Random Patterns #2...

I have taken more than 10,000 images over the last couple of years, all of which are on my computer. Occasionally I run across a few that have not been posted, but are post worthy. Usually, it's because there is only one good image, not enough for my standard 3-4 image posts.

Today, I ran across a few images which had a great rhythm and pattern to them (of which most of you know is one of my favorite things to photograph). First up, balconies on Canal Street near Randolph. (April 2005)


The road grate on the Columbus Drive Bridge. (June 2004)


Thompson Center atrium. (February 2005)


South tower close up, Plensa Fountain, Millennium Park. (January 2005)

Rooftop Vista's...

"Unknown Loop Streets" is on hiatus this week (I need to gather more images). Instead, I bring you the city from the rooftop of the East Tower at Marina City.

This view is looking NW down into the densityof River North.


Looking SW, West Tower on right.


The view north on State St. This view was devoid of many of these high-rises only a few short years ago.


Looking SE towards the Aon Building. (I will admit, this is my money shot.)


I promise I will pick up the "Unkown Loop Streets" next week.

Under the Columbus...

Walking under the Columbus Drive Bridge on Sunday, I couldn't help but notice how bright the water under the bridge is.


Of course the reason for the light color of the river is that the road deck is made up of steel grate.





Towards the left center, you can see the shadow of a car passing overhead.

Hazy and Lazy at the Beach

North Avenue Beach on Sunday. I had a cold bottle of water in my bag, and it chilled down my camera. My first shot is with condensation on my lens.


Same view two minutes later after I held my lens in the sun to evaporate the condensation.


Stairs to the upper deck at the North Avenue Beach House.


Oak Street Beach from North Avenue Beach. The haze in the air was pretty thick.


Close up of Oak Street Beach from NAB.

Bring on the Ice...

The heat over the last several days has had me thinking of chillier times. Such as this past February, when on an unusually balmy day, I took a walk down by the lake to see the ice.


While jackets were required, nothing heavy was needed.


I am not a big fan of our recent weather, then again, I am not a huge fan of the dead of winter either. Must be from having lived in Seattle for all those years. I just like mild... Not hot, not cold. But, I would take one day of this in exchange for the 98 degrees yesterday.

McCormick Place (Lakeside Center)...

My company held it's annual meeting for home office staff today at McCormick Place. After sitting in a convention hall for a few hours listening to corporate strategy, it was a welcome relief to go out to the huge patio on the lakeside of the building and have food and beer.


Of course, after lunch, and a few beers, I was more interested in the structure itself than mingling with co-workers.


McCormick Place East (renamed Lakeside Center) was completed in 1971. Built upon the foundation of the first McCormick Place which burned down in 1967, the architect Gene Summers (CF Murphy and Assoc.) clearly shows what he learned while studying under Mies. Over the past 30+ years, the structure has taken a lot of weather, hence this shot of the top of a railing warped over the decades.


I kept finding myself looking at structure with it's enormous overhaning roof. This is a prime example that inspite of some really bad design of the era, there was good architecture in 1971.

Shown here is a ventilation cover. Time has taken it's toll on this as well. This having been my first time at McCormick Place, I got to see up close a building I have admired for a long time.

"Unknown Loop Streets #11"... "West Marble Place..."

One of the few unknown streets south of Madison, W. Marble Place runs from Wells to State between Monroe and Adams. There isn't much to this place, it is pretty much an alley...


with the canyon effect from old and new high-rises end to end.


The street is lined mostly with dumpsters (shown here blocking fire exits), and delivery trucks.


I am guessing this was for a phone to call for deliveries.


One of the few areas where it gets wider, I am not sure who is actually supposed to see this ad for Italian Village.


This is the eastern end of the W. Marble Place, with the Palmer House across State St. One think I find a bit odd... When looking at the map, why are so many of the streets shown with curves? Perhaps it is from when they were mapped out in the 1870's after the Great Fire.

Just Batty...

Chicago is blessed with public art, much of which we are very familiar with (The Picasso, the Miro...) One that is central yet off the beaten path is "Bat Column" by Claes Oldenburg.


Located on West Madison between Jefferson and Desplaines, and standing more than 100 ft. tall, Oldenburg's Bat Column is quite a delight. And for an interesting look at the site from the 70's before CitiCorp Center was constructed, take a look here.


Completed in 1977, the column is made of core-ten steel (which will never rust beyond it's current state). This close up shows that the intricacy is quite incredible. (And this coming from someone who isn't much of a baseball fan.)


Another close up near the top showing the "hole" at the end of the bat.


I once again want to send out many thanks for the positive feedback. I have received many e-mails of support, and look forward to many more posts ahead!

The Montgomery...

While wandering around the west side of River North this weekend, a quaint and quiet area I haven't spent much time in, I was glad to stumble across "The Montgomery"

Completed in 1974 as the headquarters of Montgomery Ward, architect Minoru Yamasaki (known more for the design of the World Trade Center) has created a masterpiece in simplicity. Unusual is that there were no corner offices created. I also find it interesting that this building was completed at about the same time as their main competition, Sears, completed it's tower.
When the company collapsed a few years ago, developers rushed in to snap the building up for condo conversion. There was concern that a developer might try to tack on balconies or alter the building but that is not the case.


The condo conversion is nearly complete, and I feel they have done an excellent job with it. They incorporated balconies into the east and west ends, which almost look as though that was in the original plans.


The new circular parking ramp (not shown, pics didn't come out well), was incorporated very well into the NE corner...


And the new windows are a fantastic choice, looking very modern, while at the same time retaining the original integrity of the structure.

Sunset... Sundown...

Last night I had the privilege of viewing the sun setting from on high.


The skies were so very clear... Virtually no clouds... The horizon just a long line of demarcation.


And finally, it is nearly gone.

Will Ferrell on the Plaza...

Well Sorta... Yesterday as I arrived for work, the Plaza at 2 N Riverside was blocked off for film production. According to security, Will Farrell was there shooting a scene for his upcoming movie "Stranger than Fiction".


Shot from a window near my cube (or is that "work station"), I didn't get a glimpse of him or any other celebrities. I think the filming was wrapping up by 9:00 AM, because they were cleared out by 10:00.

"Unknown Loop Streets #10"... "North Holden Court"...

Not really a court, but this block long street is the only one I know of that isn't named on Google Maps. Running from Madison to Washington between State and Wabash, this street appears as only half a block long on the map (leading from Washington south).


Looking North from Madison, the southern half of the street is covered by a connector between buildings on State and Wabash (The site of the old Weibolts).


At the center of the block, you can look straight up and see that there are actually two "connectors" between buildings. In between them is this light well. Not much light, but lots of fire escapes.


Back door at 25 E Washington.


Looking straight up from the middle of the block, one can see that the "connectors" extend all the way to the tops of the buildings.


Standing next to Marshall Fields, looking south. Old Navy is to the right. This is the half of the block that shows up on the maps (without a street name).


It was walking along Washington a few weeks back that the mystery of what the name of this street is... I feel a bit stupid since it is only half a block from my apartment. I should have known.


This was a longer than usual post (inspired partially by my feature at Chicagoist) I felt the need to include as many images as possible to show this little street. I want to send a big thank you to Rachelle at Chicagoist for the article.

Ice Ice Baby...

Ok, so I know this has nothing to do with architecture, or the Loop... But I couldn't help myself. I pulled this chunk of ice out of my fridge a few day's ago and felt the need to photograph it. Using a blue LED light from a key chain, I enhanced the color without tinkering with it in Photoshop. (It looks better when you click on it and make it bigger.)


If you have noticed a bit of a lag in my posts, it's because I have been in transition to a new position at work, and working extraordinarily long hours recently. Not to worry... I will continue doing this, but I may cut back to four posts a week for a while.

What the F*** are they thinking?...

Walking by the Federal Center, while on my way down to the Printers Row Book Fair on Saturday, I noticed a hideous glare out of the corner of my eye. Along the bottom of the Dirkson Federal Building, some idiot has installed galvanized steel conduit.


There are several runs of conduit along the bottom of the second floor. They look glaringly out of place. I find this so very disappointing when they did such a good job of installing the granite security bollards along the sidewalk after 911. Even Mie's would have approved of the granite bollards, but I think he must be turning in his grave at this travesty.


This ugly conduit wraps around all four sides of they building. The project is clearly not yet complete, but even if they paint if black to blend in, it will never be right. I am guessing this is for security (although there are plenty of security cameras in the area). I can only hope this is a temporary installation, like the " jersey barriers" were immediately after 911, and the final solution to whatever they are installing will be more appropriate to Mie's vision of pure and simple design.

River Nights...

The Chicago River takes on a different personality at night. The reflections on the water, the lighting on the bridges, the fact that in spite of the forced grid on the city, the river was never forced to comply. I shot these from the roof deck at Marina City on Friday evening as the sun set.


Same view about 30 minutes later. The water cannon stretching across the river, it would be a great experience on a warm summer night.


Looking west from the State Street Bridge while walking home on Friday night. I made Multiple attempts to get this image to come out clear, but the vibrations of the bridge made that very difficult. This was the best I was able to capture.

A Pie Slice in the Sky (Part II)...

With Michael now living at Marina City, I have endless opportunities to capture this place in detail from angles not available to many. I look forward to the photo op's ahead, and get ready for several more Marina City postings.

Looking down from the east tower to the west tower parking levels. The lower levels show where they have done a lot of restoration work.


I would feel safe in guessing that the person with all of the flowers is either home to an elderly lady or a middle aged gay man. I feel a bit invasive here, peering so close to peoples private balconies, but... My eyes are not the only ones that can see these either.


Looking straight down onto the roof of the House of Blues, the structure seems almost incongruous with the rest of Marina City, but in fact, it fits quite well. (Smith and Wollensky is a very different story, it looks like it was plopped down from a different state.)


Today the river is green, or is that blue green? Definitely not a place to swim, but better than brown I guess.


This shot is a very "Chicago" image. There is no other place that looks quite like this. A fine example of density, sadly most people don't "get" it. I for one feel lucky to live in this paradise.

"Unknown Loop Streets #9"... "North Garvey Court"...

Sunlight is not well known on N Garvey Court. This is the only section that ever sees the light of day, as it leads down to Lower Wacker from Lake Street between Clark and Dearborn.


Looking down towards Lower Wacker from Lake, one can see that there isn't really much to this block. Why it has a name is a curious question.


Once down at the other end you can see the street sign on Lower Wacker indicating it is here. I didn't see a sign that indicated just where N Garvey Court leads to, but I would guess most people using it, know... Especially the cabbies...


Taken at the intersection of N Garvey and Lower Wacker, a gentle reminder that it is dark down here (and a rare use of my flash)...


Looking back towards Lake Street the light of day can be blinding.

Friday Evening at the Field...

A friend of mine (and member of the Field Museum) invited me to join with him for Members Night this past Friday. I am a bit embarrassed to admit, that after living here nearly six years, I had not actually been to the Field (in spite of more than one attempt), and gladly took this opportunity to see the museum.
Upon entering the great hall, I felt that if one were to look up museum in the dictionary, the accompanying image would be of the Field. The place is truly a landmark of historic museum design. I didn't get many pictures, but here are a few things that caught my eye.


And not a single bulb burned out. That's amazing, but then so are these chandeliers.


The reason that many people go to the Field, is to see "Sue", the largest, most complete dinosaur skeleton anywhere. Well, while she is impressive (though not as big as I imagined her to be), I think she is also a bit too made up with "make-up". Just a bit to pretty with her custom made frame, and everything a bit too perfect. This is why I chose to photograph her backside, since it is a view that probably doesn't show up in the fancy brochures.

A Slice of Pie in the Sky...

In honor of someone very very dear to my heart, today's posting is for you. Welcome to your new home! A real Chicago classic... Marina City.


On Wednesday my BF moved into Marina City. Completed in 1964, this was Bertrand Goldberg's answer to stopping the flow of city residents to the suburbs. He wanted to offer affordable housing packed with features, outdoor space, and amenities for the common man. The was the first of it's kind, combining commercial space for many different types of business, along with residential space including parking. Having had the opportunity to now see the inside, I can tell you it is quite unique. There is abundant storage, and wild 60's modernist touches, and at about 175 sq. ft., the balcony has the feeling of a yard in the sky.


The building went condo in the late 70's, and then went through difficult times in the 80's until the neighborhood finally caught up to it beginning in the 90's. Now it is part of a flourishing neighborhood, filled with life at most hours of the day, lot's of nearby shopping, and only a simple walk across the bridge to the Loop. Interestingly, in many way's this is still affordable housing in an area that has become unreachable for most of us. You would be hard pressed to find as much square footage for the dollar anywhere else in River North.
So... Here's to you Michael, welcome home, and welcome to what I would call a realistic paradise.

Unknown Loop Streets # 8... "West Couch Place"...

West Couch (pronounced like "pooch") Place is several blocks long, and made up of two sections. Located between Lake St and Randolph, it starts off at State for only a block to Dearborn, and then again at LaSalle through Wacker. This shot west taken directly from State (with zoom) shows the Goodman Theater sign in perfect alignment with the center of the block.


While wandering west, you come across the stage door for the Oriental Theater currently (and perhaps perpetually) showing Wicked.


At this point the street picks up again at LaSalle, and heads westward. This I found interesting, located just to the east of Wells, it looks like the remnants of an old cast iron store front (with decorative corbels and all) from the late 1800's. My guess is that this was quite likely a street with quite a bit more commerce in the decades following the great fire.


On the S.E. corner of N. Franklin and W. Couch Pl. I was able to actually find a street sign. This sign dating from 2001, it was the only one I was able to locate.


And finally, standing at Wacker looking east you can see the Thompson Center in the distance. (I liked the lady's red coat, but this is the best pic of the bunch I took here.)