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Wendella Boat Tour 6/19/2023

Elizabeth and I walked up to the Metra Electric 111th Street Pullman station and waited for the train to Chicago, which was not too long.

Chicago, South Shore and South Bend train 218 passed through without stopping.

View of the Pullman National Park.

Chicago South Shore and South Bend train 109.

Another view of Pullman National Park.

Metric Electric train 124 which came from Universty Park.

Metric Electric train 624, which we boarded and took to Millennium Station. We bought our tickets on the train as there was no machine or kiosk at the station.

Chicago, South Shore and South Bend cars as seen through the green-tinted windows of our train. We arrived at Millennium Station then walked a few blocks on North Michigan Avenue to the Wendella Boat Tours.

One of four relief scupltures on the bridge tender houses of the Michigan Avenue bridge. This is "Defense". Fort Dearborn stood almost on this spot. After a heroic defense in 1812, the garrison, together with women and children, was forced to evacuate the fort. Led by Captain Wells, they were brutually massacred by the Indians. They will be cherished as martyrs in our early history.

Shoreline Boat Tour "Bright Star" came undeneath us on the bridge.

The Wendella Boat "Linnea" is unloading on the dock.

Experience the city/legendary architecture from the best seat in the house the river. Our experienced tour guides the 130-year long history behind the skyline, while our bartenders and staff keep you comfortable and entertained. This comprehensive tour navigates through the heart of the city on all three branches of the Chicago River. It's the one thing everyone tells you to do in Chicago, done right.

The Wendella Boat departs from this dock. We waited in a line then had our tickets scanned before we boarded. After a safety briefing by the captain, Bobby, our guide, guided us for a ninety-minute tour of the Chicago River and the city's architecture, old and modern.

The Wendella Boat Rides sign.

Reversing into the Chicago River.

The Trump International Hotel and Tower, named for Donald Trump, was designed by architect Adrian Smith of Skidmore, Owings and Merrill. Bovis Lend Lease built the 100-story structure, which reaches a height of 1,388 feet including its spire; its roof topping out at 1,171 feet. It is next to the main branch of the Chicago River, with a view of the entry to Lake Michigan beyond a series of bridges over the river.

It was announced in 2001 that the skyscraper would become the tallest building in the world, but after the September 11 attacks that same year, the architects scaled back the building's plans and its design underwent several revisions. When completed in 2009, it became the second-tallest building in the country, surpassing John Hancock Center as the building with the highest residence (apartment or condo) in the world, and briefly held this title until the completion of the Burj Khalifa.

The design of the building includes from the ground up, retail space, a parking garage, a hotel and condominiums. The 339-room hotel opened for business with limited accommodations and services on January 30, 2009, then full accommodation and services on April 28. Sixteen was one of five restaurants in Chicago with at least a Michelin Guide two-star rating in 2016 and one of three five-star Forbes-rated restaurants in the city until it closed in 2018. The spa is one of six with at least a four-star Forbes rating in the Chicago area in 2015.

Chicago Tribune Tower. In 1922, the Chicago Tribune co-publishers Col. Robert R. McCormick and Captain Joseph M. Patterson announced an international competition for the design of Tribune Tower. The winning entry was designed by New York architects John Mead Howells and Raymond Hood, who were selected from among more than 260 entries representing 23 countries. Nearly a century later, the soaring vertical lines, flying buttresses and rich embellishments on Tribune Tower remain undiminished in their power to draw the eye and inspire the imagination. It was completed in 1925 then twenty years later, had an eight-storey addition for the WGN building at the northeast corner. In 2016, it was acquired by CIM & Golub who began to redvelop it into luxury residences.

We went out under the DuSable Bridge (formerly Michigan Avenue bridge, renamed in 2010 to honour Jean Baptiste DuSable, the first non-native settler in Chicago. The 1909 Plan of Chicago recommended that Michigan Avenue be widened and extended north of the river. But this did not happen until 1920, making it one of the later bridges built across the main branch of the river. Its completion began a transformation of Michigan Avenue allowing it to become the elegant boulevard we know today.

Like Daniel Burnham and Edward Bennett's 1909 Plan of Chicago itself, the bridge's design is Beaux Arts. It has a distinctly Parisian flair. Thomas Pihlfeldt, Hugh Young and Edward Bennett designed it to resemble the Alexander III Bridge over the Seine in Paris. Connecting the downtown Loop to the Magnificent Mile, this is essentially the "Main Street Bridge" of Chicago, since it carries a busy roadway including as many as 30,000 pedestrians daily, and has been decorated to give it the feel of a gateway bridge. It is the most well-known of the Chicago bascule bridges. The composition of the trusses are comparable to other bridges in the city, except that this bridge is one of the uncommon common double-deck bridges in the city.

NBC Tower is located at 454 North Columbus Drive in the Magnificent Mile area. Completed in 1989, the 37-story building reaches a height of 627 feet. NBC's Chicago offices, studios and owned-and-operated station WMAQ-TV are located here as of 1989 and on October 1, 1989, WMAQ-TV broadcast its first newscast at 10:00 that evening at its new home with the then-weeknight news team of Ron Magers, Carol Marin, John Coleman and Mark Giangreco. Later, Telemundo O&O WSNS-TV has also occupied the building since its purchase by NBC in 2001. Formerly its former radio sister WMAQ/WSCR was located here. The studios of NBC's former Chicago FM property, WKQX, and its sister station WLUP-FM are also located here.

The design, by Adrian D. Smith of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, is considered one of the finest reproductions of the Art Deco style and was inspired by 30 Rockefeller Plaza in New York City, which is NBC's global headquarters. The tower is further enhanced by the use of limestone piers and recessed tinted glass with granite spandrels. The building takes additional cues from the nearby landmark Tribune Tower with the use of flying buttresses. A 130 foot broadcast tower and spire tops the skyscraper. WMAQ and WSNS have STL and satellite facilities on the roof; the STLs link to WMAQ and WSNS's transmitter facilities atop Sears Tower; the studios were located in the building until 2006 when they relocated to Two Prudential Plaza.

London Guarantee and Accident building located where Fort Dearborn once stood and is one of four structures that have anchored the Michigan Avenue Bridge since the 1920's. However, this historic building is anything but stuck in the past. The 1920's was a period of significant growth for Chicago. Industry was booming in the wake of the World's Columbian Exposition of 1893. The thriving economy created an upsurge in infrastructure and the construction of new skyscrapers, with designs reminiscent of those seen in the "White City" as seen at the Exposition and this was part of this boom.

Designed by Alfred S. Alschuler, the building was completed in 1923 for the London Guarantee & Accident Company, a British insurance firm. Its design is the epitome of the Beaux-Arts style, filled with classical references like Corinthian columns and Roman figures engraved in the stone façade.

The building's most prominent feature is the cupola that sits atop the 22-story tower. The structure is comprised of a ringed colonnade (sequence of columns) and a domed top that rise several additional stories above the main building. The effect is purposefully dramatic and serves to counterbalance the grandeur of its neighbor across the river, the Wrigley Building.

On the right is Royal Sonseta. This four-star boutique hotel is located in the heart of the River North neighborhood and offers an indoor pool and sundeck. Featuring designs and décor inspired by the Chicago World's Fair, every room at the offers a 37-inch flat-screen television with in-room fitness channels. Rooms also include large bathrooms with designer bathrobes and designer bath amenities. A free morning coffee and tea bar is provided by The Royal Sonesta Chicago River North. CBR, located next to the hotel, serves regional cuisine for breakfast and dinner. On the weekends a brunch menu is available as well.

On the left is London House which features Chicago's only tri-level rooftop bar. The hotel is less than 10 minutes' walk from Millennium Park. All spacious guest rooms at the LondonHouse Chicago include free WiFi, a large work station and a 55 inch flat-screen television. Some rooms include Chicago skyline and historic landmark views. The 24-hour fitness center includes state-of-the-art equipment, ballet bar and more. Professionals will enjoy the flexible meeting spaces while events in the grand ballroom with stunning views are available as well. The on-site LH Restaurant offers a view with re-imagined regional cuisine and cocktails. It includes a one-of-a-kind terrace overlooking the river and dining underneath the 23rd story domed cupola.

Another view of the DuSable Street Bridge.

Marina Tower opened between 1963 and 1967 and occupies almost an entire city block on State Street on the north bank of the Chicago River on the Near North Side, directly across from the Portions of the complex were designated a Chicago Landmark in 2016. The towers' symbolic similarity to rural Illinois corncobs has often been noted.

The complex consists of two 587-foot, 65-story apartment towers, which include physical plant penthouses. It also includes a 10-story office building (now a hotel) opened in 1964, and a saddle-shaped auditorium building originally used as a cinema. The four buildings, access driveways and a small plaza that originally included an ice rink are built on a raised platform next to the Chicago River. Beneath the platform, at river level, is a small marina for pleasure craft, giving the structures their name. It is now one of the fastest growing residential neighbourhoods in the Chicagoland area. But downtown living has not always been so trendy. When architect Bertrand Goldberg envisioned Marina City, it was an urban experiment designed to draw middle-class Chicagoans back to the city after more than a decade of suburban migration.

AMA Plaza Tower. One of the last American projects designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, this powerful Modernist structure occupies a prominent place on the Chicago River. At 52 stories and 695 feet, it is his second tallest building, after the Toronto Dominion Center. Its black anodized aluminum exterior provides vigorous expression of the structure, despite its limited range of materials and color.

Like the Chicago Federal Center further south, 330 North Wabash remains, from the outside, a monument to the architect’s maxim "Less is more". Simplified, modern and efficient, the exterior of this steel and glass building embodies the Miesian vocabulary.

We travelled under the Wabash Street Bridge.

Then went under the State Street Bridge.

Carbide and Carbon Building built in 1929, is a 37-story landmark structure designed by the Burnham Brothers (sons of renowned architect Daniel Burnham) as the regional office of Union Carbide and Carbon Company. The Art Deco style building was designated a Chicago Landmark in 1996. Revered for its unique shape, reminiscent of a vintage green champagne bottle reportedly symbolizing a response to the Prohibition era, the structure's high-reaching tower façade, made of dark green terra cotta with gold leaf accents, sits atop a street facing base of polished black granite, black marble and bronze trim. Pendry Chicago brings a modern-day allure to the building's storied history with all-new interiors and luxury amenities that coming carefully with an appreciation for its Art Deco style and heritage.

Leo Burnett Building at 35 West Wacker Drive is a 50-story, 635 foot tall skyscraper completed in 1989. It was the 12th tallest structure in Chicago and was designed by Kevin Roche-John Dinkeloo and Associates and Shaw & Associates. It is a post-modern design made with granite, masonry, glass, steel and concrete. The windows are divided by stainless steel bars, which is typical of "Chicago windows."

Our boat went under Clark Street with the Hotel Westin Chicago River North nestled along the Chicago River and minutes away from stimulating sites and attractions. Guests at this riverfront hotel are mere steps from the Magnificent Mile, Millennium Park and shops on Michigan Avenue in this view.

The Reid-Murdoch Building, now the headquarters for Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc., is a stunning Arts and Crafts design by George C. Nimmons for offices and a grocery warehouse, the business of Simon Reid and Thomas Murdoch. The top floor of the building at Lake and Market was given over to packing preserves and jellies, making pickles and the like. Things moved along quickly. Facilities were built in Hammond and Pierceton, Indiana, followed by processing plants in Rochester, Minnesota; Ellsworth, Michigan; Salem, Oregon; West Chicago and South Whitely, Indiana. The activities of the company expanded from mere distribution to the canning and processing of food under the Monarch label.

It was used as a makeshift hospital on July 24, 1915 after the S.S. Eastland capsized in the Chicago River on the opposite shore, directly across from the building. In 1930 the westernmost bay was demolished, due to the widening of LaSalle Street, and the façade lost its symmetry. From 1955 the building was used by the City of Chicago, housing its traffic courts, the State Attorney's Office and various city departments. In 1998 it was redeveloped by Friedman Properties and currently houses the headquarters of Encyclopædia Britannica.

The building was named to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. Also located here is the World of Whirlpool.

Franklin Center is a 60-story skyscraper completed in 1989 as the AT&T Corporate Center to consolidate the central region headquarters of the American Telephone and Telegraph Company. It stands at a height of 1,007 feet and contains 1.7 million square feet in the Loop neighbourhood. It is located two blocks east of the Chicago River and northeast of the Sears Tower with a main address of 227 West Monroe Street and an alternate address of 100 South Franklin Street. It the tallest constructed in Chicago in the last quarter of the 20th century, the sixth tallest in the city and the 23rd tallest in the United States.

Chicago Cut Steakhouse redefines Chicago's steak-centric dining scene with signature USDA-certified prime beef, which is hand cut and dry aged on site. A variety of made-to-order cuts are joined by eight different fish options, shellfish, chops, an array of hearty side dishes and more on the extensive dinner menu. Chicago Cut's expansive surroundings feature a lively bar area framed by dramatic wine display cases; vibrant red velvet banquettes and spacious dining tables; and sweeping views of the Chicago River. A sprawling outdoor patio lining the riverside attracts diners throughout the day and well into the evening.

The boat went under the La Salle Street Bridge.

Merchandise Mart has been a Chicago icon since the 1930's. Marshall Field & Co. developed it to create a central marketplace where retailers could come to buy their wares all under one roof. The two-block building site is bordered by Orleans, Wells, and Kinzie Streets, at the junction of the Chicago River. It is just east of Wolf Point, the site of many Chicago firsts—the first trading post, hotel, church, taverns, and the first bridges across the Chicago River. Previously home to the Chicago and North Western Railroad Wells Street Station complex, THE MART was erected on the railroads air rights, which provided a site big enough to accommodate "the largest building in the world".

Original designer Alfred Shaw conveyed the MART's unique, modern concept with an Art Deco style and integration of elements from three building types: warehouse, department store, and office skyscraper. Chamfered corners, minimal roofline setbacks, and corner pavilions serve to camouflage the edges of the rectilinear mass, visually reducing its weight and bulk. The building opens up at the pedestrian level, where the two-story base features over scaled display windows typical of a department store. The 25-story central tower projects and rises from the main block to reveal its affinity with the skyscraper.

The lobby of THE MART, in an overall palette of buff, bronze, and warm tones, exemplifies the understated elegance that characterizes Shaw's later designs. Eight square marble piers, so slightly fluted that they appear merely striped, define the main lobby area. The terrazzo floor was conceived of as a carpet in pale hues of green and orange, with a lively pattern of squares and stripes bordered by over scaled chevrons inlaid with an abstraction of THE MART’s initials. The chevron motif is continued three-dimensionally in the column sconces that cast their light onto an ornamented cornice situated above. The crowning feature of the lobby is Jules Guerin’s frieze of murals, which complete the iconographic trilogy of the building.

River Bend Tower is setting the standard for ultramodern office space. The 52 story, 1,050,000 square foot world class office tower is ideally located in the West Loop on the edge of the Chicago River on the corner of Lake and Canal Street. River Point utilizes the latest in high-rise office design and includes efficient, column-free floor plates with floor-to-ceiling glass and environmentally-responsible technologies and materials. The impressive three-story lobby opens onto an expansive 1.5 acre riverside plaza and river walk. The building also features a suite of amenities including a state-of-the-art fitness center, a building conference center, a white tablecloth restaurant and several retail options.

River Point also believes strongly in the power of activating its community, investing in opportunities for our tenants to connect professionally, access premium convenience services, and provide local perks and corporate services that make the everyday lives of our community members happier, healthier and more productive.

We then travelled under Wells Street and saw The Chicago School Building, whose group of architects and engineers developed the skyscraper in the late 19th century. They included Daniel Burnham, William Le Baron Jenney, John Root and the firm of Dankmar Adler and Louis Sullivan.

Among the buildings representative of the School in Chicago are the Montauk Building (Burnham and Root, 1882), the Auditorium Building (Adler and Sullivan, 1887–89), the Monadnock Building (Burnham and Root, 1891) and the Carson Pirie Scott & Company store (originally the Schlesinger-Mayer department store; Sullivan, 1898–1904). Chicago, because of this informal school, has been called the "birthplace of modern architecture".

We then went under the Lake Street Bridge.

33 East Wacker Drive, also known as the Jewelers' Building, is a historic 40-story 523 foot structure at the intersection of Wabash Avenue and East Wacker Drive, facing the Chicago River. It was built from 1925 to 1927 and was co-designed by Joachim Giæver and Frederick P. Dinkelberg. At the time of its completion in 1927, it was the tallest building in the world outside New York City. Formerly the Pure Oil Building and North American Life Insurance Building, 35 East Wacker was listed in 1978 as a contributing property to the Michigan–Wacker Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places, and was designated a Chicago Landmark on February 9, 1994.

For its first 14 years, the building had a car lift that served the first 23 floors, later converted to office space. There was no access between the offices and the parking garage except at the Lower Wacker Drive level, where drivers would leave their cars with an attendant. Currently, the French-American Chamber of Commerce in Chicago is a tenant and the showroom of architect Helmut Jahn was atop the building inside the dome, which was also once a restaurant called the Stratosphere Club, often erroneously said to be run by Al Capone. In reality, the Stratosphere Club opened in 1937, long after Capone was imprisoned and too late for the building to have been an illegal speakeasy.

The building is currently being renovated by Goettsch Partners and the façade is being maintained, but the interiors converted into a more modern configuration. Both the Chicago chapter of the American Institute of Architects and the City of Chicago have recognized the renovation project with awards.

Alta at K Station Tower is a premiere rental residence located between River North and the Fulton Market District. With quick access to everything, these stunning Chicago apartments, spread across two LEED Gold certified towers, soar above the Loop. Inside our state-of-the-art community, you'll find stylish and eco-friendly studio, one-two-and three-bedroom apartment homes, endless amenities and community conveniences.

The former Chicago and North Western bridge is a single leaf bascule bridge across the north branch of the Chicago River. At the time of its opening in 1908, it was the world's longest and heaviest bascule bridge. The previous bridges on the same site included a pedestrian span that was the first bridge across the Chicago River; a second bridge that served as Chicago's first railroad bridge; and a third bridge that was one of the first all-steel spans in the United States.

During the second half of the 20th century, the number of companies using the railroad for shipping on Chicago's near north side declined severely. In the 1970's, customers at the east end of the line included the Curtiss candy factory and the Jardine Water Purification Plant. The construction of the Columbus Drive Bridge in 1982 wiped out part of the right-of-way and the spur to Navy Pier was abandoned. Service to the Tribune Tower also ended in the 1980's and by the 1990's, traffic along the remaining section of the spur served only one customer, the Chicago Sun-Times, with only one train per day. The newspaper moved their printing plant out of downtown Chicago in early 2001, leaving no traffic across the bridge and it has since been permanently raised in the open position. On December 12, 2007, the bridge was one of 12 historic Chicago railroad bridges to be designated as Chicago Landmarks.

Gold Coast Tower is a 29-story, 317,534 square foot mixed-use development located in the city's premier Gold Coast neighborhood. The program includes over 6,000 square feet of street-level retail spaces with 91 parking spaces provided in the two stories of garage above. The fourth-floor serves as a transition from commercial uses below to residential accommodations above. It features unparalleled city views and over 6,200 square feet of luxe amenities. Above the amenity floor, the development rises 25 floors with 72 residential units and two penthouse units.

Goose Island Tower. Vancouver-based developer Onni Group has revealed its plans for "Halsted Point", a four-phase project that would bring five high-rise towers ranging from 28 to 56 stories to the southern edge of Goose Island. The massive mixed-use proposal calls for 2.7 million square feet of development an eight acre site previously home to the Greyhound bus maintenance facility at 901 North Halsted Street. The completed project will deliver 2,650 rental apartments (20 percent on-site affordable), 108,000 square feet of office space, 54,000 square feet of retail, 1340 linear feet of public riverwalk and 3.8 acres of open space.

Kinze Street Bridge was the next one we sailed under.

Alta at K. Station, see details above.

Another view of the Chicago and North Western bridge.

Looking down the Chicago River.

River North Tower, the first tower in the Old Town Park megaproject, has the city's priciest rental listing at $45,000 a month. The project at 369 West Grand Avenue, which replaced a vacant hardware store at 353 West Grand Avenue, broke ground earlier this year and is currently under construction. Called "The Grand", it adds to the spate of new apartment buildings the Vancouver-based firm is working on near the river, including a 373-unit building in West Loop and a massive potential development project at 900 North Halsted on Goose Island.

Goose Island Tower. In recent years, Goose Island has experienced new growth. As one of the last remaining underdeveloped areas within three miles of Chicago's downtown, Goose Island has garnered a lot of attention from potential real estate developers. Advanced manufacturing and technology companies are particularly interested in Goose Island, where the thick floors of the remaining historic industrial structures make them suitable for a new use: housing the heavy and hot equipment needed in tech companies. One of the most recent adaptive reuse projects is the federally-funded Digital Manufacturing and Design Innovation Institute that now anchors the area. The Institute occupies a 94,000-square-foot facility in the former Republic Windows and Doors Inc. building at 930 West Evergreen Avenue Groupon renovated several floors of the former Montgomery Ward Catalog Warehouse and Amazon.com intends to build its first Chicago warehouse on Goose Island. What was once an industrial hub is quickly transforming into a manufacturing and technology hub for the city.

The boat turned around and went back to the Chicago River to the south branch.

Riverbend Lofts. This beautifully-constructed high-rise condo development has been around since 1996 and offers all the modern amenities you need to live in comfort and style in the big city. Located in Chicago's Lathrop neighborhood at the banks of the Chicago River, the Riverbend Lofts house 61 separate units with standard parking to accommodate residents who own their own vehicles. In addition to the well-maintained craftsmanship of the building, this great dwelling offers several different layouts with varying numbers of bedrooms and unit size. On average, the residences in this building provide 1,040 square feet of living space. The choice of floorplans include anywhere from one to two bedrooms, which can range in area from 132 square feet to 240 square feet. The cook in the household will find the kitchens here are divine, covering 134 square feet of the entire unit.

369 Grand by Onni. Saring 41 stories, 369 Grand offers convertible three-bedroom apartments with expansive views, refined interiors and striking architectural design. Live in luxury with a brilliantly appointed lobby, 24-hour concierge, over 30,000 square feet of unparalleled indoor and outdoor amenity spaces, industry-leading health and wellness programs, remarkable hospitality- style services, and more.

Left Bank Tower is perched on the banks of the Chicago River in the River North/Fulton Market District. Select from studio, one, two or three-bedroom layouts with skyline views, granite counters, hardwood flooring and private balconies in select homes. Enjoy easy access to Hubbard Street nightlife, Restaurant Row on Randolph Street and the Pink, Green, Brown, Blue, Orange and Purple L lines. Or just relax by one of the many on-site amenities, like our sundeck complete with gas grills, lounge chairs and a fire pit or the seventh floor private resident terrace. Experience condominium-style space and location, with the convenience of luxury apartment living at Left Bank at K Station.

Holiday Inn. 15 stories above the Chicago River, the Holiday Inn Chicago Wolf Point places you steps from River North, Fulton Market and the bustling heart of the city, the Loop. Immerse yourself in the contemporary ambiance of our River North hotel where you'll find fresh and stylish guest rooms, accompanied by warm and welcoming staff and stunning views. Sharing common spaces with our sister property, voco Chicago Downtown, our hotel blends the comfort of Holiday Inn with the sophisticated accents of Chicago's first voco hotel.

When built in 1930, the 600 foot Board of Trade building that anchors LaSalle Street was the tallest building in Chicago – an honor it held for decades. In the upper left of this photograph is the statue of Ceres, the Roman goddess of agriculture.

Chicago Board of Trade see below.

A barge on the Chicago River.

Loking down river.

Chicago Tribune new building.

Groupon Building. Strong partnerships with great local businesses are at the very heart of Groupon. These partnerships allow us to bring the best experiences and value to our customers, whether they’re looking for new things to try, taste, learn or do. By connecting our customers with our merchant partners, we create relationships between loyal, repeat customers and quality local businesses that help communities thrive.

Chicago Board of Trade Building. Holding court at the south end of LaSalle Street, the Chicago Board of Trade Building presides over Chicago's financial district. The regal 45-story skyscraper is the epitome of Art Deco styling. It was designed and constructed during the heyday of Art Deco in Chicago by John A. Holabird and John Wellborn Root Jr., themselves second-generation architectural royalty. The prolific pair's structure confidently occupies its prestigious site while boldly communicating its contribution to the Chicago economy.

The concerns of United States merchants to ensure that there were buyers and sellers for commodities have resulted in forward contracts to sell and buy commodities. Still, credit risk remained a serious problem. The CBOT took shape to provide a centralized location, where buyers and sellers can meet to negotiate and formalize forward contracts. An early 1848 discussion between Thomas Richmond and W. L. Whiting regarding the propriety of creating a board of trade led to the March 13 meeting merchants and businessmen in favor of establishing it and a resulting resolution for such an establishment and a Constitution. A committee then developed bylaws that were adopted on the first Monday of April by 82 charter members of the Board of Trade.

In 1864, the CBOT listed the first ever standardized "exchange traded" forward contracts, which were called futures contracts. In 1919, the Chicago Butter and Egg Board, a spin-off of the CBOT, was reorganized to enable member traders to allow future trading and its name was changed to Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME). The Board's restrictions on trading after hours on any prices other than those at the Board's close gave rise to the 1917 case Chicago Board of Trade v. United States, in which the U.S. Supreme Court held that the Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890's language outlawing "every contract ... in restraint of trade" was not to be taken literally, but rather should be interpreted under a "rule of reason."

Olympia Centre Tower is the third building from the left and is a mixed use building consisting of offices in the lower part and residences in the narrower upper section. It was designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, and at 725 feet tall, with 63 floors, is Chicago's tallest mid-block building. The exterior is Swedish granite, which was finished in Italy. Construction started in 1981 and was completed in 1986. The building's name is connected through the original developer, Olympia and York of Toronto. The building is divided into three zones: a retail zone occupied by Neiman Marcus, commercial office space from floors 6 through 23 and private condominium residences from floors 24 through 63.

Left Bank Tower, see above.

Atwater Apartments Tower, the tallest building in this picture. Designed meticulously to complement your modern lifestyle, our apartments are the best luxury apartments you can rent in Streeterville, Chicago. Featuring luxury amenities that are second to none, your convenience and comfort are guaranteed in our apartments. Our exemplary services include a 24/7 door staff and maintenance team, a complimentary coffee bar and a resident package notification system. Choose from any of our studio, one, two or three-bedroom apartments. Located in the middle of all the action at Streeterville, you will find yourself closer to everything Chicago has to offer. Same exceptional experience. Atwater is reinventing itself from the outside in.

300 North LaSalle Tower. Designed by the internationally-recognized firm Pickard Chilton, the 57-story, 1.3 million-square-foot building continues the extraordinary tradition of Chicago architecture. Rising 775 feet from the Chicago River, 300 North LaSalle, among the city's tallest buildings, offers 200 feet of frontage along the river, including an outdoor plaza with eating and a large waterfront cafe. Other building amenities include a three-level, 225-car garage, a white-tablecloth restaurant, a fitness center, a conference center and a bank. The tower is extremely energy efficient with a façade clad in richly articulated glass and stainless steel, maximizing the introduction of daylight and minimizing solar gain.

A mallard duck in the Chicago River.

One Chicago West Tower is the blue structure in this picture. The 49-story west tower at JDL's colossal One Chicago development has earned the sixth spot in our year-end tower of tallest under-construction buildings in the city. As part of the developer's mixed-use two-tower scheme, this 574-foot structure at 23 West Chicago Avenue, also known as "Tower B", is physically attached to the taller east tower via a central podium. Combined, this River North project spans 2.1 million square feet, yielding a total of 735 apartment rentals, 77 condominiums, a Whole Foods, a Life Time Athletic Resort and Spa, office space and a restaurant. Prior to One Chicago’s groundbreaking in 2019, the site was home to a large parking lot and a handful of low-rise gray stones.

A view looking upriver.

A CTA Orange Line train crosses its bridge.

Our boat then went under Randolph Street.

Looking downriver.

Three First National Plaza is a 57-story office tower located at 70 West Madison Street. Completed in 1981, the building is one of the tallest in the city at 767 feet. The 1,439,369-square-foot building was designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill in a sawtooth shape to minimize obstructions it might cause to nearby buildings. The design also allows for thirteen corner offices on lower floors and nine corner offices in the upper regions. The exterior façade is clad in Carnelian granite and features 10-foot-wide bay windows suggestive of traditional Chicago school architecture.

The nine-story atrium used to contain "Large Internal-External Upright Form", a sculpture by Henry Moore. The sculpture was removed and sold in 2016 following a remodel of the lobby. The building features pedway access and was once connected to Chase Tower by a second-story skywalk.

Looking down the river.

Chicago Opera House, also called Lyric Opera House is located at 20 North Wacker Drive. It opened in 1929 and was the vision of utility magnate Samuel Insull (1859–1938), a billionaire known as "the Prince of Electricity". Insull, the president of the Chicago Civic Opera Association, wanted to erect a new opera house to replace Louis B. Sullivan's Auditorium Building on South Michigan Avenue as the home of the Chicago Civic Opera — one that would be democratic in scope, and would be housed in and supported by a commercial office building. He mandated five requisites for the new opera house.

The Civic's main performance space, named for Ardis Krainik, seats 3,563, making it the second-largest opera auditorium in North America, after the Metropolitan Opera House. Built for the Chicago Civic Opera, today it is the permanent home of the Lyric Opera of Chicago. It is part of a complex with a 45-story office tower and two 22-story wings, known as the Civic Opera Building that opened November 4, 1929 and features Art Deco details.

2 North Riverside Plaza is situated on the west side of the iconic Chicago River, with views of the Boeing building, The Lyric Opera House and the Mercantile Exchange. A public space organically generating 15,000 commuters twice daily, the plaza is a prime location for marketing initiatives in the heart of downtown Chicago. The Plaza Project seeks to enhance outdoor spaces encountered by thousands of pedestrians daily. Through showcasing the unique works from local artists, famed restaurants and charitable organizations, The Plaza Project's spaces will share in the benefits of an enhanced community experience.

River City Apartments River City, see below.

Metra F59PHI 64, formerly Amtrak Pacific Surfliner, built by Electro-Motive Division in 1998.

Metra MP36PH-3S 411 built by MPI-Boise in 2003.

Chicago Union Station is the result of the vision of famed architect Daniel Burnham and opened in May 1925 after ten years of construction at a cost of $75 million. Today it is owned by Amtrak. It is the nation's third-busiest station overall and is Amtrak's fourth busiest. More than three million Amtrak customers and 35 million Metra passengers use the station annually; they utilize over 300 trains per day.

Since 1972, all Amtrak services in Chicago originate and terminate at Chicago Union Station, fulfilling Burnham’s 1909 vision of all intercity trains using the same station without confusing station transfers.

Union Station is currently experiencing a renaissance. Recent projects have restored and re-utilized many spaces surrounding (and including) the historic Great Hall. Current plans call for developing the real estate in and around the station, as well as increasing station capacity, accessibility and safety to prepare it for the next 100 years.

100 North Riverside Tower is a 777,358 square foot, 36-floor Class-A Tower. Built in 1990, the plaza is packed with amenities. With a restaurant, concierge services, riverfront landscaped park, parking, cash station and conference center, it is the place to work.

One Prudential Plaza, formerly known as the Prudential Building, is a 41-story structure completed in 1955 as the headquarters for Prudential's Mid-America company. It was the first skyscraper built in Chicago since the Great Depression of the 1930s and the Second World War. The plaza, including a second building erected in 1990, is owned by Bentley Forbes and a consortium of New York investors, since the Great Recession of the early 21st century.

Water Tower Place, where downtown Chicago comes to life. At the pinnacle of Chicago's famed Magnificent Mile, Water Tower Place is Chicago's premier shopping destination. Its stunning seven-level atrium features more than 60 of your favorite stores and restaurants plus a mix of distinctive specialty shops and boutiques. It offers a unique, high-energy urban shopping experience you simply will not find anywhere else in the city. In short, Water Tower Place is the place to shop.

33 East Wacker Drive, see above.

Evo Apartment building in Chicago's West Loop neighborhood. These new apartments in West Loop will win you over with their awesome amenities, ideal location, friendly staff and brand-spanking new apartment units. Located on Randolph and Ogden, Evo Union Park apartments are situated on the northeast edge of Union Park and its 13 acres of sports fields and luscious green space. Opened in 2022, these modern apartments are within walking distance of West Loop’s best restaurants, public transportation, Fulton Market and tons of neighbourhood employers.

Gateway Center IV is a five-building complex designed by Skidmore, Owings and Merrill and opened in stages from 1967 to 1983. It includes Gateway Center III, which was built over the Union Station concourse in 1971 and gives Union Station the constrictive claustrophobia and chronic overcrowding that is a constant reminder of the absence of civic forsight embodied in In contrast to the stark, straight, modernist lines of Gateway I, Gateway IV has two distinctive features that embody the postmodernist desire to reflect the surrounding environment. The mirrored glass skin reflects the images of surrounding buildings, and the curved facade reflects the curve of the Chicago River at that point.

250 South Wacker enjoys prime visibility on the corner of Jackson Street and Wacker Drive. Nearby proximity to both Union Station and Ogilvie Station offers tremendous access to the daytime employment of the Loop. In addition, Sears Tower and its significant tourist appeal provides additional visibility for the building. This opportunity includes a fully built-out restaurant space with the potential to add outdoor seating.

300 South Wacker, where a mega-mural map covers a formerly blank concrete wall along the Chicago River. The mural map, a vertical sliver more than 400 feet tall, portrays the bending river, the criss-crossing street grid and (naturally) 300 S. Wacker. It is the star of the map, represented by bright red rectangle that looks like a flat-roofed version of a Monopoly hotel. At night, the rectangle is lit from within by LED lights. The idea was to "highlight the building's connectivity to the city and the river, and to elevate its presence, literally and figuratively putting it on the map," said Maria Rizzolo, the lead designer on the project for New York-based ESI Design. Shaped by Chicago's A. Epstein & Sons and located diagonally opposite from Sears Tower, 300 South Wacker was a typical product of the early 1970's. The generic steel-and-glass high-rise turned its back on the river, ignoring the forward-thinking precedent of Marina City, which visually addressed the river with its corncob-shaped high-rises and further engaged it with docks beneath the towers.

Chicago Post Office was originally completed in 1921 but underwent a monumental expansion in 1932 to meet Chicago's unprecedented postal needs. The meteoric rise of the mail-order industry, spearheaded by the Chicago-based Montgomery Ward and Sears catalogs, transformed the city into the distribution center of the nation nearly overnight. In its postal heyday, the property was the largest of its kind in the world, capable of shuttling an astonishing 19 million pieces of mail daily. Though a lot has changed here since that time, that same spirit of raw ambition will live on in these walls for years to come.

Nema Chicago Tower, see below.

Whole Foods building is 65,956-square-foot store, located at 3 Wwest Chicago Avenue in the new One Chicago highrise located on the border between Chicago's River North and Gold Coast neighborhoods. The store will serve as a relocation of the existing Chicago store located at 30 West Huron Street. The store’s design is inspired by the historic homes, storefronts and gourmet restaurants of the surrounding neighbourhoods with elements like elegant arches, recycled handmade tiles and glazed brick. The new location's assortment emphasizes local products from Illinois, Wisconsin and Indiana.

The tall building in the right of the picture is the Nema Chicago Tower.

900 West Randolph Tower designed by architectural firm Morris Adjmi Architects with architect of record Stantec and located steps away from the section of Randolph Street in the Fulton Market District known as Restaurant Row and marketed as The Row or The Row Fulton Market. Amid a block of landmarked buildings in a landmarked district, it was redesigned a few times after its initial proposa of 51 storeys and was eventually built with 43. It is Chicago's first building built by a black-owned construction firm regarded as a high-rise. It became the city's tallest building west of Halsted Street and the tallest west of Halsted in the West Loop by a wide margin. Twenty percent of the units are marketed as affordable housing.

Chicago Board of Trade Building, see above.

Alta Grand Central luxury apartments, the building on the left. You deserve a place to luxuriate. Set your laptop aside in favor of a morning stretch in the yoga studio, a romp with Rover on the heated pet deck or late-night Old Fashioned with friends around the fire pit. And take advantage of our Conductor Lounge on the 14th floor. Our contemporary living spaces provide the tranquil environment you desire. For years, Alta Grand Central has made it our top priority to maintain long-term residency satisfaction. When it comes to luxury apartment amenities, you’ve come to the right place. With our brilliant cafes, dog parks, spas, bike shops and more, we’ve got it all. Our custom-designed floorplans provide spacious layouts that are perfect for your guests. We offer a wide selection of comfortable luxury apartment amenities, and we are guaranteed to have something that suits your lifestyle.

The Reed Tower, the tower on the right, is the latest addition to the Southbank development is a 41-story tower and the second residential building to open in the South Loop development, with The Cooper opening in 2018. Both complement Southbank Park, a two-acre public park along the Chicago River created as part of a seven-acre master plan.

Willis Tower, formerly Sears Tower (1973–2009), a skyscraper office building located at 233 South Wacker Drive, is one of the world's tallest buildings. It opened to tenants in 1973 though construction was not actually completed until 1974. Built for Sears, Roebuck and Company, the structure reaches 110 floors and a height of 1,450 feet, excluding broadcast antennas and their supports, and provides approximately 4.3 million square feet of floor space for offices and other activities. The architectural firm of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill was responsible for the design and construction.

River City Tower architect Bertrand Goldberg's innovative vision, River City, has stood the test of time. Within the iconic landmark, our South Loop apartments and community-driven spaces combine all aspects of life along the Chicago River. Our renovated apartments, townhomes and penthouses are connecting the past with the future.

La Salle Street Station, the brown building on the left, is Metra's station located at 414 South LaSalle Street. First used as a rail terminal in 1852, it was a major intercity rail terminal for the New York Central Railroad until 1968 and for the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad until 1978, but now serves only Metra's Rock Island District. The present structure became the fifth station on the site when its predecessor was demolished in 1981 and replaced by the new station and the One Financial Place (now 425 South Financial Place) tower for the Chicago Stock Exchange.

The first station on the site opened on October 10, 1852, with an extension of the Chicago and Rock Island Railroad from 22nd Street. At this point, the Northern Indiana and Chicago Railroad had a depot at 12th Street, alongside another Rock Island depot. In December 1866, a new station opened and the Michigan Southern and Northern Indiana Railroad joined the Rock Island as a tenant.

The Great Chicago Fire of October 1871 destroyed the station, which was rebuilt shortly afterwards. The post-fire station was demolished to make way for a new station designed by the architectural firm Frost & Granger which opened July 1, 1903 and stood until 1981.

From its completion in 1882, the New York, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad (Nickel Plate Road) ran over the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway from a junction at Grand Crossing neighborhood north to downtown Chicago, where it had its own terminal south of LaSalle between 1892 and 1898. The LS&MS quickly gained control of the Nickel Plate and later allowed it into its LaSalle Street Station as a tenant. In July 1916, the by-then New York Central sold the Nickel Plate to the Van Sweringens, but it continued to operate into LaSalle until the end of Nickel Plate passenger service. The 20th Century Limited being pulled out of LaSalle Street Station by the Commodore Vanderbilt locomotive.

From July 31, 1904 to August 1, 1913, trains of the Chicago and Eastern Illinois Railroad also used LaSalle Street Station, which reached it via trackage rights on the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific from Ashburn. On January 18, 1957, trains of the Michigan Central Railroad began serving LaSalle, operating on the New York Central Railroad's Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway from its former crossing at Porter, Indiana to Chicago. LS&MS and Michigan Central trains (both part of the New York Central system) last used LaSalle on October 26, 1968 (soon after the merger into Penn Central); the next day, it began operation into Union Station via a connection in Whiting, Indiana and the Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne and Chicago Railway.

Amtrak came into existence on May 1, 1971, taking over most intercity rail service across the nation. However, LaSalle was unaffected: Penn Central's services via former New York Central tracks had been relocated to Union Station as noted above. The Rock Island opted out of Amtrak and continued to operate intercity service in the form of the Quad Cities Rocket and Peoria Rocket, operating to Rock Island and Peoria, respectively. These final intercity trains serving LaSalle made their final trips on December 31, 1978, ending the station's role as a terminal for intercity passenger trains.

A connection at Englewood Station was completed on October 15, 1971, allowing the Rock Island to also operate over the PFW&C to Union Station, but the failing Rock Island decided to continue using LaSalle. The Rock Island ended intercity passenger service in 1978 but continued operating its commuter trains until handing them to the Chicago and North Western Railway in 1980. Only a year later, C&NW handed the former Rock Island commuter lines to the RTA's newly formed operating arm, the Northeast Illinois Regional Commuter Railroad Corporation. It became part of the RTA Commuter Rail Division, now Metra, in 1984.

From 1972–1975, the Rock Island operated a restaurant called Track One, using two former railroad cars parked on track 1 at the station. The two cars, the dining car "Golden Harvest" and the club-lounge "Pacific Shore", had previously served on the Golden State Limited.

Although only Metra's Rock Island District trains now use LaSalle, additional service is planned. Metra's proposed SouthEast Service would terminate at LaSalle and the Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency Program (CREATE) infrastructure improvement program would allow trains from Metra's SouthWest Service to use the terminal.

Southside Marriott Hotel. Located near the lakefront, museum campus and two blocks from the Green Line "L" stop, the Marriott Marquis Chicago is the perfect headquarters for your next visit to the Windy City. Before heading out to explore the surrounding neighborhoods, discover the work of local artists through an integrative collection of art showcased at the Marriott Marquis Chicago. From sculptures to wall art, more than 30 Chicago artists are featured outside and throughout the hotel.

Welcome to Ping Tom Memorial Park, see below.

The former Pennsylvania Railroad, now Amtrak, Canal Street railroad bridge across the Chicago River. This vertical lift bridge built by Waddell and Harrington, an innovative and noteworthy engineering company associated with famous bridge engineer John Alexander Low Waddell was completed in 1915, and at the time had the heaviest lift span in the country, according to the Historic American Engineering Record documentation. The bridge serves a variety of trains including Metra, Amtrak and Norfolk Southern and is the only such example on the Chicago River. As the only vertical lift bridge near the downtown area, it is not only historically significant, it is further imperative to preserve since it helps enrich a Chicago tour, by ensuring that all of the most common movable bridge types are around in the Chicago area for people to investigate.

I have ridden over this bridge many times on both Amtrak and Metra.

18th Street bridge across the Chicago River.

Ping Tom Memorial Park. The park's 17.44-acre site was originally a Chicago and Western Indiana Railroad yard located along the edge of the South Branch of the Chicago River in the Armour Square Community. In 1998, the Chicago Park District began transforming the old railyard into a beautiful rolling green space, taking full advantage of the impressive river views. Today, Ping Tom Memorial Park holds a children's playground, community gathering areas and Chinese landscape design elements.

The park's fieldhouse, named in honor of the late Advisory Council President Leonard Louie, was completed in October 2013. The facility offers a multi-purpose gymnasium, a 9 feet-deep, zero-depth entry indoor swimming pool, two meeting rooms, a state-of-the-art fitness center, men's, women and family locker rooms, a second story outdoor patio with skyline views, a green rooftop and a full service kitchen.

Chicago Riverwalk is a 1.25-mile-long public path along the bank of the Chicago River offers a variety of dining, entertainment and recreation options.

The skyline of downtown Chicago.

The St. Charles Air Line bridge, which I have ridden over on Amtrak and Illinois Central trains.

The Metra Rock Island Line train heading for Joliet.

Willis (Sears) Tower, the highest building in Chicago.

The Old Chicago Post Office, see above.

River City Apartments located at 800 South Wells Street in the South Loop neighborhood. This iconic building offers 449 residential units with more than 250,000 square feet of office and retail space. These renovated, modern residences offer floorplans ranging from studios to townhomes and penthouses. Building amenities will feature a lobby with 24-hour door staff, multiple lounges and co-working spaces, a party room, fitness center, an acre of outdoor space with lush landscaping, outdoor grilling stations, available parking and bicycle storage.

311 South Wacker Tower. Soaring almost 1,000 feet above Wacker Drive, 311 South Wacker is renowned for its incredible panoramic views of Lake Michigan, Grant Park, the Chicago River and the surrounding skyline. Boasting a stunning lobby with a five-story Wintergarden and a lush one-acre park, the property provides a welcoming urban oasis for its tenant employees that is unmatched in Chicago.

Sears Tower, see above.

View upriver.

Heller International Building at 500 West Monroe rises 600 feet in Chicago's Near West Side neighborhood. It contains 45 floors, was completed in 1992 and stands as the 44th-tallest building in the city. The architectural firm who designed the building was Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, the same firm who designed Chicago's Sears Tower and John Hancock Center and the Burj Khalifa in Dubai. One year after its completion, in 1993, the building won the "Best Structure Award" from the Structural Engineers Association of Illinois. The building's design incorporated a unique turret-like structure on the structure's southeastern corner which stands as the building's highest architectural point and is illuminated in white lights at night.

2 North Riverside Plaza is a 26-story, historic art deco building, originally built in 1929 as the Chicago Daily News Building and was the first Chicago structure built with air rights over railroad tracks and its plaza was the first in the city to be planned as part of an office building. The building's historical significance prompted it to be added to the "Chicago Seven" list of endangered structures in Chicago in 2008.

The retail concourse connects Riverside Plaza at Madison Street to a pedestrian bridge over Canal Street leading to Ogilvie Transportation Center. Over 40,000 commuters per day use the retail concourse to access the train station. The concourse is lined with shops to serve those commuters. The overall design restores most of the original art deco detailing and replicates this detailing and finishes at new and modified components.

Boeing Building, the new world headquarters for the 21st century, is a modern, 36-story office tower on the banks of the south branch of the Chicago River just west of the Loop. Formerly known Boeing International Headquarters and previously, the Morton-Thiokol International Building) it is located at 100 North Riverside Plaza and was designed with a structural system that uses steel trusses to support its suspended southwest corner in order to clear the Amtrak and Metra railroad tracks immediately beneath it. Originally constructed for the Morton Salt Company in 1990, it became largely vacant a decade later after the company was acquired and downsized. Boeing moved its corporate headquarters there in 2001 when they opted to leave Seattle for Chicago. By 2021, with Boeing executives handling political and economical fallout from the Boeing 737 MAX groundings and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on aviation, Reuters reported that the shift in priorities rendered the building a "ghost town". Boeing ultimately announced the following year that it would move its corporate headquarters to Arlington, Virginia, where its defense division is located; the division relocated there from St. Louis in 2017.

We are heading to Randolph Street bridge.

The Fordham, built in 2003. Nestled on a tree-lined street just steps away from Chicago's Magnificent Mile and across from Holy Name Cathedral, The Fordham combines the charm of vintage elegance with a myriad of sophisticated amenities. The graceful 52-story tower is comprised of one- to three-bedroom condominiums, 11th-floor townhomes and exclusive penthouses. Each spacious home features soaring ceilings, expansive windows framing spectacular city views, private terraces and gas fireplaces accented with finely crafted marble and wood finishes. In addition to its sought-after location and classic architecture, The Fordham is distinguished by its wide range of amenities, from a wine cellar and tasting room to a humidor room and lounge, screening room, high-speed Internet access, spa and year-round pool, maid and room service and rooftop pet recreation area.

One Eleven Tower which began construction on its as a rental property in October 2012. First occupancies began in the summer 2014. The development team included Related Midwest as the developer, Handel Architects, Kara Mann as the interior designer and Lend Lease as the primary contractor. OneEleven has a wide variety of studio, convertible, one, two and three bedroom and penthouse apartments. Floor plans and near real-time rent and availability info can be accessed online. The apartments have wood-look floors throughout, floor-to-ceiling windows and premium- quality finishes.

Franklin Center, a 60-story supertall skyscraper completed in 1989 as the AT&T Corporate Center to consolidate the central region headquarters of the American Telephone & Telegraph Company. It stands at a height of 1,007 feet. Located in the heart of the West Loop, Franklin Center has long been admired for its architectural significance and distinguished tenant roster. With elegant details and unparalleled amenities, this complex is truly in a class of its own. The complex achieved LEED EBOM Silver certification in October 2010 and has been active in implementing technologies to reduce energy consumption, including improved lighting and controls in base building and tenant spaces and upgrades to building mechanicals systems including VFDs and optimized controls.

Merchandise Mart, see above.

Approaching the Congress Street Bridge.

The People In Your Neighbourhood mural along the Riverwalk, created by Dont Fret in 2020.

71 South Wacker Tower delivers a customer-centric community offering personalized customer service and a collection of remarkable on-site experiences to provide your business with a friction-free workday in the coveted West Loop location. Exclusive on-site amenities include chef-driven dining options, KINETIC premier health and wellness center, elite conference center, customer lounges, Sundry Shop, concierge services, 24-hour reserved parking structure featuring EV charging stations and indoor bicycle parking. With a central location in the heart of the Loop, your company is at the epicenter of Chicago's most prestigious business district and just steps from iconic Millennium Park, the Civic Opera House, Orchestra Hall, Auditorium Theater and the Art Institute of Chicago.

Palmolive Building now home to Landmark Residences, one of the most significant adaptive reuses ever undertaken of a landmark building. It was originally completed in 1929 by the Chicago architectural firm of Holabird & Root as Chicago's most prestigious office building and to house the headquarters of the Colgate-Palmolive Company. The Palmolive Building was world-renowned for its dynamic stepped design and is considered to be among the finest examples of Art Deco architecture in the world. It was also famous for its "Lindbergh Beacon" mounted atop a specially-designed mast. The building, which is residential today, was once the headquarters for Playboy Magazine and was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2003.

The Whirlpool Building, see above.

77 West Wacker Drive. The area near here is ideal for walkers since a car is not required to run errands because everything is nearby. In terms of transit, you can benefit from first-class public transportation options. 77 West Wacker Drive is located in a highly bikeable area that provides a complex cycling infrastructure for your convenience.

The Elle at 801 South Financial Place, is a high-rise apartment building in the Printer's Row area of the South Loop. The building features modern floor plans and abundant amenity spaces. Elle features a swanky rooftop deck and pool with private cabanas, tons of entertaining spaces with a multi-screen theater, bar and outdoor terrace and bustling lobby with Dollop Coffee Company serving drinks and light bites right inside the lobby. There is also a state-of-the-art fitness center with private yoga studio, an expansive outdoor lounge with bocce ball and grill, a co- working hub with conference rooms and two outdoor pet parks and pet spa onsite. With a very high walkscore and conveniently situated near public transportation, Alta Roosevelt offers residents a central South Loop location. The building is also next to The Shops at Roosevelt Collection providing ample dining, shopping and entertainment options outside of Alta Roosevelt.

Showplace Icon. Founded in 1909 with a single nickelodeon, the ShowPlace ICON Theater & Kitchen experience continues to redefine state-of-the-art entertainment. Through advancements in cuisine, seating, audio, visual and interactive consumer technology, ShowPlace ICON Theater & Kitchen continues to be a leader in the industry whether it is first-class moviegoing, corporate meetings or live e-sports gaming. All locations offer wall-to-wall screens digital cinema projectors and high-frame-rate capabilities in select auditoriums. The ICONX experience includes Dolby® ATMOS™ immersive sound and 4K Laser Projection presentation. ShowPlace ICON Theatre & Kitchen operating 78 screens in six locations across Illinois, Minnesota, New Jersey, Virginia and California./P>

Chicago Union Station was once the railroad center of the nation, linked to a network of substantial passenger and freight railroads, many criss-crossing the country through our city, and often terminating at one of the great railway stations. These railroad structures, terminals, power plants, office buildings and stations at one time dotted downtown Chicago and its perimeter. Since the 1970's, many of these buildings have been lost to demolition. With those losses, our City's strong connection to the railroads and its shared history, has been almost completely obliterated.

The iconic and austere, Chicago Union Station Power House is truly a significant building, worthy of preservation, protections and reuse, with its streamlined Art Moderne/Art Deco facades and smokestacks. The building exemplifies the story of Chicago's growth as a railroad and transportation center beginning in the pioneering days of the 1850's.

The Union Station Power House, also known originally as the Union Station Boiler Plant, is part of a network of buildings, systems and rail tracks constructed in the 1920s and 1930s by the architectural firm of Graham, Anderson, Probst & White for the Chicago Union Station Company – CUSCo. Their work also included Chicago’s Union Station, its Great Hall and grand Waiting Room, along with the separate and expansive Beaux-Arts Concourse Building, which was senselessly demolished in 1969. The Chicago Union Station Power House has been out of service since 2011, is currently mothballed and is being advanced by Amtrak for demolition to make way for a storage and maintenance shed.

Amtrak P42DC 7 built by General Electic in 1996.

Union Station Steam Plant and Sears Tower.

Amtrak SC-44 4906 built by Siemens in 2016.

St. Charles Air Line Bridge. Located south of the Loop at 16th Street, the St. Charles Air Line Bridge was the world's longest and heaviest single-leaf bridge when completed. Designed by acclaimed engineer Joseph B. Strauss, the bridge is an excellent example of a "heel trunnion" bascule bridge. The span is made from heavily-bolted steel girders and plates balanced by massive reinforced-concrete counterweights. As an early example of cooperation between railroad companies, four railroads agreed to equally share construction and operating costs for the bridge. Today, the bridge is frequently used by both freight and passenger trains and is still operable. One of the most visible bridges in the city, the St. Charles Air Line Bridge can be viewed throughout the Near South from vantage points on Roosevelt Road and Clark Street.

Built as part of the St. Charles Air Line Railroad by the American Bridge Company in 1919, the bridge originally had a span of 260 feet but was shortened to 200 feet in 1960 as a result of straightening the river channel.

NEMA Chicago Tower is in the left of the picture. See below.

La Salle Street Metra station see above.

Skyline of Chicago.

The former St. Charles Air Line bridge across the Chicago River, no longer in use.

Nema Chicago Tower. Praised as an "Instant Landmark" by the Chicago Tribune architectural critic, NEMA was envisioned by Rafael Viñoly to complement Chicago's revered pantheon of American highrises. Designed by the renowned Rockwell Group, NEMA's interiors are sustainably-crafted and locally inspired. The city’s tallest rental residence, NEMA rises to 76 stories above Grant Park and boasts unprecedented views of South Loop, Downtown Chicago, Lake Michigan, and the Park. NEMA Chicago has been recognized with the "Best Tall Building" 2021 Award of Excellence as well as the "Best Tall Building Americas" 2021 Audience Award by the Council of Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat!

Mather Tower, designed by Herbert Hugh Riddle, is a Neo-Gothic, terra cotta-clad high-rise structure located at 75 East Wacker Drive The 521-foot-high building is sometimes called "The Inverted Spyglass" by Chicagoans due to its highly unusual design, an 18-story octagonal tower atop a more conventional 24-story rectangular "box". Briefly the tallest building in Chicago at the time of its completion in 1928, it remains the city's most slender high-rise structure at only 100 by 65 feet at its base. The interior space within the upper octagonal spire contains the least square footage per floor of any Chicago skyscraper.

London Guarantee Building, see above.

Chicago Tribune Tower, see above.

Columbus Plaza is one of the few apartments connected to Chicago's underground Pedway, so you have indoor access to restaurants, shopping and offices throughout the Loop. It features a selection of studio, one and two-bedroom apartments.

Three First National Plaza. This saw-toothed 57-storey tower rises from a nine-storey glass atrium which also incorporates an eleven-storey tower on the east end of the plaza. The building was intentionally built shorter so it would not block the views of the boardroom on the nearby Chase Tower. At the time it was built, both buildings belonged to First National Bank. A skywalk connects this project over Madison avenue to the Chase Tower to the south.

Ogden Plaza, a 47-story, 444-unit apartment tower located at 465 North Park Drive and designed by Pappageorge Haymes Partners. It includes 181 parking spaces within its four-level podium.

St. Regis Chicago is an innovative, architectural marvel crystallized in timeless tradition. Situated at a premier location where the Chicago River meets Lake Michigan, The St. Regis Chicago's impeccably-appointed guest rooms and suites reveal the city's most revered downtown landmarks, including the Magnificent Mile, Navy Pier, Grant and Millennium Parks. Uncover meticulously inspired and thoughtfully considered spaces with the hotel's timeless Astor Ballroom and Executive Function rooms, where collaborative gatherings and celebratory moments come.

This is 101-story, 1,198 foot skyscraper whose construction started in August 2016 and was completed in 2020. Upon completion it became the city's third-tallest building surpassing the Aon Center and forms a part of the Lakeshore East development and overlooks the Chicago River near Lake Michigan. Designed by architect Jeanne Gang and her architectural firm, Studio Gang Architects, the St. Regis complements the design of the nearby Aqua skyscraper, also designed by Gang, as the two tallest structures in the world designed by a woman. Initially a joint project between Magellan Development Group and Chinese based Wanda Group, the skyscraper cost nearly $1 billion to construct. Magellan bought the project entirely in 2020 and then partnered with St. Regis Hotels & Resorts, which opened the hotel portion on May 19, 2023.

The structure consists of three interconnected towers, called "stems" with differing heights in a step-like arrangement. The stems are formed from alternating truncated pyramidal shapes called "frustums", giving each tower an undulating appearance, further accentuated by differing shades of glass in alternating pattern. The composition has been likened to sculptor Constantin Brâncuși's Endless Column. According to Studio Gang Architects, the tower "presents itself as three interconnected volumes of differing heights, moving rhythmically in and out of plane" as a result of the curvilinear design.

The Chandler Tower is a world-class high-rise condominium building located at 450 E Waterside Drive within Chicago’s New East Side neighborhood. Built in 2007, the building has recently completed a large renovation of their communal spaces and feels current and modern. Amenities here include a rooftop indoor swimming pool with two outdoor decks, an outdoor hot tub, fitness center and media room.

Cirrus Tower, on the right, is a luxury high-rise building soaring 50 stories over the the Chicago waterfront. The building is home to over 350 residences ranging from 650 to 3,000 square feet and over 48,000 square feet of world-class amenities. Amenities include a 24 hour doorman, fitness center and yoga studio, pool, rooftop terrace with fire pits, indoor dog run and a play area and splash pad for its youngest residents. The prime waterfront location means that parks, shopping restaurants, the Chicago River and Lake Michigan are all right outside your front door.

Cascade Lakeshore East Apartments, on the left at 455 East Waterside Drive, is 37-story crystalline tower designed by bKL architects. These residential rentals boast more than 45,000 square feet of amenity space, exquisite in-unit interiors, and an unbeatable location in the heart of Lakeshore East. These luxury residences feature savvy studios to spacious three-bedroom apartments. Amenities include a 25-yard indoor lap pool, splash pad and hydrotherapy pool, fitness center with incredible lakefront views, strength studio for HIIT workouts, motion studio for yoga and spin classes, locker rooms with steam rooms, spa with a salon and massage suite, conservatory with rich greenery all year around, screening room with comfortable modular seating, four game room with billiards and shuffleboard, golf and sports simulator, maker space and shop table, jam room for live music sessions, center lounge and a kids club indoor play space. Located where Lake Michigan meets the Chicago River, Cascade is situated in a prime spot in the city. These Lakeshore East residences are within walking distance to some of the city's best restaurants, nightlife, shopping and more. Shared with its sister property, Cirrus, Cascade also offers 0.8 acres of dedicated green space, which includes a terraced landscape, brand-new park with plenty of seating areas, outdoor living rooms and dog run.

Lake Shore Drive Bridge, the last bridge of the Chicago River before it meets Lake Michigan. Although the bridge construction was started in 1929, the Depression halted construction until federal aid assisted in the bridge's completion in 1937. It became the longest and widest bascule bridge in the world The lower deck also added enough weight to enable each leaf of the bridge to claim the title of heaviest in the world.

Lake Point Tower is located on a peninsula away from the taller skyscrapers and affords its residents great views of the shoreline from nearly every unit. Amenities include indoor and outdoor pools, recently renovated health club, valet parking and onsite management. There's even a 2.5 acre park with a pond and waterfall on the grounds. At Lake Point Tower, you're also just steps away from Navy Pier and the Magnificent Mile.

Navy Pier's Centennial Wheel is an iconic part of the Chicago skyline and a treasured piece of Chicago cultural history. Soaring to heights of nearly 200 feet, the Wheel offers visitors unparalleled, 360-degree views of Chicago and Lake Michigan.

Chicago Children's Museum. In 1982, a group of Junior League of Chicago members saw slashes to arts programming for children throughout the city and took action. Joining forces with the Education Resource Center, Columbia College and Loyola University, they founded Express-Ways Children's Museum, which would become Chicago Children's Museum. For the last three decades, CCM has grown from that museum, housed in a couple of hallways in what is now the Chicago Cultural Center, to what it is today: a place that has provided arts programs, STEM experiments, imaginative play and more to over 11 million children and their parents and caregivers.

The New Eastside of Chicago.

The entrance to Lake Michigan is blocked off from the Chicago River by this floodgate with a lighthouse off shore.

Looking towards the city center.

Approaching downtown Chicago heading back up the Chicago River.

Lake Point Tower, see above.

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Chicago Tribune Tower. We pulled into the dock and after the crew tied up the boat, we deboated after a very thorough, comprehensive and enjoyable cruise.

We walked up the stairs and a short portion of Kinzie Avenue between the Wrigley Building and Ghiradelli Chocolates towards the Michigan Avenue bridge across the Chicago River.

One of four relief scupltures on the bridge tender houses of the Michigan Avenue bridge. This is "The Pioneers". John Kinzie, fur trader, settled near this spot in the early years of the ninetheen century. One of a band of courageous pioneers, who with their lives at stake, struggled through the wilderness breaking soil for the seeds of a future civilization.

We then walked back to Millennium Station where Elizabeth and I bought tickets back to 111th Street Pullman Station. She then went to Subway to get our dinner while I waited to find out what track our train was on. We then walked to Track 6 for Metra Electric train 341 and ate our meal as it sped down the former Illinois Central tracks, making only a few stops back to our station.

Metra Electric train 341 dropped us off on its way to Blue Island.

Chicago South Shore and South Bend train 189. We walked down the stairs but the last few pictures from this day are at the end of the previous story.

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