Chicago – Around Town – Near North (part 1)

Magnificent Mile

Whether
you’re a shopper or not, this store-lined strip warrants a visit if
only to get a feel for the commercial pulse that seems to keep Chicago
humming .

John Hancock Center

Skidmore,
Owings & Merrill designed this 1970 landmark using the signature
X’s on the facade as cross-braces to help the 1,100-ft (335-m) building
withstand the winds coming off Lake Michigan. An alternative to soaking
up the view from the 94th-floor observatory is drinking it in from the
Signature Room restaurant and lounge on the floors directly above. Many
say you get a better view from here than from the South Side’s Sears
Tower – and the lines are usually shorter too.

• 875 N. Michigan Ave.

• Observatory open 9am–11pm daily

• Adm.

• DA

• Signature Room open 11am–2:30pm Mon–Sat, 10am–2pm Sun, 5–10pm Sun–Thu, 5–11pm Fri & Sat

• DA

Merchandise Mart

This
massive two-squareblock edifice houses Chicago’s premier interior
design trade showrooms. When completed in 1930, the four million-sq-ft
(390,000-sq-m) building was the largest in the world. Today, it is
second only to the Pentagon in size, and is still the world’s largest
commercial building. A 90-minute guided tour includes a visit to several
showrooms.

• 300 N. Wells St.

• Free

• DA

• Tours 1pm Mon & Fri

• call 312 527 7762

• Adm. cash only

Museum of Contemporary Art

One
of the country’s largest collections of international contemporary art,
the MCA displays over 6,000 objects, from painting and sculpture to
photography and video installations. Trendy Spago chef Wolfgang Puck
runs the airy café, which draws both museum-goers and Mag Mile shoppers
alike. In summer, the terraced sculpture garden enhances the MCA
experience, while the front lawn often plays host to displays of
performance art.

• 220 E. Chicago Ave.

• Open Tue–Sun 10am–5pm (to 8pm Tue)

• Adm. (free on Tue)

• DA

River North Gallery District

Said
to be the most concentrated art hub in the US outside of Manhattan,
this district is jammed with great galleries. Most are to be found in
the handsome, 19th-century, converted brick warehouses found along
either side of the El brown line. Huron and Superior Streets are
particularly worth a visit.

• Bounded by Merchandise Mart (south), Chicago Ave. (north), Orleans Ave. (west), Dearborn St. (east)

• Chicago Gallery News 312 649 0064

• 
  www.chicagogallerynews.com
  

Gold Coast Area

Chicago
boasts many upscale neighborhoods, but none more historic and
prestigious than the Gold Coast. Railroad, retail, and lumber tycoons
built this elegant district in the decades following the Great Fire of 1871,
and its leafy streets are lined with 19th-century mansions interspersed
with early 20th-century apartment buildings. There are no less than 300
designated historic landmarks in the Astor Street District alone,
including buildings by Stanford White (such as 20 E. Burton Place), and Charnley House, designed by Louis Sullivan (assisted at the time by Frank Lloyd Wright). (1365 N. Astor Street).

Historic Water Tower & Pumping Station

When
the Great Fire of 1871 swept north, only the 1869 Water Tower and
Pumping Station escaped ruin. Built by William W. Botington, the
castellated Gothic-Revival Water Tower, modeled after a medieval castle,
was once called a “monstrosity” by critic Oscar Wilde. It now houses
the City Gallery (specializing in photography), and the fountain and
chairs outside make it a focal point for downtown street life. The Water
Pumping station across the street still functions, and also houses a
visitor center and the Lookingglass Theater, co-founded by Friends star David Schwimmer.

Water Pumping Station & Tower

• 163 E. Pearson St.

• Visitor Center open 8am–7pm Mon–Thu, 8am–6pm Fri, 9am–6pm Sat, 10am–6pm Sun

• 877 244 2246

City Gallery

• open 10am–6:30pm Mon–Sat, 10am–5pm Sun

• Free

• 312 744 6630

• DA

Tribune Tower

Topped
by flying buttresses, this Gothic-style building was completed in 1925.
Its faux historic design had won a competition organized by Colonel
Robert McCormick, publisher of the Chicago Tribune,
the news­paper whose offices still occupy the building. Look closely at
the facade, which is embedded with over 120 stones collected by
correspondents from famed sights. There’s a rock hailing from each of
the 50 states, as well as fragments from international monuments such as
Greece’s Parthenon, India’s Taj Mahal, and The Great Wall of China.

• 435 N Michigan Ave

• Tours by appointment

Fourth Presbyterian Church

The
first Fourth Presbyterian church, dedicated in 1871, celebra­ted its
first sermon just hours before it was incinerated in the Great Fire.
Rebuilt in 1914 when Magnificent Mile was the little-used Pine Street,
today’s church offers a peaceful respite from the now highly commercial
boulevard. Designed by Ralph Adams Cram, one of the architects behind
New York’s Cathedral of St. John the Divine, it’s not surprising that
this church boasts a cathedral-like interior, with an impressive
stained-glass west window. A tranquil courtyard is often the place for
classical concerts in summer.

• 126 E. Chestnut St.

• Open 9am–6pm daily

• Free

• DA

Hershey’s Chicago

When
candy-manufacturer Milton Hershey visited the city of Chicago in 1893,
he purchased the equipment that he would use to revolutionize the
chocolate industry. With mass production he was able to lower the cost
of manufacturing milk chocolate, once a luxury item, making it
affordable to all. Today, the Hershey Foods Corporation is the largest
North American producer of chocolate and non-chocolate confectionary.
Hershey’s Chicago, a new themed store on Magnificent Mile, stocks all
the well-known brands such as Hershey’s, Reese’s, and Kit Kat,
as well as the latest products and goods unique to the Chicago store.
Sugar-free versions of the most popular products are also available. A
hit with children is the store’s interactive “bake shoppe” where
visitors can customize cookies, cupcakes, and brownies.

• 822 N Michigan Ave