SWEET HOME CHICAGO
ROSS McCARTHY JUST BLEW IN FROM THE WINDY CITY AND SAYS IT’S BUILDING A SKY-HIGH REPUTATION
IT TAKES just 72 seconds to get to the top of what was once the tallest building in the world.
Willis Tower, previously known as the Sears Tower, is one of many high-rises in Chicago, which has become known as the skyscraper laboratory for cities everywhere.
It was misty when I visited, the elevator – one of the fastest in the world – taking me up an earpopping 24ft per second to Skydeck on the 103rd floor.
On the way, a screen shows you ‘passing’ other towering structures, including the Eiffel Tower and the Empire State Building. When the weather is fine, spectacular views can be had of the Chicago grid stretching for 50 miles.
For thrillseekers there are glass balconies, extending four feet outside the building, which dare the visitor to step out for a view of the street 1,353ft straight below.
Back at ground level, a good way to see the city is via a Chicago Architecture River Cruise, taking in more than 50 buildings along the Chicago River in a guided tour of the ‘living architectural museum.’
It all really kicked off after the great fire of Chicago in 1871, which lasted for three days. More than 17,000 buildings were destroyed and 300 people died, leaving a third of the people homeless.
This city of immigrants, which had increased in size because of its ideal trading location, had to rebuild, and so we had the birth of the modern skyscraper. The earliest ones were constructed between the 1880s and 1920s.
As well as other tour boats, there were little canoeing groups on the water and people messing about in boats, all enjoying a fine, warm sunny day in mid-September.
One of the first skyscrapers to be pointed out is the Trump building, the second biggest in the city. There are also a number of former warehouses which have been turned into apartments with a river view. Some are still being built, while 311 South Wacker looks like a beautiful lady in a pink dress next to the more sober Willis Tower.
Another that stands out is Marina City, its 61-storey twin towers considered highly innovative when they were completed in the 1960s and whose lower levels are used for car parking with vehicles at risk of ending up in the river if a careless driver goes heavy on the reverse.
All told, there are five major skyscraper architectural styles including some examples of art deco from the 1950s.
If the tour hasn’t quenched your thirst for the high-rise, then the Chicago Architectural Centre, with its large 3D model of the city, reveals more history and also has models of tall buildings from around the world.
The Architectural Cruise tour takes you, at one point, almost into Lake Michigan, one of the five Great Lakes of North America.
Chilly gusts can sweep across the lake, giving Chicago its name of the ‘Windy City’, but when I took a post-breakfast stroll from my hotel in the Gold Coast area, there was barely a breath of wind and a drizzly mist descended.
The waterfront could easily be mistaken for the sea because the lake is so vast and I walked part of the 18-mile Lake Front Trail dotted with the occasional beach.
Joggers and cyclists passed me and gentle waves lapped over the path – no wonder there are ‘slippery when wet’ signs.
There are plenty of other things to do, so buy a CityPASS – the most economical way to visit Chicago’s main attractions – which includes not only Skydeck but also the Shedd Aquarium, Field Museum and Adler Planetarium which are all in close proximity to each other.
The aquarium, itself an impressive building, contains around 32,000 fish with a beluga whale the star attraction. They’re arranged geographically, and in the Amazon section mangroves have been recreated where the water levels are changed to recreate a natural effect.
You have the chance to get close and personal with electric eels, piranhas and a caiman. Birds, lizards and even a couple of small monkeys, sitting up on branches, added to the scene.
There’s a penguin enclosure and an arena where shows involving sea lions and otters take place.
You can also see a 20-minute movie which tells the story about the evolution of prehistoric fish, using 4D effects which include little puffs of air, bubbles and rumblings under your seat.
At the Planetarium there’s another cinematic experience to enjoy. The show I saw was all about the Moon with dizzying special effects to make you feel as if you’re travelling in space.
It also has a comprehensive exhibition which tells the story of space flight and the Moon landing, with plenty to keep kids amused.
The Field Museum houses a wide variety of exhibitions connected with science and natural history.
The big draw here is Sue – the biggest Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton ever discovered.
Now, tell anyone you’ve been to this mid-western city and one of the first things they’ll mention is the Prohibition era of the 1930s, with its gangsters such as Al Capone and John Dillinger, and the St Valentine’s Day Massacre.
But that was the past. Modern day Chicago is a culturally vibrant place with art lovers catered for by the highly considered Art Institute of Chicago. Opened 10 years ago, it boasts the greatest impressionist collection outside Paris, displaying works from Matisse, Picasso and Van Gogh. The jewel in the crown is George Seurat’s A Sunday in La Grande Jatte showing a scene on the banks of the Seine.
Visitors are also treated to Andy Warhol’s pop art, Grant Wood’s
American Gothic, and the iconic Nighthawks by Edward Hopper.
Check out the city’s stand-up comedy scene, too. The Second City Comedy Club has been a launch pad for hundreds of comedic careers, including those of Dan Akroyd, John Belushi and John Candy.
When it comes to food, there’s a wide variety of quality eating options, from Chicago hot dogs, deep dish pizzas and Italian beef sandwiches to five Michelinstarred restaurants.
I ate Alaskan halibut at The Gage, a delicious lobster roll at Two Lights Seafood & Oyster, enjoyed a fine selection of tapas at Tapas Valencia and had my tastebuds tantalised at Sunda New Asian with an assortment of fusion food. Try the mouth-watering oxtailfilled dumplings and a searingly hot Demon Tuna!
I also got a taste of Southern food at the colourfully decorated House of Blues, which offers you the opportunity to have your picture taken between two ‘Blues Brothers,’ and an ‘all you can eat ‘Sunday brunch for $35 (around £27.50) while listening to a gospel choir belting out some tunes.
Diners are encouraged to wave and clap, and some are brave enough to volunteer to go up on stage and take part in a dance contest.
Playing in slightly more formal surroundings, there are more than 250 theatre companies in Chicago putting on quality productions. During my stay I went to three of them, starting with ‘The Great leap’ at Steppenwolf Theatre, which was about an American basketball team travelling to Bejing amidst tensions in the late 1980s.
I also went to see a production of the hit musical Hamilton at a packed CIBC Theatre. Closer to home was a performance of The King’s Speech at the Chicago Shakespeare Theater on Navy Pier, where I gazed out at the Chicago skyline in all its glory, just as the sun was setting.