720 square miles (17,400 km2). Furthermore, the Combined Statistical Area containing the greater New York metropolitan area contained 22.2 million people as of 2009 Census estimates, also the largest in the United States.
New York was founded as a commercial trading post by the Dutch in 1624. The settlement was called New Amsterdam until 1664 when the colony came under English control. New York served as the capital of the United States from 1785 until 1790. It has been the country's largest city since 1790. As many as 800 languages are spoken in New York City, making it the most linguistically diverse city in the world.
Many districts and landmarks in the city have become well known to outsiders. The Statue of Liberty greeted millions of immigrants as they came to America in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Times Square, iconified as "The Crossroads of the World", is the brightly illuminated hub of the Broadway theater district, one of the world's busiest pedestrian intersections, and a major center of the world's entertainment industry. Anchored by Wall Street, in Lower Manhattan, New York City is the financial capital of the world and is home to the New York Stock Exchange, the world's largest stock exchange by market capitalization of its listed companies. The original Manhattan Chinatown attracts throngs of tourists to its bustling sidewalks and retail establishments. World-class schools and universities such as Columbia University, Cardozo School of Law, New York University and Fordham University also reside in New York City.
New York City is composed of five boroughs, an unusual form of government. Each borough is coextensive with a respective county of New York State as shown below. Throughout the boroughs there are hundreds of distinct neighborhoods, many with a definable history and character to call their own. If the boroughs were each independent cities, four of the boroughs (Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, and the Bronx) would be among the ten most populous cities in the United States.
The five boroughs are:
1.Manhattan,
2.Brooklyn,
3.Queens,
4.The Bronx,
5.Staten Island
Manhattan (New York County: Pop. 1,620,867)is the most densely populated borough and is home to Central Park and most of the city's skyscrapers. The borough is the financial center of the city and contains the headquarters of many major corporations, the United Nations, a number of important universities, and many cultural attractions. Manhattan is loosely divided into Lower, Midtown, and Uptown regions. Uptown Manhattan is divided by Central Park into the Upper East Side and the Upper West Side, and above the park is Harlem.
Brooklyn (Kings County: Pop. 2,528,050), on the western tip of Long Island, is the city's most populous borough and was an independent city until 1898. Brooklyn is known for its cultural, social and ethnic diversity, an independent art scene, distinct neighborhoods and a distinctive architectural heritage.
It is also the only borough outside of Manhattan with a distinct downtown neighborhood. The borough features a long beachfront and Coney Island, established in the 1870s as one of the earliest amusement grounds in the country.
Queens (Queens County: Pop. 2,270,338)is geographically the largest borough and the most ethnically diverse county in the United States,and may overtake Brooklyn as the city's most populous borough due to its growth. Historically a collection of small towns and villages founded by the Dutch, today the borough is predominantly residential and middle class. Queens County is the only large county in the United States where the median income among African Americans, approximately $52,000 a year, is higher than that of White Americans. Queens is the site of Citi Field, the home of the New York Mets, and annually hosts the U.S. Open tennis tournament. Additionally, it is home to two of the three major airports serving the New York metropolitan area, LaGuardia Airport and John F. Kennedy International Airport. (The third is Newark Liberty International Airport in Newark, New Jersey.)
The Bronx (Bronx County: Pop. 1,391,903) is New York City's northernmost borough, the location of Yankee Stadium, home of the New York Yankees, and home to the largest cooperatively owned housing complex in the United States, Co-op City. Except for a small section of Manhattan known as Marble Hill, the Bronx is the only section of the city that is part of the United States mainland. It is home to the Bronx Zoo, the largest metropolitan zoo in the United States, which spans 265 acres (1.07 km2) and is home to over 6,000 animals. The Bronx is the birthplace of rap and hip hop culture.
Staten Island (Richmond County: Pop. 481,613) is the most suburban in character of the five boroughs. Staten Island is connected to Brooklyn by the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge and to Manhattan by way of the free Staten Island Ferry. The Staten Island Ferry is one of the most popular tourist attractions in New York City as it provides unsurpassed views of the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, and lower Manhattan. Located in central Staten Island, the 25 km² Greenbelt has some 35 miles (56 km) of walking trails and one of the last undisturbed forests in the city. Designated in 1984 to protect the island's natural lands, the Greenbelt comprises seven city parks. The FDR Boardwalk along South Beach is 2.5 miles (4.0 km) long, the fourth largest in the world.
New York State or New York City?
Do not confuse New York City with New York State. New York State is made up of nine regions, these include:
1. North Country New York - northern frontier of the American state of New York, bordering Lake Ontario, the Saint Lawrence River (across from the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec), Vermont, and the Adirondack Mountains.
2. Central New York - Central region of New York State, includes the Syracuse metropolitan area.
3. Finger Lakes - The Finger Lakes is a region of New York state south of Lake Ontario. One of the major viticultural areas of the United States. It includes The city of Rochester, New York's third largest, offers urban attractions and amenities.
4. Western New York - to the westernmost region of the state of New York. It includes the cities of Buffalo, Niagara Falls, and surrounding suburbs.
5. Southern Tier - west of the Catskill Mountains along the northern border of Pennsylvania. It is a loosely defined term that generally includes the counties on that border Pennsylvania west of Delaware County inclusive.
6. Capital District - refers to the four counties surrounding Albany, the capital of the state: Albany County, Schenectady County, Rensselaer County, and Saratoga County. Often the other counties of the Albany-Schenectady-Amsterdam Combined Statistical Area and Greene County are included
7. Hudson Valley- The Hudson Valley is divided into three regions: Lower, Middle and Upper. However Upper Hudson is the Capital District.
8. New York City - The largest city in the state and the most populous city in the United States is New York City, which comprises five counties, the Bronx, New York (Manhattan), Queens, Kings (Brooklyn), and Richmond (Staten Island). New York City is home to more than two-fifths of the state's population.
9. Long Island (Southeast New York, include Suffolk county & Nassau county)
New York city is the largest city in New York State(and USA), the city is part of the New York State. So now you know the difference between New York City and New York State.
NY arrival (by air) From Chicago
Midway Airport, Chicago
We faced a terrible long queue in Midway Airport for security check. Despite our request for easy access as the security checking which have take a long time, and there is no positive action taken to help us. The international tourist are asked to queue together with the domestic passengers. There is no special pathway for passenger who are going to be late for the flight, especially the next flight. A typical mentality of form over substance, without common sense used, which is not friendly to passengers, especially international tourist to the country. Ironically there is no long queue in the bigger international LAX airport, and other airports we travel in USA. The Midway airport need to provide an explanation....we can understand the security concern, but we cannot understand the two rows of long queue at the airport when other bigger airports are able to handle it better...
21-5-2010(Friday) New York La Guardia Airport(1st Day)
Finally we arrived at New York on 21-5-2010. I do not believe that I have landed in New York airport, as LaGuardia Airport (IATA: LGA) is small airport and it look old. But I really cannot compare it with John F. Kennedy International Airport, which is an international airport, or other new Asian airports. LaGuardia Airport (IATA: LGA) is a smaller, older airport providing many of the domestic services for the city. It take 12 min from the airport to Elmhurst, New York.(3.8 to 6.5 miles).
New York is a big city, the big apple was once the most expensive city in the world. And now I am in New York, I just wonder can I survive here in NY in the next few days?....With anticipating and wondering mind....But I am happy I am now standing in New York City. I finally arrive in New York city, wah.......
The 3rd son of our Indonesian Chinese friend, Ontorio(or Onn) and Lingling, take some time to arrive at the LaGuardia Airport. The reason being that there are few terminals and not expected us to arrive at one of the small terminal. Ontorio and family stayed at Queen borough, New york city. Mr Onn went to New Jersey, and was not at home. The airport is in Queen borough, and Mr Onn's house is at Elmhurst, the 3rd Chinatown in New York, also at Queen.
Mr Oon and family is from Central Java, he built his family in New York since late 90s, now he is happily settled down in New York. The life in New York is not easy for an immigrant without any relative there. It is tough, hard work and the high spirit that they have to live well in the new country, help them to survive and adapt to the new nation. It is the same story in Elmhurst, the mainland Chinese, the Vietnamese, the Malaysian, the Filipino...all tell the same story, it is not easy to build the family in a new nation, especially in New York city. It is hard work.....
After a welcome bath at the house to clean away the tired body, Mr Onn came back from New jersey, and took us to Jamaica, the town where Lingling work. She work at a restaurant owned by a Korean. There is the place where we have our lunch. It look like Latino or Hispanic dishes, or at least South American style. It taste good...
Jamaica, Queen - the place where Lingling work
View Larger Map
Jamaica, a large, sprawling neighborhood, is also home to John F. Kennedy International Airport—one of the busiest international airports in the United States and the world— public transportation passengers are connected to airline terminals by AirTrain JFK, which operates as both an airport terminal circulator and rail connection to central Jamaica at the integrated LIRR and bilevel subway station located at Sutphin Blvd and Archer Avenue. Major streets include Archer Avenue, Hillside Avenue, Jamaica Avenue, Liberty Avenue, Merrick Boulevard, Parsons Boulevard, Guy R. Brewer Boulevard (formerly known as New York Boulevard), and Sutphin Boulevard, as well as the Van Wyck Expressway (I-678) and the Grand Central Parkway.
Filipino Dinner at Krystal's Cafe, Woodside
Dinner at Filipino restaurant. The night is still cold, summer is still far away.
A "Little Manila" stretches from 63rd-71st Streets at the strip of Roosevelt Avenue, where many Filipino businesses have flocked to serve Woodside's large Filipino American community.
In the borough of Queens, many Filipino businesses have sprung up in the past decade. Queens is home to 85,000 Filipinos and Filipino-Americans and has the largest Filipino population among the five boroughs. The Filipino-American community is also the fourth largest Asian-American subgroup in the borough and makes up about 4.2% of the entire population of Queens
Woodside is known for its concentration of Filipinos. Of the 85,000 residents of Woodside, about 13,000 are of Filipino background, or 15% of Woodside's population.
Along the 7 line, known colloquially as the "International Express," the 69th Street station serves as the gateway to Queens' very own Little Manila. This area attracts many local Filipinos and non-Filipinos alike and from neighboring places of Long Island, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. The coverage of Little Manila is along Roosevelt Avenue, from 63rd Street-71st Street.
Filipino restaurants dominate the area, as well as several freight and remittance centers scattered throughout the neighborhood. Other Filipino-owned businesses including professional services (medical, dental, optical), driving schools, beauty salons, immigration services, and video rental places providing the latest movies from the Philippines dot the community
Restaurants such as Ihawan, Perlas ng Silangan, BarYo, Renee's Kitchenette, and Krystal's Cafe, are the most popular ones.
Mr On and Lingling took us to Krystal's Cafe, which serve beautiful Filipino food. By the way, I have never taste any Filipino food before, even the country is near to Malaysia. Never know it taste good, all the way to New York to taste it.
Elmhurst, Queen, New York - 3rd Chinatown
View Larger Map
Elmhurst is a complicated neighborhood in western Queens. It has come a long way since troubles in the 1980s, even longer since its colonial founding in the 1650s.
Elmhurst is the thriving home of families -- middle class and working class -- housed in a mix of older multi-family homes, and co-op and apartment buildings. Immigrants, especially from Asia and Latin America, have made Elmhurst the most diverse part of Queens. But despite economic revitalization and safe streets, illegal housing and rundown corners continue to blight the area.
Elmhurst is in western Queens. Roosevelt Avenue is the neighborhood's northern boundary with Jackson Heights. To the east is Corona at Junction Boulevard. Woodside is to the west along 74th Street and the LIRR tracks. Elmhurst dips south of Queens Boulevard to the Long Island Expressway (and Rego Park, Middle Village, and Maspeth). The area below Queens Boulevard, especially south of the LIRR tracks, is a sleepy area of row houses, multi-family homes. The neighborhood used to go further south to Eliot Avenue, but a zip code change added a sliver of "South Elmhurst" to Middle Village.
Elmhurst has the most subway options in Queens outside of Long Island City. Subways include the 7 train that runs local above Roosevelt Avenue, the express E and F at Broadway/74th Street, and the R, V trains that run local down Broadway and out along Queens Boulevard. It takes about 30 to 40 minutes to reach Midtown Manhattan.
Home to the Queens Center Mall and the Queens Plaza Mall, Elmhurst's stretch of Queens Boulevard is one of the largest shopping districts in the borough.
Broadway, centered at Whitney, is a commercial heart of Newtown, especially for Chinese and Southeast Asian stores and restaurants. Under the elevated tracks of the 7 train along Roosevelt Avenue is another big commercial strip, shared with Jackson Heights, of Latino shops, clubs, bars, and restaurants.
For a real and calm neighborhood walk in Elmhurst, you can't beat the small shops and restaurants along prosperous Woodside Avenue, near Elmhust Hospital Center. The commercial district in Elmhurst along Broadway, especially near Whitney Avenue, is the home of a growing number of Asian and Southeast Asian businesses and restaurants. The greater Elmhurst neighborhood is one of the most diverse places in Queens, but most visible on the blocks along Broadway are shops catering to Thais, Chinese, Taiwanese, Indonesians, and other immigrants from East and Southeast Asia.
Elmhurst, another neighborhood in the borough of Queens, also has a large Chinese community. Previously a small area with Chinese shops on Broadway between 81st Street and Cornish Avenue, this newly evolved second Chinatown in Queens has now expanded to 45th Avenue and Whitney Avenue. Penang (Malaysian), which has branches in many U.S. cities, is located in the same complex on Broadway, just beside the LIRR bridge.
22/5/2010(Saturday)New York (2nd day)- Rochester
This is the second day in New York, but we need to rush to the downtown to catch a bus to Rochester. Mr Oon took us to the Megabus bus stop near the Penn Station,31st St. and 8th. Ave, depart at 12p.m to Rochester, New York State.
Mr Onn and Lingling was so kind they took us to Elmhurst downtown, the 3rd Chinatown, where there are many Chinese restaurants. They bought us some Chinese food for us, to eat during our long journey to Rochester. Beside the Chinese restaurant there is a Penang restaurant, where you can even order Ipoh white coffee....Thank you, Abang Onn...
We left New York at 12 p.m. We still don't really know New York, we only stay in Queen borough. The journey from Elmhurst to Manhattan is the first time we really see New York City. But as we just begin to know New York we have to leave her for Rochester. Our ultimate destination is Niagara Fall.
View Larger Map
Located on a large natural harbor on the Atlantic coast of the Northeastern United States, the city consists of five boroughs: The Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island. The city's 2008 estimated population exceeds 8.3 million,[2] and with a land area of 305 square miles (790 km2),New York City is the most densely populated major city in the United States. The New York metropolitan area's population is also the nation's largest, estimated at 19.1 million people over 6,720 square miles (17,400 km2). Furthermore, the Combined Statistical Area containing the greater New York metropolitan area contained 22.2 million people as of 2009 Census estimates, also the largest in the United States.
New York was founded as a commercial trading post by the Dutch in 1624. The settlement was called New Amsterdam until 1664 when the colony came under English control. New York served as the capital of the United States from 1785 until 1790. It has been the country's largest city since 1790. As many as 800 languages are spoken in New York City, making it the most linguistically diverse city in the world.
Many districts and landmarks in the city have become well known to outsiders. The Statue of Liberty greeted millions of immigrants as they came to America in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Times Square, iconified as "The Crossroads of the World", is the brightly illuminated hub of the Broadway theater district, one of the world's busiest pedestrian intersections, and a major center of the world's entertainment industry. Anchored by Wall Street, in Lower Manhattan, New York City is the financial capital of the world and is home to the New York Stock Exchange, the world's largest stock exchange by market capitalization of its listed companies. The original Manhattan Chinatown attracts throngs of tourists to its bustling sidewalks and retail establishments. World-class schools and universities such as Columbia University, Cardozo School of Law, New York University and Fordham University also reside in New York City.
New York City is composed of five boroughs, an unusual form of government. Each borough is coextensive with a respective county of New York State as shown below. Throughout the boroughs there are hundreds of distinct neighborhoods, many with a definable history and character to call their own. If the boroughs were each independent cities, four of the boroughs (Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, and the Bronx) would be among the ten most populous cities in the United States.
The five boroughs are:
1.Manhattan,
2.Brooklyn,
3.Queens,
4.The Bronx,
5.Staten Island
Manhattan (New York County: Pop. 1,620,867)is the most densely populated borough and is home to Central Park and most of the city's skyscrapers. The borough is the financial center of the city and contains the headquarters of many major corporations, the United Nations, a number of important universities, and many cultural attractions. Manhattan is loosely divided into Lower, Midtown, and Uptown regions. Uptown Manhattan is divided by Central Park into the Upper East Side and the Upper West Side, and above the park is Harlem.
Brooklyn (Kings County: Pop. 2,528,050), on the western tip of Long Island, is the city's most populous borough and was an independent city until 1898. Brooklyn is known for its cultural, social and ethnic diversity, an independent art scene, distinct neighborhoods and a distinctive architectural heritage.
It is also the only borough outside of Manhattan with a distinct downtown neighborhood. The borough features a long beachfront and Coney Island, established in the 1870s as one of the earliest amusement grounds in the country.
Queens (Queens County: Pop. 2,270,338)is geographically the largest borough and the most ethnically diverse county in the United States,and may overtake Brooklyn as the city's most populous borough due to its growth. Historically a collection of small towns and villages founded by the Dutch, today the borough is predominantly residential and middle class. Queens County is the only large county in the United States where the median income among African Americans, approximately $52,000 a year, is higher than that of White Americans. Queens is the site of Citi Field, the home of the New York Mets, and annually hosts the U.S. Open tennis tournament. Additionally, it is home to two of the three major airports serving the New York metropolitan area, LaGuardia Airport and John F. Kennedy International Airport. (The third is Newark Liberty International Airport in Newark, New Jersey.)
The Bronx (Bronx County: Pop. 1,391,903) is New York City's northernmost borough, the location of Yankee Stadium, home of the New York Yankees, and home to the largest cooperatively owned housing complex in the United States, Co-op City. Except for a small section of Manhattan known as Marble Hill, the Bronx is the only section of the city that is part of the United States mainland. It is home to the Bronx Zoo, the largest metropolitan zoo in the United States, which spans 265 acres (1.07 km2) and is home to over 6,000 animals. The Bronx is the birthplace of rap and hip hop culture.
Staten Island (Richmond County: Pop. 481,613) is the most suburban in character of the five boroughs. Staten Island is connected to Brooklyn by the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge and to Manhattan by way of the free Staten Island Ferry. The Staten Island Ferry is one of the most popular tourist attractions in New York City as it provides unsurpassed views of the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, and lower Manhattan. Located in central Staten Island, the 25 km² Greenbelt has some 35 miles (56 km) of walking trails and one of the last undisturbed forests in the city. Designated in 1984 to protect the island's natural lands, the Greenbelt comprises seven city parks. The FDR Boardwalk along South Beach is 2.5 miles (4.0 km) long, the fourth largest in the world.
New York State or New York City?
Do not confuse New York City with New York State. New York State is made up of nine regions, these include:
1. North Country New York - northern frontier of the American state of New York, bordering Lake Ontario, the Saint Lawrence River (across from the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec), Vermont, and the Adirondack Mountains.
2. Central New York - Central region of New York State, includes the Syracuse metropolitan area.
3. Finger Lakes - The Finger Lakes is a region of New York state south of Lake Ontario. One of the major viticultural areas of the United States. It includes The city of Rochester, New York's third largest, offers urban attractions and amenities.
4. Western New York - to the westernmost region of the state of New York. It includes the cities of Buffalo, Niagara Falls, and surrounding suburbs.
5. Southern Tier - west of the Catskill Mountains along the northern border of Pennsylvania. It is a loosely defined term that generally includes the counties on that border Pennsylvania west of Delaware County inclusive.
6. Capital District - refers to the four counties surrounding Albany, the capital of the state: Albany County, Schenectady County, Rensselaer County, and Saratoga County. Often the other counties of the Albany-Schenectady-Amsterdam Combined Statistical Area and Greene County are included
7. Hudson Valley- The Hudson Valley is divided into three regions: Lower, Middle and Upper. However Upper Hudson is the Capital District.
8. New York City - The largest city in the state and the most populous city in the United States is New York City, which comprises five counties, the Bronx, New York (Manhattan), Queens, Kings (Brooklyn), and Richmond (Staten Island). New York City is home to more than two-fifths of the state's population.
9. Long Island (Southeast New York, include Suffolk county & Nassau county)
New York city is the largest city in New York State(and USA), the city is part of the New York State. So now you know the difference between New York City and New York State.
NY arrival (by air) From Chicago
Midway Airport, Chicago
We faced a terrible long queue in Midway Airport for security check. Despite our request for easy access as the security checking which have take a long time, and there is no positive action taken to help us. The international tourist are asked to queue together with the domestic passengers. There is no special pathway for passenger who are going to be late for the flight, especially the next flight. A typical mentality of form over substance, without common sense used, which is not friendly to passengers, especially international tourist to the country. Ironically there is no long queue in the bigger international LAX airport, and other airports we travel in USA. The Midway airport need to provide an explanation....we can understand the security concern, but we cannot understand the two rows of long queue at the airport when other bigger airports are able to handle it better...
21-5-2010(Friday) New York La Guardia Airport(1st Day)
Finally we arrived at New York on 21-5-2010. I do not believe that I have landed in New York airport, as LaGuardia Airport (IATA: LGA) is small airport and it look old. But I really cannot compare it with John F. Kennedy International Airport, which is an international airport, or other new Asian airports. LaGuardia Airport (IATA: LGA) is a smaller, older airport providing many of the domestic services for the city. It take 12 min from the airport to Elmhurst, New York.(3.8 to 6.5 miles).
New York is a big city, the big apple was once the most expensive city in the world. And now I am in New York, I just wonder can I survive here in NY in the next few days?....With anticipating and wondering mind....But I am happy I am now standing in New York City. I finally arrive in New York city, wah.......
The 3rd son of our Indonesian Chinese friend, Ontorio(or Onn) and Lingling, take some time to arrive at the LaGuardia Airport. The reason being that there are few terminals and not expected us to arrive at one of the small terminal. Ontorio and family stayed at Queen borough, New york city. Mr Onn went to New Jersey, and was not at home. The airport is in Queen borough, and Mr Onn's house is at Elmhurst, the 3rd Chinatown in New York, also at Queen.
Mr Oon and family is from Central Java, he built his family in New York since late 90s, now he is happily settled down in New York. The life in New York is not easy for an immigrant without any relative there. It is tough, hard work and the high spirit that they have to live well in the new country, help them to survive and adapt to the new nation. It is the same story in Elmhurst, the mainland Chinese, the Vietnamese, the Malaysian, the Filipino...all tell the same story, it is not easy to build the family in a new nation, especially in New York city. It is hard work.....
After a welcome bath at the house to clean away the tired body, Mr Onn came back from New jersey, and took us to Jamaica, the town where Lingling work. She work at a restaurant owned by a Korean. There is the place where we have our lunch. It look like Latino or Hispanic dishes, or at least South American style. It taste good...
Jamaica, Queen - the place where Lingling work
View Larger Map
Jamaica, a large, sprawling neighborhood, is also home to John F. Kennedy International Airport—one of the busiest international airports in the United States and the world— public transportation passengers are connected to airline terminals by AirTrain JFK, which operates as both an airport terminal circulator and rail connection to central Jamaica at the integrated LIRR and bilevel subway station located at Sutphin Blvd and Archer Avenue. Major streets include Archer Avenue, Hillside Avenue, Jamaica Avenue, Liberty Avenue, Merrick Boulevard, Parsons Boulevard, Guy R. Brewer Boulevard (formerly known as New York Boulevard), and Sutphin Boulevard, as well as the Van Wyck Expressway (I-678) and the Grand Central Parkway.
Filipino Dinner at Krystal's Cafe, Woodside
Dinner at Filipino restaurant. The night is still cold, summer is still far away.
A "Little Manila" stretches from 63rd-71st Streets at the strip of Roosevelt Avenue, where many Filipino businesses have flocked to serve Woodside's large Filipino American community.
In the borough of Queens, many Filipino businesses have sprung up in the past decade. Queens is home to 85,000 Filipinos and Filipino-Americans and has the largest Filipino population among the five boroughs. The Filipino-American community is also the fourth largest Asian-American subgroup in the borough and makes up about 4.2% of the entire population of Queens
Woodside is known for its concentration of Filipinos. Of the 85,000 residents of Woodside, about 13,000 are of Filipino background, or 15% of Woodside's population.
Along the 7 line, known colloquially as the "International Express," the 69th Street station serves as the gateway to Queens' very own Little Manila. This area attracts many local Filipinos and non-Filipinos alike and from neighboring places of Long Island, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. The coverage of Little Manila is along Roosevelt Avenue, from 63rd Street-71st Street.
Filipino restaurants dominate the area, as well as several freight and remittance centers scattered throughout the neighborhood. Other Filipino-owned businesses including professional services (medical, dental, optical), driving schools, beauty salons, immigration services, and video rental places providing the latest movies from the Philippines dot the community
Restaurants such as Ihawan, Perlas ng Silangan, BarYo, Renee's Kitchenette, and Krystal's Cafe, are the most popular ones.
Mr On and Lingling took us to Krystal's Cafe, which serve beautiful Filipino food. By the way, I have never taste any Filipino food before, even the country is near to Malaysia. Never know it taste good, all the way to New York to taste it.
Elmhurst, Queen, New York - 3rd Chinatown
View Larger Map
Elmhurst is a complicated neighborhood in western Queens. It has come a long way since troubles in the 1980s, even longer since its colonial founding in the 1650s.
Elmhurst is the thriving home of families -- middle class and working class -- housed in a mix of older multi-family homes, and co-op and apartment buildings. Immigrants, especially from Asia and Latin America, have made Elmhurst the most diverse part of Queens. But despite economic revitalization and safe streets, illegal housing and rundown corners continue to blight the area.
Elmhurst is in western Queens. Roosevelt Avenue is the neighborhood's northern boundary with Jackson Heights. To the east is Corona at Junction Boulevard. Woodside is to the west along 74th Street and the LIRR tracks. Elmhurst dips south of Queens Boulevard to the Long Island Expressway (and Rego Park, Middle Village, and Maspeth). The area below Queens Boulevard, especially south of the LIRR tracks, is a sleepy area of row houses, multi-family homes. The neighborhood used to go further south to Eliot Avenue, but a zip code change added a sliver of "South Elmhurst" to Middle Village.
Elmhurst has the most subway options in Queens outside of Long Island City. Subways include the 7 train that runs local above Roosevelt Avenue, the express E and F at Broadway/74th Street, and the R, V trains that run local down Broadway and out along Queens Boulevard. It takes about 30 to 40 minutes to reach Midtown Manhattan.
Home to the Queens Center Mall and the Queens Plaza Mall, Elmhurst's stretch of Queens Boulevard is one of the largest shopping districts in the borough.
Broadway, centered at Whitney, is a commercial heart of Newtown, especially for Chinese and Southeast Asian stores and restaurants. Under the elevated tracks of the 7 train along Roosevelt Avenue is another big commercial strip, shared with Jackson Heights, of Latino shops, clubs, bars, and restaurants.
For a real and calm neighborhood walk in Elmhurst, you can't beat the small shops and restaurants along prosperous Woodside Avenue, near Elmhust Hospital Center. The commercial district in Elmhurst along Broadway, especially near Whitney Avenue, is the home of a growing number of Asian and Southeast Asian businesses and restaurants. The greater Elmhurst neighborhood is one of the most diverse places in Queens, but most visible on the blocks along Broadway are shops catering to Thais, Chinese, Taiwanese, Indonesians, and other immigrants from East and Southeast Asia.
Elmhurst, another neighborhood in the borough of Queens, also has a large Chinese community. Previously a small area with Chinese shops on Broadway between 81st Street and Cornish Avenue, this newly evolved second Chinatown in Queens has now expanded to 45th Avenue and Whitney Avenue. Penang (Malaysian), which has branches in many U.S. cities, is located in the same complex on Broadway, just beside the LIRR bridge.
22/5/2010(Saturday)New York (2nd day)- Rochester
This is the second day in New York, but we need to rush to the downtown to catch a bus to Rochester. Mr Oon took us to the Megabus bus stop near the Penn Station,31st St. and 8th. Ave, depart at 12p.m to Rochester, New York State.
Mr Onn and Lingling was so kind they took us to Elmhurst downtown, the 3rd Chinatown, where there are many Chinese restaurants. They bought us some Chinese food for us, to eat during our long journey to Rochester. Beside the Chinese restaurant there is a Penang restaurant, where you can even order Ipoh white coffee....Thank you, Abang Onn...
We left New York at 12 p.m. We still don't really know New York, we only stay in Queen borough. The journey from Elmhurst to Manhattan is the first time we really see New York City. But as we just begin to know New York we have to leave her for Rochester. Our ultimate destination is Niagara Fall.
Chicago - The Magnificient Miles
19-5-2010(Wednesday) Chicago
This article is the continue of last article on Navy Pier. After Navy Pier, we went to Michigan Avenue, the place is also called Magnificent Miles for its upmarket shopping. We started from John Hancock Building, the floor that sell camera, computers, and other electronic goods. By walking down the street from John Hancock until the crown fountain in Millennium Park. Along the Michigan Avenue are numerous upscale stores, the shopping heaven for Chicago City.
The Magnificent Miles & Near North Side
View Larger Map
After leaving Navy Pier, we walk along the beach shore, and crossed the highway to the neighborhood of Near North Side. The neighborhood is an upper market residential area, which is closed to Magnificent Avenue. A kind American Japanese who just finished her shopping, guided us to the John Hancock Center. We walk along N Lake Shore Drive, which is a highway, toward Northwestern University Department building after crossing E Huron Street. We then turn westward into E Chicago Avenue, where the Northwestern University Medical School is located. The Lake Shore Park is opposite the medical school, after the park is Museum of Contemporary Art. We said good bye to the good Japanese lady when she left for her apartment around East Pearson St. John Hancock Building is nearby at Michigan Avenue. From East Pearson St we come to the junction of Michigan Avenue, where the historical Water Tower Place is located. The Visitor Center is located there. By walking another block, crossing E Chestnut St is the location of John Hancock Center, opposite is the old Fourth Presbyterian Church. Not far away walking southward is the City Gallery- Water Tower.
John Hancock Center
John Hancock Center at 875 North Michigan Avenue in the Streeterville area of Chicago, Illinois, is a 100-story, 1,127-foot (344 m) tall skyscraper, constructed under the supervision of Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, with chief designer Bruce Graham and structural engineer Fazlur Khan. When the building topped out on May 6, 1968, it was the tallest building in the world outside New York City. It is currently the fourth-tallest building in Chicago and the sixth-tallest in the United States, after the Willis Tower, the Empire State Building, the Bank of America Tower, the Trump Tower Chicago, and the Aon Center. Chicago 3rd tallest building, after Willis, Trump Tower. When measured to the top of its antenna masts, it stands at 1,506 feet (459 m). The building is home to offices and restaurants, as well as about 700 condominiums and contains the third highest residence in the world, after the Trump Tower also in Chicago and the Burj Khalifa in Dubai. This skyscraper was named for John Hancock Mutual Life Insurance Company, a developer and original tenant of the building
The 95th floor has long been home to a restaurant, the latest tenant being "The Signature Room on the 95th Floor." While patrons dine, they can look out at Chicago and Lake Michigan. John Hancock Center's Observatory attraction (called John Hancock Observatory) competes with the Willis Tower's Skydeck across town. John Hancock Center is in the heart of Michigan Avenue, a prime tourist hotspot in Chicago, while the Willis Tower is in the financial district. John Hancock Observatory is complete with full 360 degree views of the city, up to four states and over 80 miles. The floor-to-ceiling windows leaves nothing between you and the view. The Observatory has Chicago's only open-air SkyWalk, where they took our 80 feet of windows and put in NASA-approved steel casing so you can feel what it's like to be outside more than 1,000 feet up. There's a History Wall with exhibits about the City of Chicago from its first settlers up to the completion of John Hancock Center
The observatory is at 94th floor. The admission of US$21 per adult, including general admission ticket, Open air sky walk, and Exclusive JHO View 360 souvenir. Fast track is US$29 per adult. The general admission ticket is US$15 per adult.
We did not go to the observatory, as we have been to Willis Tower. But we did go into the building and rest at the shop for sometime, looking out of their glass window to the Michigan Avenue. The real window shopping.....
http://www.johnhancockcenterchicago.com/Index3.htm
http://www.hancockobservatory.com/en/
Willis Tower entrance is expensive, John Hancock is also fee paying. Some tips to have bird view of the city, but avoid paying entrance fee for budget travelers:
1.Go to the Signature Lounge 95th floor, get a Coke and experience the view while avoiding the admission fee for the observation deck only a few stories up.
Note: You can spend $10-11 and visit the official observation deck on the 94th floor of the John Hancock Building, or you can wait in another line, sometimes shorter, and always free line to go to the Bar/Lounge on the 95th Floor.
The view isn't as dramatic with tables, and bars and people sprawled along the window seats, but for the budget traveler, or drinker, you can get a 2nd-rate view and spend your $10 on a couple of expensive drinks.
2. Another alternative to avoid paying fee is to spring for a sinfully delicious dinner at La Cite`, the fabulous round restaurant on top of Lake Point Tower (the wave-shaped glass building across the street from Navy Pier). Prix fixe menu. This is Champagne and Chateaubriand heaven. For daytime views at a more modest cost Sunday brunch is sometimes offered.
3. Buy Chicago Pass, not total avoidance, but to save cost.
The Chicago Water Tower
The Chicago Water Tower is a contributing property in the Old Chicago Water Tower District landmark district. It is located at 806, North Michigan Avenue along the Magnificent Mile shopping district in the Near North Side community area of Chicago, Illinois. Located adjacent to Loyola University Chicago's downtown campus, the Water Tower serves as one of the Chicago Office of Tourism's Official Visitor's Centers. The Chicago Water Tower is the second-oldest water tower in the United States, after the Louisville Water Tower in Louisville, Kentucky.
Since its survival of the Great Fire, the Water Tower became one of the city's most famous icons as it symbolized Chicago's resilience. It was threatened with demolition several times - in 1906, 1918 and 1948 - but it was saved each time thanks to a public outcry. The tower was eventually restored in 1962.
In May of 1969, during the year of its centennial anniversary, the Chicago Water Tower was selected by the American Water Works Association to be the first American Water Landmark. Today the tower is one of the most important historic attractions in Chicago. It houses a gallery which showcases works from local photographers.
The tower, built in 1869 by architect William W. Boyington from yellowing Joliet limestone, is 154 feet (47 m) tall. Inside was a 138 foot (42 m) high standpipe to hold water. In addition to being used for firefighting, the pressure in the pipe could be regulated to control water surges in the area. The tower gained prominence after the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. While some incorrectly believe that the tower was the only building to survive the fire, a few other buildings in the burned district survived along with the tower. But the water tower was the only public building in the burned zone to survive, and is the only one of the surviving structures still standing. In the years since the fire, the tower has become a symbol of old Chicago and of the city's recovery from the fire. In 1918, when Pine Street was widened, the plans were altered in order to give the Water Tower a featured location
Water Tower Place
Water Tower Place is a large urban, mixed-use development comprising a 758,000 sq ft shopping mall and 74 story skyscraper in Chicago, Illinois. The complex is located at 835 North Michigan Avenue, along the Magnificent Mile. It is named after the nearby Chicago Water Tower.
The tower section is a 74-story 859 foot (262 m) reinforced concrete slab, faced with gray marble, and is the eighth tallest building in Chicago and the twenty-sixth tallest in the United States. When built, it was the tallest reinforced concrete building in the world. It contains an award winning Ritz-Carlton hotel, luxury condominiums, and office space and sits atop a block long base containing a highly successful, atrium-style retail mall that fronts on the Magnificent Mile.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_Water_Tower
The Magnificent Miles & Shopping
Known as the Magnificent Mile, North Michigan Avenue Between Oak Street and Grand Avenue is Chicago's version of Fifth Avenue with its abundant upscale shopping.
Shopping is never my solely tour agenda in any of my past tour destination. Be it London, Paris, Shanghai, Beijing, Singapore, Hong Kong, and now Chicago. Sometime I was forced to follow the tour group, sometime family members. But Magnificent Miles along Michigan Avenue is different, my aim is to see the Tulips that planted along the street. Shopping along the street planted with Tulips, what a romantic idea... wife and daughter were naturally happy.
http://www.shopwatertower.com/ & http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_Tower_Place
After my failure to see Tulip blossom in Amsterdam, I really looking forward to see the Tulips planted along Michigan Avenue. But sad to say, it is no longer blossom, nevertheless managed to see some, even the one named after the wife of the Mayor of Chicago. It is also fortunate, as the next day the workers(most of them are Central American) are changing the flowers for Summer season.
Crown Fountain, Millennium Park
We missed Crown Fountain during our visit to Millennium Park, we decided to visit after the shopping walk along Michigan Avenue. Even it is getting dark, the fun of the fountain and the night view of Chicago is worth the visit.
Dinner at Millennium Pub
The cafe is packed with the locals, drinking and watching the sport events from the TV. This is the meeting place of locals after office hours, some even with their office attire. The place is crowded, but the service is good. We really enjoyed the food there.
The Pub is near to the hotel, but also near the State Street and Train station. Some homeless people are there, but did not disturb us.
Need to have good sleep tonight as tomorrow afternoon we are leaving Chicago. It is a happy night, as Chicago is shopping heaven for tourist also...We are satisfied that we are able to tour the Chicago all on our own. A beautiful city. There is still room to explore, missed Hyde Park, may be next time if there is another chance to visit Chicago....
Chicago will be in my memory for life....
This article is the continue of last article on Navy Pier. After Navy Pier, we went to Michigan Avenue, the place is also called Magnificent Miles for its upmarket shopping. We started from John Hancock Building, the floor that sell camera, computers, and other electronic goods. By walking down the street from John Hancock until the crown fountain in Millennium Park. Along the Michigan Avenue are numerous upscale stores, the shopping heaven for Chicago City.
The Magnificent Miles & Near North Side
View Larger Map
After leaving Navy Pier, we walk along the beach shore, and crossed the highway to the neighborhood of Near North Side. The neighborhood is an upper market residential area, which is closed to Magnificent Avenue. A kind American Japanese who just finished her shopping, guided us to the John Hancock Center. We walk along N Lake Shore Drive, which is a highway, toward Northwestern University Department building after crossing E Huron Street. We then turn westward into E Chicago Avenue, where the Northwestern University Medical School is located. The Lake Shore Park is opposite the medical school, after the park is Museum of Contemporary Art. We said good bye to the good Japanese lady when she left for her apartment around East Pearson St. John Hancock Building is nearby at Michigan Avenue. From East Pearson St we come to the junction of Michigan Avenue, where the historical Water Tower Place is located. The Visitor Center is located there. By walking another block, crossing E Chestnut St is the location of John Hancock Center, opposite is the old Fourth Presbyterian Church. Not far away walking southward is the City Gallery- Water Tower.
John Hancock Center
John Hancock Center at 875 North Michigan Avenue in the Streeterville area of Chicago, Illinois, is a 100-story, 1,127-foot (344 m) tall skyscraper, constructed under the supervision of Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, with chief designer Bruce Graham and structural engineer Fazlur Khan. When the building topped out on May 6, 1968, it was the tallest building in the world outside New York City. It is currently the fourth-tallest building in Chicago and the sixth-tallest in the United States, after the Willis Tower, the Empire State Building, the Bank of America Tower, the Trump Tower Chicago, and the Aon Center. Chicago 3rd tallest building, after Willis, Trump Tower. When measured to the top of its antenna masts, it stands at 1,506 feet (459 m). The building is home to offices and restaurants, as well as about 700 condominiums and contains the third highest residence in the world, after the Trump Tower also in Chicago and the Burj Khalifa in Dubai. This skyscraper was named for John Hancock Mutual Life Insurance Company, a developer and original tenant of the building
The 95th floor has long been home to a restaurant, the latest tenant being "The Signature Room on the 95th Floor." While patrons dine, they can look out at Chicago and Lake Michigan. John Hancock Center's Observatory attraction (called John Hancock Observatory) competes with the Willis Tower's Skydeck across town. John Hancock Center is in the heart of Michigan Avenue, a prime tourist hotspot in Chicago, while the Willis Tower is in the financial district. John Hancock Observatory is complete with full 360 degree views of the city, up to four states and over 80 miles. The floor-to-ceiling windows leaves nothing between you and the view. The Observatory has Chicago's only open-air SkyWalk, where they took our 80 feet of windows and put in NASA-approved steel casing so you can feel what it's like to be outside more than 1,000 feet up. There's a History Wall with exhibits about the City of Chicago from its first settlers up to the completion of John Hancock Center
The observatory is at 94th floor. The admission of US$21 per adult, including general admission ticket, Open air sky walk, and Exclusive JHO View 360 souvenir. Fast track is US$29 per adult. The general admission ticket is US$15 per adult.
We did not go to the observatory, as we have been to Willis Tower. But we did go into the building and rest at the shop for sometime, looking out of their glass window to the Michigan Avenue. The real window shopping.....
http://www.johnhancockcenterchicago.com/Index3.htm
http://www.hancockobservatory.com/en/
Willis Tower entrance is expensive, John Hancock is also fee paying. Some tips to have bird view of the city, but avoid paying entrance fee for budget travelers:
1.Go to the Signature Lounge 95th floor, get a Coke and experience the view while avoiding the admission fee for the observation deck only a few stories up.
Note: You can spend $10-11 and visit the official observation deck on the 94th floor of the John Hancock Building, or you can wait in another line, sometimes shorter, and always free line to go to the Bar/Lounge on the 95th Floor.
The view isn't as dramatic with tables, and bars and people sprawled along the window seats, but for the budget traveler, or drinker, you can get a 2nd-rate view and spend your $10 on a couple of expensive drinks.
2. Another alternative to avoid paying fee is to spring for a sinfully delicious dinner at La Cite`, the fabulous round restaurant on top of Lake Point Tower (the wave-shaped glass building across the street from Navy Pier). Prix fixe menu. This is Champagne and Chateaubriand heaven. For daytime views at a more modest cost Sunday brunch is sometimes offered.
3. Buy Chicago Pass, not total avoidance, but to save cost.
The Chicago Water Tower
The Chicago Water Tower is a contributing property in the Old Chicago Water Tower District landmark district. It is located at 806, North Michigan Avenue along the Magnificent Mile shopping district in the Near North Side community area of Chicago, Illinois. Located adjacent to Loyola University Chicago's downtown campus, the Water Tower serves as one of the Chicago Office of Tourism's Official Visitor's Centers. The Chicago Water Tower is the second-oldest water tower in the United States, after the Louisville Water Tower in Louisville, Kentucky.
Since its survival of the Great Fire, the Water Tower became one of the city's most famous icons as it symbolized Chicago's resilience. It was threatened with demolition several times - in 1906, 1918 and 1948 - but it was saved each time thanks to a public outcry. The tower was eventually restored in 1962.
In May of 1969, during the year of its centennial anniversary, the Chicago Water Tower was selected by the American Water Works Association to be the first American Water Landmark. Today the tower is one of the most important historic attractions in Chicago. It houses a gallery which showcases works from local photographers.
The tower, built in 1869 by architect William W. Boyington from yellowing Joliet limestone, is 154 feet (47 m) tall. Inside was a 138 foot (42 m) high standpipe to hold water. In addition to being used for firefighting, the pressure in the pipe could be regulated to control water surges in the area. The tower gained prominence after the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. While some incorrectly believe that the tower was the only building to survive the fire, a few other buildings in the burned district survived along with the tower. But the water tower was the only public building in the burned zone to survive, and is the only one of the surviving structures still standing. In the years since the fire, the tower has become a symbol of old Chicago and of the city's recovery from the fire. In 1918, when Pine Street was widened, the plans were altered in order to give the Water Tower a featured location
Water Tower Place
Water Tower Place is a large urban, mixed-use development comprising a 758,000 sq ft shopping mall and 74 story skyscraper in Chicago, Illinois. The complex is located at 835 North Michigan Avenue, along the Magnificent Mile. It is named after the nearby Chicago Water Tower.
The tower section is a 74-story 859 foot (262 m) reinforced concrete slab, faced with gray marble, and is the eighth tallest building in Chicago and the twenty-sixth tallest in the United States. When built, it was the tallest reinforced concrete building in the world. It contains an award winning Ritz-Carlton hotel, luxury condominiums, and office space and sits atop a block long base containing a highly successful, atrium-style retail mall that fronts on the Magnificent Mile.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_Water_Tower
The Magnificent Miles & Shopping
Known as the Magnificent Mile, North Michigan Avenue Between Oak Street and Grand Avenue is Chicago's version of Fifth Avenue with its abundant upscale shopping.
Shopping is never my solely tour agenda in any of my past tour destination. Be it London, Paris, Shanghai, Beijing, Singapore, Hong Kong, and now Chicago. Sometime I was forced to follow the tour group, sometime family members. But Magnificent Miles along Michigan Avenue is different, my aim is to see the Tulips that planted along the street. Shopping along the street planted with Tulips, what a romantic idea... wife and daughter were naturally happy.
http://www.shopwatertower.com/ & http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_Tower_Place
After my failure to see Tulip blossom in Amsterdam, I really looking forward to see the Tulips planted along Michigan Avenue. But sad to say, it is no longer blossom, nevertheless managed to see some, even the one named after the wife of the Mayor of Chicago. It is also fortunate, as the next day the workers(most of them are Central American) are changing the flowers for Summer season.
Crown Fountain, Millennium Park
We missed Crown Fountain during our visit to Millennium Park, we decided to visit after the shopping walk along Michigan Avenue. Even it is getting dark, the fun of the fountain and the night view of Chicago is worth the visit.
Dinner at Millennium Pub
The cafe is packed with the locals, drinking and watching the sport events from the TV. This is the meeting place of locals after office hours, some even with their office attire. The place is crowded, but the service is good. We really enjoyed the food there.
The Pub is near to the hotel, but also near the State Street and Train station. Some homeless people are there, but did not disturb us.
Need to have good sleep tonight as tomorrow afternoon we are leaving Chicago. It is a happy night, as Chicago is shopping heaven for tourist also...We are satisfied that we are able to tour the Chicago all on our own. A beautiful city. There is still room to explore, missed Hyde Park, may be next time if there is another chance to visit Chicago....
Chicago will be in my memory for life....
Chicago - Navy Pier
19-5-2010(Wednesday) Chicago
The Chicago City’s 29 miles of lakefront paths are just one reason Chicago is one of the world’s most walkable and beautiful cities. The lakefront paths or trails are along the shoreline of Lake Michigan, one of the lakes in Great Lake. One of the top tourist destination in Chicago is Navy Pier. It is located at 600 E. Grand Ave., Chicago, at the lakefront of Lake Michigan.
Navy Pier is a 3,300-foot (1,010 m) long pier on the Chicago shoreline of Lake Michigan. It is 50 acres of parks, promenades, gardens, shops, eateries and attractions. It is located in the Streeterville neighborhood of the Near North Side community area. The pier was built in 1916 at a cost of $4.5 million, equivalent to $89.7 million today. It was a part of the Plan of Chicago developed by architect and city planner Daniel Burnham and his associates. As Municipal Pier #2 (Municipal Pier #1 was never built), Navy Pier was planned and built to serve as a mixed-purpose piece of public infrastructure. Its primary purpose was as a cargo facility for lake freighters, and warehouses were built up and down the pier. However, the pier was also designed to provide docking space for passenger excursion steamers, and in the pre-air conditioning era parts of the pier, especially its outermost tip, were designed to serve as cool places for public gathering and entertainment. The pier even had its own streetcar.
Located on Lake Michigan, just East of Chicago's Downtown, Navy Pier has been a Chicago landmark since it first opened in 1916. Originally designed as both a shipping and recreational facility, the Pier also served as a military training site during two world wars, a venue for concerts and exhibitions, and the temporary home for a once-fledgling University of Illinois' Chicago campus.
As the Pier fell into disuse during much of the 1970s and 1980s, the State of Illinois and Chicago embarked on a joint plan whereby, in 1989, ownership of the Pier was transferred to the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority, the same body which oversees Chicago's McCormick Place. The Authority moved swiftly to redesign Navy Pier into one of the country's most unique recreation and exposition facilities.
Today, Navy Pier is Chicago's number one tourist attraction
Navy Pier attractions include sightseeing tours from companies such as Seadog I, II, IV, and Extreme, Shoreline Sightseeing cruises and Water Taxi service, and the Tall Ship Windy. There are also dinner cruises by the Spirit of Chicago, The Odyssey, and the Mystic Blue Cruise line. Other attractions include rides like the Ferris Wheel along with many seasonal festivals for Halloween and Christmas. The pier has fireworks on Wednesday and Saturday nights during the summer and Friday and Saturday nights during the fall.
The popular Strictly Sail boat show and Chicago Flower and Garden Show are held at the Pier as well as many other fairs and expositions throughout the year. Also a part of Navy Pier is the Childrens' Museum with many different exhibits and activities for both children and adults to enjoy while visiting the museum. The pier also has an IMAX theater, and the Smith Museum of Stained Glass Windows, many of which were salvaged from Chicago mansions.
An anchor from the naval vessel USS Chicago (CA-136) is on display at the far end of the pier. Is it the only landmark related to the Navy?....and the name of Navy Pier. Preferably the whole naval vessel is display here to reflect the name of Navy Pier, like the one at Fisherman Wharf(San Francisco),and San Diego harbor.
(extracted from wikipedia and Navy Pier's websites)
View Larger Map
It is easy going to Navy Pier from the Loop or downtown; there are bus service direct to Navy Pier.
Seagulls at Navy Pier and Navy Pier Park
A lot of seagulls at Navy Pier, a brave birds that is not afraid of human. They come very close to the tourist and visitors, looking for food. Just beside the Navy Pier, fronting the park, there is a long stretch of narrow land mass, bordered with tires, which is the nesting ground for seagulls. You can see the seagulls, big or small, flying all over the place. Some in the sky flying, some walking, some playing with other seagulls. If you are taking Lake Michigan shoreline cruise, you can come close to the nesting ground.
While waiting for the Lake Michigan shoreline cruise, we have a chance to talk with one old lady from mainland China, who was visiting with her granddaughter at the Navy Pier. She was staying at the Condominium nearby, with her daughter's family. Despite not knowing a single word of English, she enjoyed the time in USA. Where she is more relax, compare to mainland China. Her husband however was not used to life in USA. She is happy because of her granddaughter, the joy of playing with the child.
Lake Michigan shoreline cruise
River cruise and Lake Michigan cruise - exploring the city’s astonishing architecture during a guided tour (on foot or aboard a Chicago River boat, lakeshore cruise or sightseeing bus).
Skyline Lake Tours offer breathtaking views of Chicago city’s famous skyscrapers from an amazing vantage point on Lake Michigan. These tours depart from South docks at Navy Pier, Chicago’s #1 tourist attraction. The river cruise however depart from Navy Pier Park, you need to walk along N Streeter Drive(outside the entrance of Navy Pier), go to jetty near Lakefront Trails to take the boat for river cruise.
Note: Opposite the jetty is the DuSable Park, an urban park where currently awaiting redevelopment. One of the project adjacent to the park is Chicago Spike. It was reported in wikipedia article, that soil tests performed at the location of DuSable Park in December 2000 showed contamination of radioactive thorium. From 1904 through 1936, the Lindsay Light Company processed ores which contained thorium to manufacture thorium impregnated gas mantles. It was suspected that after the plant closed, contaminated soil was dumped on the location of the proposed park.In March 2003, the Chicago Park District stated that the thorium clean-up on that land was incomplete.[11] It has been reported that Shelbourne Development will soon be taking soil samples to determine the severity of the radioactive contamination.(source: wikipedia)
Chicago River Cruise
We joined Shoreline on an exciting journey as we tour the Chicago River and its architectural landmarks. Shoreline's experienced and entertaining guides recount the dramatic story of Chicago's rise from the Great Fire of 1871 to become the home of the skyscraper and the cradle of modern American architecture. Along the route are buildings by world-famous architects including Mies van der Rohe, Helmut Jahn and Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. Lake Michigan Shoreline Cruises depart from the Navy Pier docks.
The Chicago River Cruise is the best part of the Chicago attraction, the boat passes through bridges and buildings along the river. We can see the beautiful skyscrapers including the Willis Tower. This is the climax of the Chicago tour. Compared to the Lake Michigan shoreline cruise, the Chicago River Cruise is much better, as it is also Chicago River Architecture tour where you can see the beautiful buildings along the river, and going under the bridges along the way. There are people in the bridge, at the sail boats, restaurants & cafe along the river, waving hands to you. The Michigan Lake shoreline cruise is dull and the view of the attractions are far from the boat. If you have done Chicago City walking tour, the familiar buildings will provided you with the thrills of recognize them, locate them. The magnificent view from the river is different from the view from the city tour. If you come to Chicago, Chicago River Cruise is a must.
Museum of Stained Glass Windows
If you like stained glass, this is the museum you must visit. The Smith Museum of Stained Glass Windows at Navy Pier, is the first museum in the United States dedicated solely to stained glass windows. This permanent display of 150 stained glass windows is housed in an 800-ft.-long series of galleries along the lower level terraces of Festival Hall. It showcases both secular and religious windows and is divided by artistic theme into four categories: Victorian, Prairie, Modern and Contemporary.
Navy Park is true tourist destination, not only bring your camera, but also more American dollars, as this the place that will attract every dollars you have in your pocket. A true tourist attraction, nothing to do with Chicago....have a nice day, tourists.....and your money.
Oliver Park & Ohio Street Beach
Leaving the Navy Pier, we went to the Navy Pier Park to have some photo. After that we walk to Park Drive and straight to East Ohio Street at the entrance of Pfc Milton Olive Park, which we did not enter. We have a rest at the bench at the park enjoying the sunshine and resting our tired legs for a while. Opposite the park is the small beach front of Lake Michigan. It is called Ohio Street Beach, the beach fronting the street!. A small beach in Olive Park located just north of Ohio Street (400N), east of Lake Shore Drive. It faces north, rather than the usual east, because it formed on its own in a bay created by the Jardine Water Purification Plant which juts out into the Lake. The beach lead to Lakefront Trail, which is along N Lakeshore Drive. The beach however is not crowded. There are many runners and cyclist enjoying their summer time here.
The video was taken at Ohio Street Beach, the name Navy Pier Beach is wrong. It is however close to Navy Pier, but located nearer to Oliver Park entrance. You can sit at the benches at Oliver Park and enjoy the view of the beach, as well as the city, east of Chicago downtown or Near North Side. The beach is within the city and fronting the street. Watch up for the background, the skyscrapers of the city. No wonder the kid just have fun at the beach....
From there, we crossed the street to begin our journey to Hancock building and start shopping at Magnificent Miles. For those planning to come to Chicago, remember the Chicago River Cruise, you can take it at the Loop, not necessary to come all the way to Navy Pier.
Related websites & articles:
1. Navy Pier official website - http://navypier.com/
The Chicago City’s 29 miles of lakefront paths are just one reason Chicago is one of the world’s most walkable and beautiful cities. The lakefront paths or trails are along the shoreline of Lake Michigan, one of the lakes in Great Lake. One of the top tourist destination in Chicago is Navy Pier. It is located at 600 E. Grand Ave., Chicago, at the lakefront of Lake Michigan.
Navy Pier is a 3,300-foot (1,010 m) long pier on the Chicago shoreline of Lake Michigan. It is 50 acres of parks, promenades, gardens, shops, eateries and attractions. It is located in the Streeterville neighborhood of the Near North Side community area. The pier was built in 1916 at a cost of $4.5 million, equivalent to $89.7 million today. It was a part of the Plan of Chicago developed by architect and city planner Daniel Burnham and his associates. As Municipal Pier #2 (Municipal Pier #1 was never built), Navy Pier was planned and built to serve as a mixed-purpose piece of public infrastructure. Its primary purpose was as a cargo facility for lake freighters, and warehouses were built up and down the pier. However, the pier was also designed to provide docking space for passenger excursion steamers, and in the pre-air conditioning era parts of the pier, especially its outermost tip, were designed to serve as cool places for public gathering and entertainment. The pier even had its own streetcar.
Located on Lake Michigan, just East of Chicago's Downtown, Navy Pier has been a Chicago landmark since it first opened in 1916. Originally designed as both a shipping and recreational facility, the Pier also served as a military training site during two world wars, a venue for concerts and exhibitions, and the temporary home for a once-fledgling University of Illinois' Chicago campus.
As the Pier fell into disuse during much of the 1970s and 1980s, the State of Illinois and Chicago embarked on a joint plan whereby, in 1989, ownership of the Pier was transferred to the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority, the same body which oversees Chicago's McCormick Place. The Authority moved swiftly to redesign Navy Pier into one of the country's most unique recreation and exposition facilities.
Today, Navy Pier is Chicago's number one tourist attraction
Navy Pier attractions include sightseeing tours from companies such as Seadog I, II, IV, and Extreme, Shoreline Sightseeing cruises and Water Taxi service, and the Tall Ship Windy. There are also dinner cruises by the Spirit of Chicago, The Odyssey, and the Mystic Blue Cruise line. Other attractions include rides like the Ferris Wheel along with many seasonal festivals for Halloween and Christmas. The pier has fireworks on Wednesday and Saturday nights during the summer and Friday and Saturday nights during the fall.
The popular Strictly Sail boat show and Chicago Flower and Garden Show are held at the Pier as well as many other fairs and expositions throughout the year. Also a part of Navy Pier is the Childrens' Museum with many different exhibits and activities for both children and adults to enjoy while visiting the museum. The pier also has an IMAX theater, and the Smith Museum of Stained Glass Windows, many of which were salvaged from Chicago mansions.
An anchor from the naval vessel USS Chicago (CA-136) is on display at the far end of the pier. Is it the only landmark related to the Navy?....and the name of Navy Pier. Preferably the whole naval vessel is display here to reflect the name of Navy Pier, like the one at Fisherman Wharf(San Francisco),and San Diego harbor.
(extracted from wikipedia and Navy Pier's websites)
View Larger Map
It is easy going to Navy Pier from the Loop or downtown; there are bus service direct to Navy Pier.
Seagulls at Navy Pier and Navy Pier Park
A lot of seagulls at Navy Pier, a brave birds that is not afraid of human. They come very close to the tourist and visitors, looking for food. Just beside the Navy Pier, fronting the park, there is a long stretch of narrow land mass, bordered with tires, which is the nesting ground for seagulls. You can see the seagulls, big or small, flying all over the place. Some in the sky flying, some walking, some playing with other seagulls. If you are taking Lake Michigan shoreline cruise, you can come close to the nesting ground.
While waiting for the Lake Michigan shoreline cruise, we have a chance to talk with one old lady from mainland China, who was visiting with her granddaughter at the Navy Pier. She was staying at the Condominium nearby, with her daughter's family. Despite not knowing a single word of English, she enjoyed the time in USA. Where she is more relax, compare to mainland China. Her husband however was not used to life in USA. She is happy because of her granddaughter, the joy of playing with the child.
Lake Michigan shoreline cruise
River cruise and Lake Michigan cruise - exploring the city’s astonishing architecture during a guided tour (on foot or aboard a Chicago River boat, lakeshore cruise or sightseeing bus).
Skyline Lake Tours offer breathtaking views of Chicago city’s famous skyscrapers from an amazing vantage point on Lake Michigan. These tours depart from South docks at Navy Pier, Chicago’s #1 tourist attraction. The river cruise however depart from Navy Pier Park, you need to walk along N Streeter Drive(outside the entrance of Navy Pier), go to jetty near Lakefront Trails to take the boat for river cruise.
Note: Opposite the jetty is the DuSable Park, an urban park where currently awaiting redevelopment. One of the project adjacent to the park is Chicago Spike. It was reported in wikipedia article, that soil tests performed at the location of DuSable Park in December 2000 showed contamination of radioactive thorium. From 1904 through 1936, the Lindsay Light Company processed ores which contained thorium to manufacture thorium impregnated gas mantles. It was suspected that after the plant closed, contaminated soil was dumped on the location of the proposed park.In March 2003, the Chicago Park District stated that the thorium clean-up on that land was incomplete.[11] It has been reported that Shelbourne Development will soon be taking soil samples to determine the severity of the radioactive contamination.(source: wikipedia)
Chicago River Cruise
We joined Shoreline on an exciting journey as we tour the Chicago River and its architectural landmarks. Shoreline's experienced and entertaining guides recount the dramatic story of Chicago's rise from the Great Fire of 1871 to become the home of the skyscraper and the cradle of modern American architecture. Along the route are buildings by world-famous architects including Mies van der Rohe, Helmut Jahn and Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. Lake Michigan Shoreline Cruises depart from the Navy Pier docks.
The Chicago River Cruise is the best part of the Chicago attraction, the boat passes through bridges and buildings along the river. We can see the beautiful skyscrapers including the Willis Tower. This is the climax of the Chicago tour. Compared to the Lake Michigan shoreline cruise, the Chicago River Cruise is much better, as it is also Chicago River Architecture tour where you can see the beautiful buildings along the river, and going under the bridges along the way. There are people in the bridge, at the sail boats, restaurants & cafe along the river, waving hands to you. The Michigan Lake shoreline cruise is dull and the view of the attractions are far from the boat. If you have done Chicago City walking tour, the familiar buildings will provided you with the thrills of recognize them, locate them. The magnificent view from the river is different from the view from the city tour. If you come to Chicago, Chicago River Cruise is a must.
Museum of Stained Glass Windows
If you like stained glass, this is the museum you must visit. The Smith Museum of Stained Glass Windows at Navy Pier, is the first museum in the United States dedicated solely to stained glass windows. This permanent display of 150 stained glass windows is housed in an 800-ft.-long series of galleries along the lower level terraces of Festival Hall. It showcases both secular and religious windows and is divided by artistic theme into four categories: Victorian, Prairie, Modern and Contemporary.
Navy Park is true tourist destination, not only bring your camera, but also more American dollars, as this the place that will attract every dollars you have in your pocket. A true tourist attraction, nothing to do with Chicago....have a nice day, tourists.....and your money.
Oliver Park & Ohio Street Beach
Leaving the Navy Pier, we went to the Navy Pier Park to have some photo. After that we walk to Park Drive and straight to East Ohio Street at the entrance of Pfc Milton Olive Park, which we did not enter. We have a rest at the bench at the park enjoying the sunshine and resting our tired legs for a while. Opposite the park is the small beach front of Lake Michigan. It is called Ohio Street Beach, the beach fronting the street!. A small beach in Olive Park located just north of Ohio Street (400N), east of Lake Shore Drive. It faces north, rather than the usual east, because it formed on its own in a bay created by the Jardine Water Purification Plant which juts out into the Lake. The beach lead to Lakefront Trail, which is along N Lakeshore Drive. The beach however is not crowded. There are many runners and cyclist enjoying their summer time here.
The video was taken at Ohio Street Beach, the name Navy Pier Beach is wrong. It is however close to Navy Pier, but located nearer to Oliver Park entrance. You can sit at the benches at Oliver Park and enjoy the view of the beach, as well as the city, east of Chicago downtown or Near North Side. The beach is within the city and fronting the street. Watch up for the background, the skyscrapers of the city. No wonder the kid just have fun at the beach....
From there, we crossed the street to begin our journey to Hancock building and start shopping at Magnificent Miles. For those planning to come to Chicago, remember the Chicago River Cruise, you can take it at the Loop, not necessary to come all the way to Navy Pier.
Related websites & articles:
1. Navy Pier official website - http://navypier.com/
Chicago - Architecture & The Public Art
18-5-2010(Tuesday) Chicago
Today is city tour, exploring the city’s astonishing architecture by walking around the city. The Loop of the downtown, Chicago city. The city of Chicago, Illinois features prominent buildings in a variety of styles by many important architects. Since most buildings within the downtown area were destroyed (the most famous exception being the Water Tower) by the Great Chicago Fire in 1871. The first skyscraper was for many years thought to be the Home Insurance Building built in Chicago, Illinois in 1885. Chicago is considered to be the birthplace of the skyscraper. Note: However more recent evidence points to New York's Equitable Life Assurance Building built in 1870 preceding the Chicago building by 15 years and was the first office building built using a skeletal frame.
The tallest building in Chicago is the 108-story Willis Tower (formerly Sears Tower), which rises 1,451 feet (442 m) in the Chicago Loop and was completed in 1974. It also stands as the tallest building in the United States, and the fifth-tallest building in the world. In addition, the Willis Tower has the second most floors of any completed building in the world, and stands as the world's second tallest completed skyscraper when measuring to pinnacle height, rising 1,730 feet (527 m) with the addition of its western antenna. The second-, third- and fourth-tallest buildings in Chicago are the Trump International Hotel & Tower, the Aon Center and the John Hancock Center, respectively. As of June 2008, the John Hancock Center, with 49 floors of condominiums,holds the world record for the highest residence. In addition, Chicago has the distinction of being the only city in the world with more than one completed building containing at least 100 floors.
The skyscraper
The structural definition of the word skyscraper was refined later by architectural historians, based on engineering developments of the 1880s that had enabled construction of tall multi-storey buildings. This definition was based on the steel skeleton—-as opposed to constructions of load-bearing masonry, which passed their practical limit in 1891 with Chicago's Monadnock Building. Philadelphia's City Hall, completed in 1901, still holds claim as the world's tallest load-bearing masonry structure at 167 m (548 ft). The steel frame developed in stages of increasing self-sufficiency, with several buildings in Chicago and New York advancing the technology that allowed the steel frame to carry a building on its own. The history of skyscrapers in Chicago began with the 1885 completion of the Home Insurance Building, which is often regarded as the first steel-framed skyscraper in the world.The building was originally constructed with a height of 138 feet (42 m) and 10 stories, and was later expanded to a height of 180 feet (55 m) and 12 stories before being demolished in 1931.
Chicago School
Chicago's architecture is famous throughout the world and one style is referred to as the Chicago School. The style is also known as Commercial style. In the history of architecture, the Chicago School was a school of architects active in Chicago at the turn of the 20th century. They were among the first to promote the new technologies of steel-frame construction in commercial buildings, and developed a spatial aesthetic which co-evolved with, and then came to influence, parallel developments in European Modernism.
Some of the distinguishing features of the Chicago School are the use of steel-frame buildings with masonry cladding (usually terra cotta), allowing large plate-glass window areas and limiting the amount of exterior ornamentation. Sometimes elements of neoclassical architecture are used in Chicago School skyscrapers. Many Chicago School skyscrapers contain the three parts of a classical column. The first floor functions as the base, the middle stories, usually with little ornamental detail, act as the shaft of the column, and the last floor or so represent the capital, with more ornamental detail and capped with a cornice.
The "Chicago window" originated in this school. It is a three-part window consisting of a large fixed center panel flanked by two smaller double-hung sash windows. The arrangement of windows on the facade typically creates a grid pattern, with some projecting out from the facade forming bay windows. The Chicago window combined the functions of light-gathering and natural ventilation; a single central pane was usually fixed, while the two surrounding panes were operable. These windows were often deployed in bays, known as oriel windows, that projected out over the street.
The Home Insurance Building, which some regarded as the first skyscraper in the world, was built in Chicago in 1885 and was demolished in 1931.
Second Chicago School
A "Second Chicago School" later emerged in the 1940s and 1970s which pioneered new building technologies and structural systems such as the tube-frame structure.In the 1940s, a "Second Chicago School" emerged from the work of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and his efforts of education at the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago. It got it's purest expression firstly with the 860-880 Lake Shore Drive Apartments (1951) and their technological achievements. This was supported and enlarged in the 1960s due to the ideas of structural engineer Fazlur Khan. Fazlur Khan realized that the rigid steel frame structure that had "dominated tall building design and construction so long was not the only system fitting for tall buildings", marking "the beginning of a new era of skyscraper revolution in terms of multiple structural systems." His central innovation in skyscraper design and construction was the idea of the "tube" structural system, including the "framed tube", "trussed tube", and "bundled tube". These systems allowed far greater economic efficiency, and also allowed efficient skyscrapers to take on various shapes, no longer needing to be box-shaped.
He introduced a new structural system of framed tubes in skyscraper design and construction. The Bangladeshi engineer Fazlur Khan defined the framed tube structure as "a three dimensional space structure composed of three, four, or possibly more frames, braced frames, or shear walls, joined at or near their edges to form a vertical tube-like structural system capable of resisting lateral forces in any direction by cantilevering from the foundation." Closely spaced interconnected exterior columns form the tube. Horizontal loads, for example wind, are supported by the structure as a whole. About half the exterior surface is available for windows. Framed tubes allow fewer interior columns, and so create more usable floor space. Where larger openings like garage doors are required, the tube frame must be interrupted, with transfer girders used to maintain structural integrity
Over the next fifteen years, many towers were built by Khan and the "Second Chicago School", including the massive 442-meter (1,451-foot) Willis Tower. The first building to apply the tube-frame construction was the DeWitt-Chestnut Apartment Building which Khan designed and was completed in Chicago by 1963. This laid the foundations for the tube structures of many other later skyscrapers, including his own John Hancock Center and Sears Tower, and can been seen in the construction of the World Trade Center, Petronas Towers(Malaysia), Jin Mao Building 金茂大厦(Shanghai,China), and most other supertall skyscrapers since the 1960s.
View Larger Map
If you appreciate the beauty of Chicago skyscrapers, you must remember "Chicago seven": James Ingo Freed, Tom Beeby, Larry Booth, Stuart Cohen, James Nagle, Stanley Tigerman, and Ben Weese. The architects who have constructed landmark buildings of varying styles in Chicago.
Willis Tower may has lost its title as world tallest building, but Chicago is still the City of Skyscrapers. It has two buildings under construction that are planned to exceed 1,000 feet (304.8 m) in height: the 2,000-foot (610 m) Chicago Spire, and the 1,362-foot (415 m) Waterview Tower.
"What is the chief characteristic of the tall office building? It is lofty. It must be tall. The force and power of altitude must be in it, the glory and pride of exaltation must be in it. It must be every inch a proud and soaring thing, rising in sheer exaltation that from bottom to top it is a unit without a single dissenting line."
—Louis Sullivan's The Tall Office Building Artistically Considered (1896)
Public Art
Looking for the public art subjects of Chicago in the street, it is like treasure hunt. It is fun, it is interesting, and it help you to tour the city, the L(Loop) and the downtown, without you realized it. Some family member complain on the walk, but the appreciation of public art work and the architecture, the soul of Chicago City is crucial to understand Chicago. Be based on the article, Loop Art Tour in the website of Wikitravel to trace the public art in Chicago. We missed some art work, but the effort to trace the public art is fulfilling...
1. Art Institute of Chicago
Hold Calder's whimsical Flying Dragon and Sir Henry Moore's pondering Large Interior Form in your mind — you'll see two monumental echoes of these two statues farther on. The other statue on hand is David Smith's Cubi VII
2. Millennium Park
Crown Fountain (Jaume Plensa) comes into view, and makes an impression! These two mini-skyscrapers project faces of Chicagoans, who occasionally spew water through their "mouths" into the large black granite fountain between them.
Cloud Gate (Anish Kapoor). Better known as the Bean, it's a kidney-shaped structure of smooth stainless steel weighing 110 tons. It's the favorite sculpture of Millennium Park's throngs of visitors, as it reflects the surrounding skyscrapers (and tourists) like a funhouse mirror.
Pritzker Pavilion (Frank Gehry). Its giant steel trellis performs an important function besides aesthetic appeal; it supports much of the stage's sound and lighting systems. At the eastern edge of the pavilion (and of Millennium Park), take the long, winding BP Bridge over Columbus Drive
3. Aon Center Plaza
The plaza is pleasant enough and there are two Sounding Sculptures (Henry Bertoia) at the southeast and southwest corners. These "musical sculptures" are inspired by the image of Midwestern wheat fields swaying in the breeze. These wheat stalks are hollow and made of thin copper, so when the wind blows (and it always blows in the Windy City), the rods produce a strange metallic music. Follow the plaza around to the west of the tower past some smaller statues and Richard Hunt's Winged Form (his more spectacular Freeform is yet to come)
4. Thompson Center
Continue a couple blocks to State Street and turn left. The giant Chicago sign on the left is one of Chicago's most famous landmarks, at the Chicago Theater. Walk past the theater and then turn right on to Randolph Street. Two blocks more and you will be before one of Chicago's most distinctive buildings, the Thompson Center (named for an Illinois governor). In the plaza on Randolph stands one of Chicago's most famous statues, Jean Dubuffet's Monument with Standing Beast. It's a strange sculpture of white, organic shapes, with thick black outlines, and usually a host of kids running in and out of it.
Make a point of wandering past the curved glass walls of the Thompson Center into its enormous atrium. The building is often compared to a spaceship, but few spaceships can claim the collection of public art that the Thompson Center has. Once you've finished inside, head back out to Randolph, turn right and head to the corner at LaSalle Street. Look across LaSalle and look up. Up on the State of Illinois Building is Richard Hunt's three ton, 2.5 story-tall, flame-like Freeform sculpture.
5. Daley Center
Two blocks down Washington and you are at the Daley Center and Chicago's most famous work of art, the Chicago Picasso. Resembling an elephant, a sphinx, or whatever your mind comes up with, the Chicago Picasso was the first monumental public art downtown (donated by the artist) and sparked the spate of public art acquisitions that you are now enjoying. It was "controversial," however, when it first arrived for its "abstract" "non-traditional" design. But the reactionary grumps have bit their tongues (after having removed their foots from their mouths) and the statue is celebrated today by a city that loves art. Kids, in particular, enjoy sliding down the statue's base.
Turn around and look across Washington Street for Joan Miro's Chicago, a strange surrealist, anthropomorphic figure. The fork on its head is said to represent a star.
Go down Dearborn Street one block and take a left onto Madison Avenue to make a quick venture into Three First National Plaza (70 W Madison St). The atrium is attractive and full of plants, complemented by one very large Sir Henry Moore statue, Large Upright Internal/External Form. Henry Moore's titles are purposefully devoid of descriptive content. He argued: All art should have a certain mystery and should make demands on the spectator. Giving a sculpture or a drawing too explicit a title takes away part of that mystery so that the spectator moves on to the next object, making no effort to ponder the meaning of what he has just seen.
6. Chase Plaza
Head back to Dearborn and continue south. Dominating the next block is the curved Chase Tower and the large plaza at its feet. Courtesy of the Russian-Jewish painter Marc Chagall, this plaza has become a must-see attraction for art lovers in Chicago. The Four Seasons is a 70 foot long mosaic/mural featuring light-hearted surrealist depictions of Chicago. After you have finished here continue south on Dearborn Street.
7. Federal Plaza
Two blocks down Dearborn from Chase Plaza is Federal Plaza, a full city block planned by renowned modernist architect Mies Van der Rohe. In the center of the plaza is the second Alexander Calder statue of the day, The Flamingo. Whimsical and constructivist (meaning: constructed of big industrial materials bolted together) are not words that usually belong side by side, but both Calder statues of the day nonetheless fit this description. The giant "Calder-red" flamingo poses a graceful, curving counterpoint to the hard edges and straight lines of the surrounding skyscrapers that reflect the statue in their windows.
Head south across Adams Street and then head around to the backside of the building on the left. Behind this building and on the side of another is Sol Lewitt's monumental, yet very understated Lines in Four Directions. The sculpture consists of four giant panels covered in long strips of aluminum painted white, facing in four directions (hence the title). Similar to David Smith's Cubi VII back at the Art Institute, the emphasis here is on how one work of art can change depending on its environment and the position of the viewer. Depending on where you are standing, and the day's lighting, different patterns will emerge as the light hits the differently aligned aluminum strips.
8. CBoT
The Metcalfe Federal Building's lobby on the left at the intersection of Jackson and Clark contains another larger than life statue. Frank Stella has created a whole series of Moby Dick related abstract sculptures; this one is named after a specific chapter, The Town-Ho's Story. It's a terrific mess of 13,000 lbs. of steel and aluminum. The link to Melville's novel is not very clear, but the sculpture is impressive and purposefully abrasive.
The next block of Jackson Boulevard is the gigantic Art Deco Chicago Board of Trade Building (CBoT). The main lobby itself is a work of art, and a good quick stop along the way. From here turn up LaSalle Street. Turn left at Adams Street and cross the intersection to stop in the building at 190 South LaSalle Street to admire its beautiful lobby. The high vaulted ceiling is covered with $1 million of gold leaf, but lest you strain your neck, focus your attentions on the large bronze statue at the end of the room, Chicago Fugue (Sir Anthony Caro). The statue is a cubist jumble of musical instrument-like shapes: a keyboard, organ pedals, cymbals, and any others you may "find" in it. The lobby's leather couches are another good reason to come in here, by the way.
9. Sears Tower
Universe is the last of the day's sculptures by Alexander Calder, and unlike the other "stabiles," this sculpture is fully "mobile." Held to represent the effect of the Big Bang at the origin of the universe, the work is comprised of rotating shapes meant to resemble heavenly bodies.
(Extract from http://wikitravel.org/en/Loop_Art_Tour)
I do not know about other visitors of Chicago, to know Chicago we need to understand her spirit, her soul; that is the character of the city. Hop in and hop off, going after tourist attractions may be the agenda of some, that is typical tourist. Others come all the way just for shopping at Magnificent Miles; others follow the food track, some go for sport, and many come for musical festival, the blues, the jazz and the gospel music. I go for the skycrappers and people, I want to feel the tempo of the living Chicago. Be it be art, food, music, sport, market, back alley, trains, river, lake ..... the living Chicago. That is the soul and spirit of Chicago.....
It is pity I have not much time to know Chicago, just merely a feel of its samples. Chicago...may be I have begin to feel her heart beats....
(draft -to continue)
(to continue)
Related articles:
1. List of tallest buildings in Chicago, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_tallest_buildings_in_Chicago
2. Skyscraper, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skyscraper
Today is city tour, exploring the city’s astonishing architecture by walking around the city. The Loop of the downtown, Chicago city. The city of Chicago, Illinois features prominent buildings in a variety of styles by many important architects. Since most buildings within the downtown area were destroyed (the most famous exception being the Water Tower) by the Great Chicago Fire in 1871. The first skyscraper was for many years thought to be the Home Insurance Building built in Chicago, Illinois in 1885. Chicago is considered to be the birthplace of the skyscraper. Note: However more recent evidence points to New York's Equitable Life Assurance Building built in 1870 preceding the Chicago building by 15 years and was the first office building built using a skeletal frame.
The tallest building in Chicago is the 108-story Willis Tower (formerly Sears Tower), which rises 1,451 feet (442 m) in the Chicago Loop and was completed in 1974. It also stands as the tallest building in the United States, and the fifth-tallest building in the world. In addition, the Willis Tower has the second most floors of any completed building in the world, and stands as the world's second tallest completed skyscraper when measuring to pinnacle height, rising 1,730 feet (527 m) with the addition of its western antenna. The second-, third- and fourth-tallest buildings in Chicago are the Trump International Hotel & Tower, the Aon Center and the John Hancock Center, respectively. As of June 2008, the John Hancock Center, with 49 floors of condominiums,holds the world record for the highest residence. In addition, Chicago has the distinction of being the only city in the world with more than one completed building containing at least 100 floors.
The skyscraper
The structural definition of the word skyscraper was refined later by architectural historians, based on engineering developments of the 1880s that had enabled construction of tall multi-storey buildings. This definition was based on the steel skeleton—-as opposed to constructions of load-bearing masonry, which passed their practical limit in 1891 with Chicago's Monadnock Building. Philadelphia's City Hall, completed in 1901, still holds claim as the world's tallest load-bearing masonry structure at 167 m (548 ft). The steel frame developed in stages of increasing self-sufficiency, with several buildings in Chicago and New York advancing the technology that allowed the steel frame to carry a building on its own. The history of skyscrapers in Chicago began with the 1885 completion of the Home Insurance Building, which is often regarded as the first steel-framed skyscraper in the world.The building was originally constructed with a height of 138 feet (42 m) and 10 stories, and was later expanded to a height of 180 feet (55 m) and 12 stories before being demolished in 1931.
Chicago School
Chicago's architecture is famous throughout the world and one style is referred to as the Chicago School. The style is also known as Commercial style. In the history of architecture, the Chicago School was a school of architects active in Chicago at the turn of the 20th century. They were among the first to promote the new technologies of steel-frame construction in commercial buildings, and developed a spatial aesthetic which co-evolved with, and then came to influence, parallel developments in European Modernism.
Some of the distinguishing features of the Chicago School are the use of steel-frame buildings with masonry cladding (usually terra cotta), allowing large plate-glass window areas and limiting the amount of exterior ornamentation. Sometimes elements of neoclassical architecture are used in Chicago School skyscrapers. Many Chicago School skyscrapers contain the three parts of a classical column. The first floor functions as the base, the middle stories, usually with little ornamental detail, act as the shaft of the column, and the last floor or so represent the capital, with more ornamental detail and capped with a cornice.
The "Chicago window" originated in this school. It is a three-part window consisting of a large fixed center panel flanked by two smaller double-hung sash windows. The arrangement of windows on the facade typically creates a grid pattern, with some projecting out from the facade forming bay windows. The Chicago window combined the functions of light-gathering and natural ventilation; a single central pane was usually fixed, while the two surrounding panes were operable. These windows were often deployed in bays, known as oriel windows, that projected out over the street.
The Home Insurance Building, which some regarded as the first skyscraper in the world, was built in Chicago in 1885 and was demolished in 1931.
Second Chicago School
A "Second Chicago School" later emerged in the 1940s and 1970s which pioneered new building technologies and structural systems such as the tube-frame structure.In the 1940s, a "Second Chicago School" emerged from the work of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and his efforts of education at the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago. It got it's purest expression firstly with the 860-880 Lake Shore Drive Apartments (1951) and their technological achievements. This was supported and enlarged in the 1960s due to the ideas of structural engineer Fazlur Khan. Fazlur Khan realized that the rigid steel frame structure that had "dominated tall building design and construction so long was not the only system fitting for tall buildings", marking "the beginning of a new era of skyscraper revolution in terms of multiple structural systems." His central innovation in skyscraper design and construction was the idea of the "tube" structural system, including the "framed tube", "trussed tube", and "bundled tube". These systems allowed far greater economic efficiency, and also allowed efficient skyscrapers to take on various shapes, no longer needing to be box-shaped.
He introduced a new structural system of framed tubes in skyscraper design and construction. The Bangladeshi engineer Fazlur Khan defined the framed tube structure as "a three dimensional space structure composed of three, four, or possibly more frames, braced frames, or shear walls, joined at or near their edges to form a vertical tube-like structural system capable of resisting lateral forces in any direction by cantilevering from the foundation." Closely spaced interconnected exterior columns form the tube. Horizontal loads, for example wind, are supported by the structure as a whole. About half the exterior surface is available for windows. Framed tubes allow fewer interior columns, and so create more usable floor space. Where larger openings like garage doors are required, the tube frame must be interrupted, with transfer girders used to maintain structural integrity
Over the next fifteen years, many towers were built by Khan and the "Second Chicago School", including the massive 442-meter (1,451-foot) Willis Tower. The first building to apply the tube-frame construction was the DeWitt-Chestnut Apartment Building which Khan designed and was completed in Chicago by 1963. This laid the foundations for the tube structures of many other later skyscrapers, including his own John Hancock Center and Sears Tower, and can been seen in the construction of the World Trade Center, Petronas Towers(Malaysia), Jin Mao Building 金茂大厦(Shanghai,China), and most other supertall skyscrapers since the 1960s.
View Larger Map
If you appreciate the beauty of Chicago skyscrapers, you must remember "Chicago seven": James Ingo Freed, Tom Beeby, Larry Booth, Stuart Cohen, James Nagle, Stanley Tigerman, and Ben Weese. The architects who have constructed landmark buildings of varying styles in Chicago.
Willis Tower may has lost its title as world tallest building, but Chicago is still the City of Skyscrapers. It has two buildings under construction that are planned to exceed 1,000 feet (304.8 m) in height: the 2,000-foot (610 m) Chicago Spire, and the 1,362-foot (415 m) Waterview Tower.
"What is the chief characteristic of the tall office building? It is lofty. It must be tall. The force and power of altitude must be in it, the glory and pride of exaltation must be in it. It must be every inch a proud and soaring thing, rising in sheer exaltation that from bottom to top it is a unit without a single dissenting line."
—Louis Sullivan's The Tall Office Building Artistically Considered (1896)
Public Art
Looking for the public art subjects of Chicago in the street, it is like treasure hunt. It is fun, it is interesting, and it help you to tour the city, the L(Loop) and the downtown, without you realized it. Some family member complain on the walk, but the appreciation of public art work and the architecture, the soul of Chicago City is crucial to understand Chicago. Be based on the article, Loop Art Tour in the website of Wikitravel to trace the public art in Chicago. We missed some art work, but the effort to trace the public art is fulfilling...
1. Art Institute of Chicago
Hold Calder's whimsical Flying Dragon and Sir Henry Moore's pondering Large Interior Form in your mind — you'll see two monumental echoes of these two statues farther on. The other statue on hand is David Smith's Cubi VII
2. Millennium Park
Crown Fountain (Jaume Plensa) comes into view, and makes an impression! These two mini-skyscrapers project faces of Chicagoans, who occasionally spew water through their "mouths" into the large black granite fountain between them.
Cloud Gate (Anish Kapoor). Better known as the Bean, it's a kidney-shaped structure of smooth stainless steel weighing 110 tons. It's the favorite sculpture of Millennium Park's throngs of visitors, as it reflects the surrounding skyscrapers (and tourists) like a funhouse mirror.
Pritzker Pavilion (Frank Gehry). Its giant steel trellis performs an important function besides aesthetic appeal; it supports much of the stage's sound and lighting systems. At the eastern edge of the pavilion (and of Millennium Park), take the long, winding BP Bridge over Columbus Drive
3. Aon Center Plaza
The plaza is pleasant enough and there are two Sounding Sculptures (Henry Bertoia) at the southeast and southwest corners. These "musical sculptures" are inspired by the image of Midwestern wheat fields swaying in the breeze. These wheat stalks are hollow and made of thin copper, so when the wind blows (and it always blows in the Windy City), the rods produce a strange metallic music. Follow the plaza around to the west of the tower past some smaller statues and Richard Hunt's Winged Form (his more spectacular Freeform is yet to come)
4. Thompson Center
Continue a couple blocks to State Street and turn left. The giant Chicago sign on the left is one of Chicago's most famous landmarks, at the Chicago Theater. Walk past the theater and then turn right on to Randolph Street. Two blocks more and you will be before one of Chicago's most distinctive buildings, the Thompson Center (named for an Illinois governor). In the plaza on Randolph stands one of Chicago's most famous statues, Jean Dubuffet's Monument with Standing Beast. It's a strange sculpture of white, organic shapes, with thick black outlines, and usually a host of kids running in and out of it.
Make a point of wandering past the curved glass walls of the Thompson Center into its enormous atrium. The building is often compared to a spaceship, but few spaceships can claim the collection of public art that the Thompson Center has. Once you've finished inside, head back out to Randolph, turn right and head to the corner at LaSalle Street. Look across LaSalle and look up. Up on the State of Illinois Building is Richard Hunt's three ton, 2.5 story-tall, flame-like Freeform sculpture.
5. Daley Center
Two blocks down Washington and you are at the Daley Center and Chicago's most famous work of art, the Chicago Picasso. Resembling an elephant, a sphinx, or whatever your mind comes up with, the Chicago Picasso was the first monumental public art downtown (donated by the artist) and sparked the spate of public art acquisitions that you are now enjoying. It was "controversial," however, when it first arrived for its "abstract" "non-traditional" design. But the reactionary grumps have bit their tongues (after having removed their foots from their mouths) and the statue is celebrated today by a city that loves art. Kids, in particular, enjoy sliding down the statue's base.
Turn around and look across Washington Street for Joan Miro's Chicago, a strange surrealist, anthropomorphic figure. The fork on its head is said to represent a star.
Go down Dearborn Street one block and take a left onto Madison Avenue to make a quick venture into Three First National Plaza (70 W Madison St). The atrium is attractive and full of plants, complemented by one very large Sir Henry Moore statue, Large Upright Internal/External Form. Henry Moore's titles are purposefully devoid of descriptive content. He argued: All art should have a certain mystery and should make demands on the spectator. Giving a sculpture or a drawing too explicit a title takes away part of that mystery so that the spectator moves on to the next object, making no effort to ponder the meaning of what he has just seen.
6. Chase Plaza
Head back to Dearborn and continue south. Dominating the next block is the curved Chase Tower and the large plaza at its feet. Courtesy of the Russian-Jewish painter Marc Chagall, this plaza has become a must-see attraction for art lovers in Chicago. The Four Seasons is a 70 foot long mosaic/mural featuring light-hearted surrealist depictions of Chicago. After you have finished here continue south on Dearborn Street.
7. Federal Plaza
Two blocks down Dearborn from Chase Plaza is Federal Plaza, a full city block planned by renowned modernist architect Mies Van der Rohe. In the center of the plaza is the second Alexander Calder statue of the day, The Flamingo. Whimsical and constructivist (meaning: constructed of big industrial materials bolted together) are not words that usually belong side by side, but both Calder statues of the day nonetheless fit this description. The giant "Calder-red" flamingo poses a graceful, curving counterpoint to the hard edges and straight lines of the surrounding skyscrapers that reflect the statue in their windows.
Head south across Adams Street and then head around to the backside of the building on the left. Behind this building and on the side of another is Sol Lewitt's monumental, yet very understated Lines in Four Directions. The sculpture consists of four giant panels covered in long strips of aluminum painted white, facing in four directions (hence the title). Similar to David Smith's Cubi VII back at the Art Institute, the emphasis here is on how one work of art can change depending on its environment and the position of the viewer. Depending on where you are standing, and the day's lighting, different patterns will emerge as the light hits the differently aligned aluminum strips.
8. CBoT
The Metcalfe Federal Building's lobby on the left at the intersection of Jackson and Clark contains another larger than life statue. Frank Stella has created a whole series of Moby Dick related abstract sculptures; this one is named after a specific chapter, The Town-Ho's Story. It's a terrific mess of 13,000 lbs. of steel and aluminum. The link to Melville's novel is not very clear, but the sculpture is impressive and purposefully abrasive.
The next block of Jackson Boulevard is the gigantic Art Deco Chicago Board of Trade Building (CBoT). The main lobby itself is a work of art, and a good quick stop along the way. From here turn up LaSalle Street. Turn left at Adams Street and cross the intersection to stop in the building at 190 South LaSalle Street to admire its beautiful lobby. The high vaulted ceiling is covered with $1 million of gold leaf, but lest you strain your neck, focus your attentions on the large bronze statue at the end of the room, Chicago Fugue (Sir Anthony Caro). The statue is a cubist jumble of musical instrument-like shapes: a keyboard, organ pedals, cymbals, and any others you may "find" in it. The lobby's leather couches are another good reason to come in here, by the way.
9. Sears Tower
Universe is the last of the day's sculptures by Alexander Calder, and unlike the other "stabiles," this sculpture is fully "mobile." Held to represent the effect of the Big Bang at the origin of the universe, the work is comprised of rotating shapes meant to resemble heavenly bodies.
(Extract from http://wikitravel.org/en/Loop_Art_Tour)
I do not know about other visitors of Chicago, to know Chicago we need to understand her spirit, her soul; that is the character of the city. Hop in and hop off, going after tourist attractions may be the agenda of some, that is typical tourist. Others come all the way just for shopping at Magnificent Miles; others follow the food track, some go for sport, and many come for musical festival, the blues, the jazz and the gospel music. I go for the skycrappers and people, I want to feel the tempo of the living Chicago. Be it be art, food, music, sport, market, back alley, trains, river, lake ..... the living Chicago. That is the soul and spirit of Chicago.....
It is pity I have not much time to know Chicago, just merely a feel of its samples. Chicago...may be I have begin to feel her heart beats....
(draft -to continue)
(to continue)
Related articles:
1. List of tallest buildings in Chicago, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_tallest_buildings_in_Chicago
2. Skyscraper, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skyscraper
Chicago - Parks & Museums
18-5-2010(Tuesday) Chicago
When Chicago was incorporated in 1837, it chose the motto Urbs in Horto, a Latin phrase which translates into English as "City in a Garden". Today, the Chicago Park District consists of 552 parks with over 7,300 acres (3,000 ha) of municipal parkland. There are 33 sand Chicago beaches, a plethora of museums, two world-class conservatories, 16 historic lagoons, and 10 bird and wildlife gardens. Lincoln Park, the largest of the city's parks, covers 1,200 acres (490 ha) and has over 20 million visitors each year, making it second only to Central Park in New York City in number of visitors. With berths for more than 5,000 boats, the Chicago Park District operates the nation's largest municipal harbor system; even larger than systems in cities such as New York City, Los Angeles, or Miami. In addition to ongoing beautification and renewal projects for the existing parks, a number of new parks have been added in recent years, such as the Ping Tom Memorial Park in Chinatown, DuSable Park on the Near North Side, and most notably, Millennium Park in the Chicago Loop(source: wikipedia). Lincoln Park, Chicago's largest park, visited by over 20 million visitors each year, it is second only to Central Park in New York City. Lincoln Park covered area of 1200 acres, Chicago's largest city park. Located north of The Loop, this is one of the more distinctive parks in terms of geography, because while it is centrally located in the Lincoln Park community area it spans many different neighborhoods throughout the north side as it is nestled between Lake Shore Drive and Lake Michigan. Wah, very big park...
Indeed Chicago is the city of parks, we have no leisure time to visit all the parks, be it small or big. Millennium Park is our choice, because of many interesting attractions and being top tourist attraction in Chicago after Navy Pier. It is also because it is part of greater Grant Park. Grant Park is 319 acres,located in The Loop; Home to Buckingham Fountain, this downtown park is also a favorite site of major festivals including the Taste of Chicago, Chicago Blues Festival, Chicago Jazz Festival, Lollapolooza and others. Millennium Park is north of Grant Park, 24.5 acres, also north of the Art Institute of Chicago. We can visit the two parks at one go, but a lot of walking is needed.
Chicago has many cultural institutions and museums, large and small. Most of them required entrance fee. Many of them are of international standard. It is impossible to visit all the museums and cultural institutions within the short span of time. There is always the question of time constraint, and a smart traveler need to be selective in their choice,according to their interest. The tip is visit one big museum and one small museum. We decided to visit The Field Museum of Natural History at Museum Campus.
View Larger Map
Millennium Park
Millennium Park is a public park located in the Chicago Loop community area of Chicago within Cook County, Illinois, United States.It is a prominent civic center of the city's Lake Michigan lakefront. Completed in 2004, it covers a 24.5-acre (99,000 m2) section of northern Grant Park, previously occupied by Illinois Central railyards and parking lots. The park, which is bounded by Michigan Avenue, Randolph Street, Columbus Drive and East Monroe Drive, features a variety of public art. Today, Millennium Park trails only Navy Pier as a Chicago tourist attraction.
Millennium Park is a portion of the larger Grant Park, the "front lawn" of downtown Chicago. One of the larger public parks in metropolitan Chicago, it is a showcase for postmodern architecture. It features the McCormick Tribune Ice Skating Rink, Peristyle at Wrigley Square, Joan W. and Irving B. Harris Theater for Music and Dance, AT&T Plaza, Chase Promenade and Trees in Millennium Park. The park is successful as a public art venue in part due to the grand scale of each piece and the open spaces for display. There are four major artistic highlights: Cloud Gate(The Bean), Crown Fountain, Lurie Garden and the Jay Pritzker Pavilion.
Millennium Park is often considered the largest roof garden in the world, having been constructed on top of a railroad yard and large parking garages. Of its 24.5 acres (99,000 m2) of land, Millennium Park contains 12.04 acres (48,700 m2) of permeable area. The park has a very rigorous cleaning schedule with many areas being swept, wiped down or cleaned multiple times a day.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millennium_Park
Grant Park and the Buckingham Fountain
Grant Park (originally named Lake Park) is a large park (319 acres or 1.29 km²) in the Loop community area of Chicago, Illinois, United States. The park's most notable features are Millennium Park, Buckingham Fountain and the Art Institute of Chicago. Grant Park is frequently referred to as the city's front yard. It is bordered on the north by Randolph Street, on the south by Roosevelt Road, on the west by Michigan Avenue and on the east by Lake Shore Drive.
The Buckingham Fountain is considered to be Chicago's front door, since it resides in Grant Park, the city's front yard. The fountain, located at Columbus Drive and Congress Parkway, was designed with sculptures by Jacques Lambert. It was donated to the city by Kate Buckingham in memory of her brother, Clarence Buckingham. The fountain itself represents Lake Michigan, while each sea horse symbolizes a state bordering the lake. The statues were created by the French sculptor Marcel F. Loyau. The design of the fountain was based on the Bassin de Latome and modeled after Latona Fountain at Versailles. The fountain used to be known as the Clarence Buckingham Memorial Fountain. Kate Buckingham also established the Buckingham Fountain Endowment Fund with an initial investment of $300,000 to pay for maintenance on the fountain. Buckingham Fountain was dedicated on August 26, 1927.
The fountain runs from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. every day from mid-April to mid-October. During a water display that runs for 20 minutes every hour on the hour, the center jet shoots up to 150 feet (46 m). in the air. At dusk, a light and music show coincides with the water display. The last show of the night begins at 10:00 p.m. Each display last for 20 mintues.
The fountain contains 1,500,000 U.S. gallons (5,700,000 L) of water. During a display, more than 14,000 U.S. gallons per minute (0.88 m3/s) are pushed through its 193 jets.
The fountain's pumps are controlled by a Honeywell computer, which was previously located in Atlanta, Georgia until the 1994 renovation
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buckingham_Fountain
Note: Buckingham Fountain was the official starting point of U.S. Route 66.
Museum Campus
In 1998, the city officially opened the Museum Campus, a 10-acre (4.0 ha) lakefront park, surrounding three of the city's main museums, each of which is of national importance: the Adler Planetarium & Astronomy Museum, the Field Museum of Natural History, and the Shedd Aquarium. The Museum Campus joins the southern section of Grant Park, which includes the renowned Art Institute of Chicago. Buckingham Fountain anchors the downtown park along the lakefront. The University of Chicago Oriental Institute has an extensive collection of ancient Egyptian and Near Eastern archaeological artifacts.
We need not enter all the attraction in Museum Campus, Adler Planetarium & Astronomy Museum, and Shedd Aquarium were bypassed by us. We only selected The Field Museum of Natural History. We spend few hours inside the museum, and nearly complete the exhibition. That is the reason to be selective, the museum is great and there is no regret on the selection. All the institutions in Campus Museum are with entrance fee charged, to save cost it is better to buy Chicago Pass, if you have the time and wish to visit all three in one go. By the way, a walk around Museum Campus is also interesting, as it is beside Lake Michigan.
The Field Museum of Natural History
Leaving Museum Campus, our next agenda is go to Chinatown, a desire to eat rice as dinner today, as we have missed the Chinese food after nearly a week in USA. We are exploring the route to the place, either by bus or train. But the bus is either going north or south. Walking from the Grant Park, crossing the bridge with railway track down below, there is a bus stop, but the special sculptures at the southwest corner of the park attracted our attention. It is called the Agora sculptures. Agora is an installation of over 100 headless, armless sculptures designed by the Polish artist Magdalena Abakanowicz. The art pieces were brought to Grant Park in 2006.
"Agora" 106 iron cast figures, each about 9 feet tall, shell like, frozen in walking movement. They are permanently displayed in Chicago Grant Park along the Michigan Av. and Roosevelt Rd. The figures are similar in general shape, but different in details. Models for each figure were made by hand, by myself and my three assistants. The surfaces of figures are like a tree bark or wrinkled face expressing a different individuality of each sculpture. The figures were cast during two years 2004-2006 in the huge industrial foundry in Srem near city of Poznan (Poland). Then transported to USA. The installation took place in October /November 2006.
The artist,Magdalena Abakanowicz lives and works in Warsaw. She has been Professor at the Academy of Fine Arts, Poznan, Poland (1965 - 1990) and Visiting Professor at the U.C.L.A. (1984).
Magdalena Abakanowicz for many years has dealt with the issue of "the countless". She says: "I feel overwhelmed by quantity where counting no longer makes sense. By unrepeatability within such quantity. A crowd of people or birds, insect or leaves, is a mysterious assemblage of variants of a certain prototype, a riddle of nature abhorrent to exact repetition or inability to produce it, just as a human hand can not repeat its own gesture".
Each of her figures is an individuality, with its own expression, with specific details of skin. Organic, with the imprint of the artist's fingers. Their surface is natural like tree bark or animal fur or wrinkled skin. Like all her sculptures also these works are unique objects.
(source: from the website of the artist Magdalena Abakanowicz http://www.abakanowicz.art.pl/)
Note: The meaning of Agora, is ancient Greek meeting place. But as you walk across the park, please beware of the landmine, the dog shit. The west loop of Grant Park is the park for dog lovers. The Agora here may be the meeting place for the dog lovers.
We decided to go Chinatown by train, as the train station is now nearby. It is also because we have yet to try the train in Chicago city. This is another popular transportation in Chicago city. It is called "L" in Chicago. Being in the train station is another excitement, the station as well as the train, and the surrounding reminded you of old Chicago...please figure why?...
View Larger Map
Chinatown, Chicago
"Chinatown" on the near South Side. Chicago's Chinatown is among the most active Chinatowns in the world. It even has its own stop on the CTA Red Line. It's on the South Side near Bridgeport, birthplace of the Irish political power-brokers who have run Chicago government for most of the last century. The Chinatown neighborhood in Chicago, Illinois, is on the near South Side (located in the Armour Square community area), centered on Cermak and Wentworth Avenues, and is an example of an American Chinatown, or ethnic-Chinese neighborhood. By the 2000 Census, Chicago Primary Metropolitan Statistical Areas has 68,021 Chinese.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinatown,_Chicago
Note: Some new areas sometimes called "New Chinatown", on the North Side around Argyle Street, which attracts a larger number of people of Southeast Asian heritage.
When you walking down from the elevated train station in Chinatown, turning right you can see a familiar Nine Dragon Wall, you know you are in Chinatown.
Dinner at Chinatown at Wentworth Ave, Chinatown's main street. The restaurant serving is big based on Asian standard. Despite ordering for 2 people, the food is more than enough for 3 people. Luckily the restaurant allow take away for the remaining, which is the norm for the restaurant in USA now. It is food wastage if allow to be thrown away. Despite of the fact there are many street people and hungry people in the street of USA, there are many leftover in the restaurant that were throw away each day. The reason is they need to maintain the quality of the food and compliance with high food hygiene standard of the law.
Another ugly side is the bill, a minimum fixed tips need to be paid, instead of variable rate, depending on the type and satisfaction of service given. The consumer should have the right to tip based on the service given. The bill is in addition to the tax paid. The reason for tipping is that the wages of restaurant worker is low. Tipping is not only in restaurant, you need to tip taxi driver, tour guide etc. Food in restaurant is expensive in USA. No wonder cost of living is expensive in USA. Many ordinary American survived with fast food, processed food or frozen food.
The quality of the Chinese food is average, but Chinese food here seems to be popular among the American. The bill may be high(to tourist perception), food not to our Asian standard, but it met our objective. We have some time to stroll at the street in Chinatown, and talk with the old residents and the shop owners. There used to be a Malaysian restaurant(Penang) in Chinatown, a popular one; but had moved elsewhere after it was burnt down. Finally we need to leave Chinatown, as the time is late, and really dark now, it may not be safe to travel by train to the loop later than 10p.m.
But the business for restaurants in Chinatown has just begin. Sad to say, we have not much time for Chinatown, should have come on the day time.
How to get there
The Chicago Transit Authority operates both an elevated train and four bus routes that service the area. The north–south-running Red Line, the CTA's busiest transit route, stops regularly at the Cermak–Chinatown station located in the heart of Chinatown near the corner of Cermak Road and S Wentworth Avenue. Running north–south, the #24 bus route runs on Wentworth Avenue on the eastside of Chinatown, while the #44 route runs on Canal Street on the westside. The #21 runs east–west on Cermak Road, and the #62 runs diagonally southwest–northeast on Archer Avenue.
There is a taxicab stand on Wentworth Avenue, and a water taxi service also runs along the Chicago River from Michigan Avenue to Ping Tom Memorial Park in Chinatown during the summer months.
We arrived at hotel safely, encounter some street people at the Union Station and along the street. Tired feet, and a lot of walking; but will be having a good sleep tonight.
Chicago is beautiful city, it has its soul which is unique. It is the city of culture; parks and museum.....tomorrow we are going to know her further and deeper...
(still need to be updated/improved on, a draft copy)
When Chicago was incorporated in 1837, it chose the motto Urbs in Horto, a Latin phrase which translates into English as "City in a Garden". Today, the Chicago Park District consists of 552 parks with over 7,300 acres (3,000 ha) of municipal parkland. There are 33 sand Chicago beaches, a plethora of museums, two world-class conservatories, 16 historic lagoons, and 10 bird and wildlife gardens. Lincoln Park, the largest of the city's parks, covers 1,200 acres (490 ha) and has over 20 million visitors each year, making it second only to Central Park in New York City in number of visitors. With berths for more than 5,000 boats, the Chicago Park District operates the nation's largest municipal harbor system; even larger than systems in cities such as New York City, Los Angeles, or Miami. In addition to ongoing beautification and renewal projects for the existing parks, a number of new parks have been added in recent years, such as the Ping Tom Memorial Park in Chinatown, DuSable Park on the Near North Side, and most notably, Millennium Park in the Chicago Loop(source: wikipedia). Lincoln Park, Chicago's largest park, visited by over 20 million visitors each year, it is second only to Central Park in New York City. Lincoln Park covered area of 1200 acres, Chicago's largest city park. Located north of The Loop, this is one of the more distinctive parks in terms of geography, because while it is centrally located in the Lincoln Park community area it spans many different neighborhoods throughout the north side as it is nestled between Lake Shore Drive and Lake Michigan. Wah, very big park...
Indeed Chicago is the city of parks, we have no leisure time to visit all the parks, be it small or big. Millennium Park is our choice, because of many interesting attractions and being top tourist attraction in Chicago after Navy Pier. It is also because it is part of greater Grant Park. Grant Park is 319 acres,located in The Loop; Home to Buckingham Fountain, this downtown park is also a favorite site of major festivals including the Taste of Chicago, Chicago Blues Festival, Chicago Jazz Festival, Lollapolooza and others. Millennium Park is north of Grant Park, 24.5 acres, also north of the Art Institute of Chicago. We can visit the two parks at one go, but a lot of walking is needed.
Chicago has many cultural institutions and museums, large and small. Most of them required entrance fee. Many of them are of international standard. It is impossible to visit all the museums and cultural institutions within the short span of time. There is always the question of time constraint, and a smart traveler need to be selective in their choice,according to their interest. The tip is visit one big museum and one small museum. We decided to visit The Field Museum of Natural History at Museum Campus.
View Larger Map
Millennium Park
Millennium Park is a public park located in the Chicago Loop community area of Chicago within Cook County, Illinois, United States.It is a prominent civic center of the city's Lake Michigan lakefront. Completed in 2004, it covers a 24.5-acre (99,000 m2) section of northern Grant Park, previously occupied by Illinois Central railyards and parking lots. The park, which is bounded by Michigan Avenue, Randolph Street, Columbus Drive and East Monroe Drive, features a variety of public art. Today, Millennium Park trails only Navy Pier as a Chicago tourist attraction.
Millennium Park is a portion of the larger Grant Park, the "front lawn" of downtown Chicago. One of the larger public parks in metropolitan Chicago, it is a showcase for postmodern architecture. It features the McCormick Tribune Ice Skating Rink, Peristyle at Wrigley Square, Joan W. and Irving B. Harris Theater for Music and Dance, AT&T Plaza, Chase Promenade and Trees in Millennium Park. The park is successful as a public art venue in part due to the grand scale of each piece and the open spaces for display. There are four major artistic highlights: Cloud Gate(The Bean), Crown Fountain, Lurie Garden and the Jay Pritzker Pavilion.
Millennium Park is often considered the largest roof garden in the world, having been constructed on top of a railroad yard and large parking garages. Of its 24.5 acres (99,000 m2) of land, Millennium Park contains 12.04 acres (48,700 m2) of permeable area. The park has a very rigorous cleaning schedule with many areas being swept, wiped down or cleaned multiple times a day.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millennium_Park
Grant Park and the Buckingham Fountain
Grant Park (originally named Lake Park) is a large park (319 acres or 1.29 km²) in the Loop community area of Chicago, Illinois, United States. The park's most notable features are Millennium Park, Buckingham Fountain and the Art Institute of Chicago. Grant Park is frequently referred to as the city's front yard. It is bordered on the north by Randolph Street, on the south by Roosevelt Road, on the west by Michigan Avenue and on the east by Lake Shore Drive.
The Buckingham Fountain is considered to be Chicago's front door, since it resides in Grant Park, the city's front yard. The fountain, located at Columbus Drive and Congress Parkway, was designed with sculptures by Jacques Lambert. It was donated to the city by Kate Buckingham in memory of her brother, Clarence Buckingham. The fountain itself represents Lake Michigan, while each sea horse symbolizes a state bordering the lake. The statues were created by the French sculptor Marcel F. Loyau. The design of the fountain was based on the Bassin de Latome and modeled after Latona Fountain at Versailles. The fountain used to be known as the Clarence Buckingham Memorial Fountain. Kate Buckingham also established the Buckingham Fountain Endowment Fund with an initial investment of $300,000 to pay for maintenance on the fountain. Buckingham Fountain was dedicated on August 26, 1927.
The fountain runs from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. every day from mid-April to mid-October. During a water display that runs for 20 minutes every hour on the hour, the center jet shoots up to 150 feet (46 m). in the air. At dusk, a light and music show coincides with the water display. The last show of the night begins at 10:00 p.m. Each display last for 20 mintues.
The fountain contains 1,500,000 U.S. gallons (5,700,000 L) of water. During a display, more than 14,000 U.S. gallons per minute (0.88 m3/s) are pushed through its 193 jets.
The fountain's pumps are controlled by a Honeywell computer, which was previously located in Atlanta, Georgia until the 1994 renovation
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buckingham_Fountain
Note: Buckingham Fountain was the official starting point of U.S. Route 66.
Museum Campus
In 1998, the city officially opened the Museum Campus, a 10-acre (4.0 ha) lakefront park, surrounding three of the city's main museums, each of which is of national importance: the Adler Planetarium & Astronomy Museum, the Field Museum of Natural History, and the Shedd Aquarium. The Museum Campus joins the southern section of Grant Park, which includes the renowned Art Institute of Chicago. Buckingham Fountain anchors the downtown park along the lakefront. The University of Chicago Oriental Institute has an extensive collection of ancient Egyptian and Near Eastern archaeological artifacts.
We need not enter all the attraction in Museum Campus, Adler Planetarium & Astronomy Museum, and Shedd Aquarium were bypassed by us. We only selected The Field Museum of Natural History. We spend few hours inside the museum, and nearly complete the exhibition. That is the reason to be selective, the museum is great and there is no regret on the selection. All the institutions in Campus Museum are with entrance fee charged, to save cost it is better to buy Chicago Pass, if you have the time and wish to visit all three in one go. By the way, a walk around Museum Campus is also interesting, as it is beside Lake Michigan.
The Field Museum of Natural History
Leaving Museum Campus, our next agenda is go to Chinatown, a desire to eat rice as dinner today, as we have missed the Chinese food after nearly a week in USA. We are exploring the route to the place, either by bus or train. But the bus is either going north or south. Walking from the Grant Park, crossing the bridge with railway track down below, there is a bus stop, but the special sculptures at the southwest corner of the park attracted our attention. It is called the Agora sculptures. Agora is an installation of over 100 headless, armless sculptures designed by the Polish artist Magdalena Abakanowicz. The art pieces were brought to Grant Park in 2006.
"Agora" 106 iron cast figures, each about 9 feet tall, shell like, frozen in walking movement. They are permanently displayed in Chicago Grant Park along the Michigan Av. and Roosevelt Rd. The figures are similar in general shape, but different in details. Models for each figure were made by hand, by myself and my three assistants. The surfaces of figures are like a tree bark or wrinkled face expressing a different individuality of each sculpture. The figures were cast during two years 2004-2006 in the huge industrial foundry in Srem near city of Poznan (Poland). Then transported to USA. The installation took place in October /November 2006.
The artist,Magdalena Abakanowicz lives and works in Warsaw. She has been Professor at the Academy of Fine Arts, Poznan, Poland (1965 - 1990) and Visiting Professor at the U.C.L.A. (1984).
Magdalena Abakanowicz for many years has dealt with the issue of "the countless". She says: "I feel overwhelmed by quantity where counting no longer makes sense. By unrepeatability within such quantity. A crowd of people or birds, insect or leaves, is a mysterious assemblage of variants of a certain prototype, a riddle of nature abhorrent to exact repetition or inability to produce it, just as a human hand can not repeat its own gesture".
Each of her figures is an individuality, with its own expression, with specific details of skin. Organic, with the imprint of the artist's fingers. Their surface is natural like tree bark or animal fur or wrinkled skin. Like all her sculptures also these works are unique objects.
(source: from the website of the artist Magdalena Abakanowicz http://www.abakanowicz.art.pl/)
Note: The meaning of Agora, is ancient Greek meeting place. But as you walk across the park, please beware of the landmine, the dog shit. The west loop of Grant Park is the park for dog lovers. The Agora here may be the meeting place for the dog lovers.
We decided to go Chinatown by train, as the train station is now nearby. It is also because we have yet to try the train in Chicago city. This is another popular transportation in Chicago city. It is called "L" in Chicago. Being in the train station is another excitement, the station as well as the train, and the surrounding reminded you of old Chicago...please figure why?...
View Larger Map
Chinatown, Chicago
"Chinatown" on the near South Side. Chicago's Chinatown is among the most active Chinatowns in the world. It even has its own stop on the CTA Red Line. It's on the South Side near Bridgeport, birthplace of the Irish political power-brokers who have run Chicago government for most of the last century. The Chinatown neighborhood in Chicago, Illinois, is on the near South Side (located in the Armour Square community area), centered on Cermak and Wentworth Avenues, and is an example of an American Chinatown, or ethnic-Chinese neighborhood. By the 2000 Census, Chicago Primary Metropolitan Statistical Areas has 68,021 Chinese.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinatown,_Chicago
Note: Some new areas sometimes called "New Chinatown", on the North Side around Argyle Street, which attracts a larger number of people of Southeast Asian heritage.
When you walking down from the elevated train station in Chinatown, turning right you can see a familiar Nine Dragon Wall, you know you are in Chinatown.
Dinner at Chinatown at Wentworth Ave, Chinatown's main street. The restaurant serving is big based on Asian standard. Despite ordering for 2 people, the food is more than enough for 3 people. Luckily the restaurant allow take away for the remaining, which is the norm for the restaurant in USA now. It is food wastage if allow to be thrown away. Despite of the fact there are many street people and hungry people in the street of USA, there are many leftover in the restaurant that were throw away each day. The reason is they need to maintain the quality of the food and compliance with high food hygiene standard of the law.
Another ugly side is the bill, a minimum fixed tips need to be paid, instead of variable rate, depending on the type and satisfaction of service given. The consumer should have the right to tip based on the service given. The bill is in addition to the tax paid. The reason for tipping is that the wages of restaurant worker is low. Tipping is not only in restaurant, you need to tip taxi driver, tour guide etc. Food in restaurant is expensive in USA. No wonder cost of living is expensive in USA. Many ordinary American survived with fast food, processed food or frozen food.
The quality of the Chinese food is average, but Chinese food here seems to be popular among the American. The bill may be high(to tourist perception), food not to our Asian standard, but it met our objective. We have some time to stroll at the street in Chinatown, and talk with the old residents and the shop owners. There used to be a Malaysian restaurant(Penang) in Chinatown, a popular one; but had moved elsewhere after it was burnt down. Finally we need to leave Chinatown, as the time is late, and really dark now, it may not be safe to travel by train to the loop later than 10p.m.
But the business for restaurants in Chinatown has just begin. Sad to say, we have not much time for Chinatown, should have come on the day time.
How to get there
The Chicago Transit Authority operates both an elevated train and four bus routes that service the area. The north–south-running Red Line, the CTA's busiest transit route, stops regularly at the Cermak–Chinatown station located in the heart of Chinatown near the corner of Cermak Road and S Wentworth Avenue. Running north–south, the #24 bus route runs on Wentworth Avenue on the eastside of Chinatown, while the #44 route runs on Canal Street on the westside. The #21 runs east–west on Cermak Road, and the #62 runs diagonally southwest–northeast on Archer Avenue.
There is a taxicab stand on Wentworth Avenue, and a water taxi service also runs along the Chicago River from Michigan Avenue to Ping Tom Memorial Park in Chinatown during the summer months.
We arrived at hotel safely, encounter some street people at the Union Station and along the street. Tired feet, and a lot of walking; but will be having a good sleep tonight.
Chicago is beautiful city, it has its soul which is unique. It is the city of culture; parks and museum.....tomorrow we are going to know her further and deeper...
(still need to be updated/improved on, a draft copy)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
