Our first impressions of Chicago this morning were of the skyline. When Jacob saw the Sears Tower (it’s not called that anymore officially but it is still called that; here is an example), he thought the antenna on top looked like a harpoon.
He observed: “It looks like a defender tower. Like, ‘Aliens, I dare you.’ I wonder where they keep the giant that wields that tower.”
We drove past walls of building and then under a wall of buildings. We were reminded of Seattle, how it was built in a manner preserving the natural environment. Except Chicago feels like it’s built to preserve the urban one. Need a street where that office is? No problem. We’ll go under it.
As we walk to Millennium Park we notice stores like Books-a-Million housed in steel and marble towers that in Little Rock would be banks, investment firms or law firms. Maybe they are here too, like, up top. But at ground level they serve ground level needs, and it’s jarring to see Panda Express in a skyscraper, on any floor.
We keep going, staring at this vertical wonderland. The half dozen Starbucks and Barnes & Nobles we pass look native, but the Target just looks wrong.
It’s like seeing cartoon characters from your childhood redone in CGI. Or lifting a silver platter lid to reveal McDonald's fries.
We reach Millennium Park. Finally! Green space. Something familiar and normal.
Wait. What is that?
Millennium Park is beautiful, with an amphitheater that looks like a great venue, though we can’t imagine the grounds would have the same appeal with a thick layer of people on top of them.
The art here reminds us a bit of the City Museum.
We like it, and in fact we’re in search of more. Jacob’s friend spoke of two library buildings that had beautiful architecture hidden inside. One is the Harold Washington, the current main library of Chicago. Most of the floors look like your average library, though with more escalators. On the 9th floor, however, is the Winter Garden, a marble skylight with real trees, widely spaced tables, and an air of magic. Forget the stacks. This is where to bring your books. Or a pillow.
Our next stop takes us back up Grant Park to the Chicago Cultural Center, which houses the world’s largest Tiffany glass dome. We try to get all 38-feet of it into a photograph, but it’s not happening, and the subtle colors in the glass refuse to be captured. No picture would do it justice anyway.
Dinner is at Uno’s, 70-year-old home of the original deep dish pizza. It takes half an hour to cook but it’s worth the wait, with a crust that reminds us of homemade bread that’s been toasted rather than baked. It melts in your mouth but with a satisfying crunch. Tres unique.
As we head back to the car we realize that we’ve gone almost ten miles today, our biggest walking tour yet. We idly wish for a couple of Segways and then are glad we don’t own any. We would only have found a way to pack them.
No comments:
Post a Comment