More Hyatt and 111 S Wacker Pics...

It is a quite rare occasion when two sizable skyscrapers simultaneously rise across the street from each other. We have been given this treat over the past couple of years as the Hyatt and 111 S Wacker have risen up at the intersection of Wacker and Monroe. Here is a few more shots looking up.

Standing under the corner of 111 S Wacker.

111 S Wacker reflected in the Hyatt bldg.

Black and White on the CTA (Part II)...

In continuation of my previous post... While being stranded for 20 minutes on the Red Line, making long lists in my mind of reasons why I loathe the CTA, I captured these black and whites. Here is the second in a series of my results.


How much lead is being dispersed into the air each time the train passes? Perhaps another coat of paint would help.


Another focus shot, focused on the snot, mucus, saliva or whatever it is on the glass.

Black and White on the CTA...

While sitting on the Red Line this last Saturday waiting 20 minutes for the train to move, I thought I should check out my camera's black and white mode. (Oh, and did that liquid stain on the floor drip from the drain hole in the seat?)

Also played around with the focus.

Focus, Focus, Focus...

Same image, three different focus points. Taken at Federal Center on Adams. First one is macro focus...

Next, I focused on the second granite pylon...

And finally, I focused on the distance.

Still hangin on.... "This store front seems almost impossible to exist in the modern world, but it does. Sadly with the generic look of chains, and time, very little of this exists today. As someone who enjoys living in the modern world, I also respect the past for what is had... Character, something that is missing in too many places today. (As a side note, Blogger has been screwing me on posting pics. I can create a post with a pic, however when I go back in to edit, which I always do because I can't spell for the life of me, The pic suddenly dissapears and becomes just a box with an "X" in the middle. I have written Blogger about this, but only gotten system generated responses which have nothing to do with my issue. So, until this gets resolved, I can not have the pretty title line, or for that matter decent spelling. OH, and did I say that I am pissed about this??? Hopefully, I can get things back to where they where last week and prior soon. In the mean time, I am working on setting up a whole new domain with a better blog, better photo albums, and much better website. I will keep you up to date as to when the launch will occur.)

Pissed at Blogger!

>>>Just need to vent a moment!!!<<<
I am pissed at Blogger at the moment because for the second day in a row, I have not been able to get the pics I am uploading to show up. ( I deleted the post I did tonight, cause what's the point if there are not images to show in a photoblog!?!?)

I have been using this for only a few months, so I am a bit of a newbie, but I am not stupid, and do not believe I am doing this wrong.
Perhaps it is time to look for a better service. Perhaps one that I pay for, then I would have a real excuse to bitch about things they they don't work.

Has anybody else had these problems? Feedback is welcome.
>D<

Memories of Warmer Times...

Where the f*uck is Spring? We once again had a lovely Winter day, only it us supposed to be Spring. And, as it has been for weeks, we were about ten degree's below normal. I cannot remember being this impatient for warmer weather to come. Perhaps this is due to my visit to Arizona last month?

I felt the need to pull up a few images I took this last Summer...

...to remind me of sunshine and warmer times...


... And shirtless men (er... boys).

Spaces and more spaces...

I love empty parking structures on weekends. It is a great place to get away from everything and take some "me" time. I like going to the top parking level for the views of the city. This past week, it was more about the structures themselves instead of the view. Taken near Wells and Jackson.

(Hmmm... parking garages two days in a row.......)

No parking... ever again... really

The end continues to be near for the Hotel LaSalle Public Garage. Last month I wrote about it closing for good after more than 85 years of parking everything from Model A's to the Prius. I feel like I am the only person that cares about this place, I am very sad to see it go. I don't remember why, but it is one of my early memories of this city when I moved here in '99.

The scaffolding is up, and the dismantling is only a short time away. The scaffolding makes for quite the interesting pattern I must admit.

http://iconeon.blogspot.com/2005/02/end-of-era-for-parking-garage-fans.html

BANNED!!! Due to Evildoers

This past week on my way home from work I stopped at the plaza at 10 S Riverside and looked up. The building in the background with the branches had this great stark quality to them. So as I took a few shots, I was tapped on the shoulder by security and informed that this was private property and I was not allowed to take photos. Something about fear of terrorists. (Cause you know, terrorists are always taking pictures of trees with buildings in the background.) This came as no surprise as the same rules apply at the building where I work across the street. I informed the security guard that most terrorists are smart enough to not take pictures in the open, and that if I were one, I probably wouldn't be taking pictures of trees. I then assured the security guard that I would leave, but followed up by telling him that I plan to stand on the sidewalk (where they can't stop me) and take a few hundred pictures of the buildings, and post them to my website along with links to Al Queda. (which I didn't do of course because who has time for that crap.) So, here are a couple of the banned shots I got.

CME (10 & 30 S. Wacker) is reflected in the glass.

"Unknown Loop Street #1"... "North Macchesney Court"...

Found this while walking on N. Macchesney Ct. (a street I am sure you are all familiar with) in the Loop. There are at least a dozen little streets in the Loop that are virtually unkown to the masses, and I am sure most cab drivers. I will try to capture a few of them over the next several weeks.


Fortunately it was below this Public Parking sign directing one as to just where they could park.

St Patrick's day finally...

It is finally St. Patrick's day, and I promise this is the end of this series of "green" river pics.

I am mostly Irish, however, I have never felt the need to do much to celebrate my heritage. Perhaps I should down a beer with green food coloring or eat a green bagel.... or perhaps not. Maybe next year....

Really, this is the last one! ;-)

Signs of Change? Perhaps?...

Tomorrow is St. Patrick's Day, so I felt it was appropriate to put pics of green things which remind us what time of year it actually is. Are those actually buds on the tree?

It's not just the river that is un-naturally green for the holiday. The green water in the fountain at Daley Plaza is definitely a sign of warmer times ahead. (The fountain begins the "un-winter" season green, and ends in October with orange.)

And finally a sign from the man upstairs that warmer times are indeed ahead. We should see flowers in what, 3-4 weeks?

(Dearborn and Washington)

Stairway to Heaven...

I saw the light... While futzing around underbelly of Michigan Avenue near Wacker this past Sunday, the sun was streaming down from the heavens above.

Same light, different stairway.

Near Lake Street, I saw the light again. only brighter!
[sidenote: I want that office chair (to the right).... hmmm not really.]

Killer Green River...

In Seattle they had the Green River Killer. In Chicago, we have a Killer Green River.
This shot will forever define that this was taken in 2005 (with the Sun-Times building gone, and the Trump building not yet started.) The only problem with that is that ten years from now, people will think this was taken on March 17, St. Patricks's Day, 2005. But in reality it was taken yesterday. Which leads me to this question... Why is it that Chicago celebrates holiday's on days other than the actual holiday? Like 4th of July fireworks on July 3rd?

More pics to come on St. Patricks's Day (Since that is the actual day this is supposed to represent).

Never has this much of the IBM Building been visible.

Big John...

Still the highest residences in the world, and will always be one of my favorites. I still dream of living there one day, somewhere above the 80th floor I think. (With a sky-terrace of course)



Today was such an incredibly beautiful day (albeit too damn cold, but I digress), I stood at the base of the building and just looked up.

Manhattan in Chicago?

The Manhattan Bldg (1889) was the first all metal skeleton framed building, and when completed, it was also for a brief time, the tallest office building at 16 story's. (The tower on the Auditorium Bldg was taller.)

The original plans called for a steel frame, but the price of steel was considered too high. Instead they used cast iron and wrought iron, both of which have a much lower melting point in a fire.

It's interesting how out of alignment the bay's have gotten in the last 115 years.

Good Fit?

In 2000 they dismantled the top 40 feet of the Mather Tower (75 E Wacker, completed 1928) because of decay. There was question as to whether it was going to be replaced.
Then in fall of 2003, a helicopter air-lifted a new steel replica of the top into place, however I am not convinced it is a good fit. The color doesn't match the original terra cotta, and you can clearly see the line of demarkation where the new sits atop the old. They should have done a better job color matching, and filling in the gap.

Can you guess where?

Taken on 03.06.05 (Guessing the loop doesn't count)

Dead and Groovy...

I have always despised this parking garage (in the background), but with the winter trees in front, I see it differently now. Taken next to where the Sun Times building once stood.

Need a coupon for Walgreens?

You'll have to wait for the spring thaw, and I am sure by that time, it will have expired. Found buried in ice in a planter in front of Walgreens on Michigan Ave.

Three sides of Ceres...

Today was an absolutely amazing 64 degrees. I took off with my new cam and put the 10x zoom to the test on several things including the Goddess Ceres atop the Chicago Board of Trade Building (1930). I am astounded by how clear and detailed I was able to get with her being 605 feet above the street.
When they put her atop the building in 1930, they didn't think anybody would be able to see her face, therefore they didn't put a face on her.

From Plymouth and Congress:


From Dearborn and Adams:


From Franklin near Jackson:

Ahhh, the return of the city

Most people overlook 55 W Wacker, but I like the textural qualities of the concrete.

This was one of the taller buildings in the immediate area when it was built in 1968 for Blue Cross, I like the texture of the grooves in the vertical columns, and the smoothness of the horizontals.

Santa Catalina Mountains....

The Santa Catalina Mountains make up the east side of the valley in which Tucson resides, up to the elevation of 3000', the Saguaro Cactus rules. Quite an extraordinarily plant, growing as much as 50' tall.

This will be my last posting of Arizona pics for a while, I will be returning to my homeland of the Loop in Chicago, and while shooting up concrete into my veins, "jonesing" on all that is urban.
Tucson is in the valley in the distance.

Higher up in elevation, it is pine forests and fantastic rock formations.