What We Saw // Chicago Edition
CHICAGO!
Otherwise known as "Chi-Town", "The Windy City", "The Second City"..."The Heart of America"! Well, whatever you want to call it, it's clear the magic behind this city doesn't change. Join us as we share our visit to Chicago through a Traveling Designer's eye...
Some Fun-Facts About Chicago
The City of Chicago, is the third-most populous city in the United States. With over 2.7 million residents, it is also the most populous city in both the state of Illinois and the Midwestern United States. Chicago has also been called a global architecture capital, and is considered one of the most important business centers in the world.
What We Saw
During our visit, we stayed in an up-and-coming neighborhood called, Uptown, but we ventured off to find great restaurants, beautiful architecture, activities by the water, bike trails, and fun local bars.
We have been to Chicago before, but this time you'll notice that Lake Michigan stole the show! With a fireworks display for the 4th of July that was unforgettable, to a boat tour that made us fall in love with the city again.
Scroll down through our photos for a recap of our visit and captions that highlight our trip in more detail. Look out for our coupled post highlighting the 3 Arts Cafe at Restoration Hardware! A beautiful dining experience for design and food lovers alike.
First Stop: Navy Pier!
Front shot of the Chicago Children's Museum.
Navy Pier is a 3,300-foot-long pier on the Chicago shoreline of Lake Michigan. It is located in the Streeterville neighborhood of the Near North Sidecommunity area. The Navy Pier currently encompasses more than fifty acres of parks, gardens, shops, restaurants, family attractions and exhibition facilities and is the top leisure destination in the Midwest, drawing nearly nine million visitors annually. It is Chicago's number one tourist attraction!
Walking on Navy Pier. View of the fun rides and an EPIC FERRIS WHEEL!!
One of the awesome city initiatives we saw. A random PIANO, sitting in the middle of the square in front of the Navy Pier! Kids were enjoying themselves as they played "Chopsticks" and "Mary Had A Little Lamb" ...You know, the Classics!
The Chicago River
Great view of the Chicago River, showing the Marina Towers: The first circular apartment buildings in history! Marina City is a 65-story mixed use residential and commercial building. Built between 1960 and 1967 at a time when Chicagoans were fleeing to the suburbs, the hugely ambitious project was Goldberg’s collaborative attempt at urban revitalization, as he called it, “a city within a city.”
The River is definitely a spot for locals and tourists to sit back to enjoy the view of the boats and scenery. So relaxing!
This area almost felt like the canals in Europe. So beautiful...
Enjoying some wine by the river is definitely a great way to spend the afternoon. One spot we enjoyed is a restaurant and wine bar by the river called City Winery
Feeling Patriotic! The city getting ready for the 4th of July
This is a nice hangout spot by the Lakefront. A Summer staple! Everyone was out enjoying the water and great weather, and we don't blame them. It was a beautiful day.
Chicago is definitely an active city! We found this company along the river called, Urban Kayaks.
Lots of people out enjoying the river from a kayak's point of view.
A day by the river is never complete without a dancing T-Rex at the front of a boat!
All About The Architecture!
Chicago is one of the epicenters of modern Architecture! Views of Mies van der Rohe architecture, Frank Lloyd Wright homes, and iconic buildings by SOM line your views and are common occurrences as you tour the city and surrounding suburbs.
The John Hancock!
The John Hancock Center is a 100-story, 1,128-foot supertall skyscraper at 875 North Michigan Avenue, Chicago, Illinois, United States. It was 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 second tallest building in the world and the tallest outside of New York City. It is currently the fourth-tallest building in Chicago and the eighth-tallest in the United States, after One World Trade Center, the Willis Tower, 432 Park Avenue, the Trump Tower Chicago, the Empire State Building, the Bank of America Tower, and the Aon Center.
View of the City from Lake Michigan.
On our way to see the fireworks. Great view of the city at Fullerton Beach/Lincoln Park!
Everyone settling in to get a nice view of the fireworks show.
More close up shots of the city
Chicago - Lots of small town charm found in the big city!
'Til Next Time Chicago!
Thanks for joining us through our tour of Chicago! It's worth a visit if you never have been, and worth a revisit if it has been a while for you!
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