I heard of the wooden alley many years ago and have driven by but never really stopped to look…read more The wooden alley is a remnant of a bygone era for sure. Located in Near North near the Cardinal's Residence, this alley runs west to east and is made entirely of wooden blocks. Wood blocks started being used for construction in this manner in the mid-19th century, which made lots of fuel for the Great Fire, of course. This style of paving obviously fell out of favor as new technology emerged. The neighborhood likes to cultivate an air of the 19th / early 20th century with gas lamps and this adds to the aura. This alley was constructed in 1909, restored over the years, and is one of only two remaining in the city of Chicago. It's been on the National Register of Historic Places for 20 years. If you're in the area you can stop here to see something unusual and quirky for this day and age.

This is probably something thousands of people pass by every day and have no idea something like…read morethis is here. We found this on Atlas Obscura and followed directions from there. It is just south of Lincoln Park. Stepping onto the wood itself, it feels much softer than the asphalt of your typical street or the material your standard sidewalk is made out of. There is a historical marker near State Parkway detailing the history behind the wooden alley.

I always enjoy visiting the Willis Tower. There are so many things to do and see, and I discover…read moresomething new every time I visit. The views from the top are amazing, and the atmosphere makes each trip exciting and memorable.

The tour was epic!! So much history and details in the architect of this Old Sears Tower now known…read moreas The Willis Tower. Definitely a staple attraction to visit.

Definitely worth it when visiting Chicago . They have a glass skydeck if your not afraid of heights…read morewonderful city to visit. Best way to get there is by uber or public transportation as parking is limited

I would suggest doing this when you first get to Chicago instead of scheduling it on the last day…read more It really shows all of the skyscrapers that Chicago has to offer. I think scheduling this before you get to Chicago would be good. Parking near here is a pain and we got a rent a car right before we left because we were driving to Indianapolis after to go see a relative. The experience is great but once you are on the plexiglass they time you because so many people are waiting to do this experience.

Chi-town bridge! This bridge links Chinatown to the Mexican…read morePilsen neighborhood. Technically, this bridge is a Scherzer rolling lift bascule bridge, designed by Scherzer himself. It's not especially a pretty bridge. The whole thing needs a paint job and is all pretty rusty. It's pretty amazing that this thing moves! It's so large, that is hard to fathom. I went cruising across this bridge looking for a Taco n' Tequla festival in Pilsen. There were several 'urban campers' set up along this bridge. I wouldn't exactly call this a five star bridge.

"We build too many walls and not enough bridges." ~ Sir Issac Newton…read more Chicago! The City of Broad Shoulders is home to many a landmark from the once world's tallest building, Sears Tower, to the new Frank Gehry Bandshell! As a displaced native, I have been fortunate to have lived in a number of differing bridge cities, but I always return to my native homeland of Chicago to recharge my Soul, and with each returning visit I discover and uncover more of Chicago. It's become such an ever-changing city in the Post-Industrial era of our society, but fortunately there are still many archeological and architectural remains to link the past to the present and this brings me to The Cermak Road Bridge. To quote the landmark sign posted at the bridge, "These four massive industrial buildings clustered around the City's last-remaining double-leaf Scherzer Rolling Lift Bridge form the finest intact, early 20th-Century riverfront precinct in Chicago. Originally housing wholesale grocers, window shade manufacturers and other enterprises, the buildings represent an almost vanished aspect of the City's historic industrial character." You may recognize this Bridge as a character in numerous movies filmed around Chicago, or from many an Artist's still photograph, as it is such an iconic landmark of the great City of Chicago. Luckily for me the South Loop, Pilsen, and Chinatown are my latest haunts when I come to visit, and this great bridge ties them all together beautifully. Come here to the Cermak Road Bridge and feel the quiet history of Chicago that is lesser known than most landmarks in a City that is so iconic that it is in its entirety a great historic landmark to be cherished and renowned throughout time. I Heart Chicago!

Chicago has a first class China Town with regards to food. The area's entrance, or gate is a cool…read morefeature for the businesses. I've seen more impressive like San Francisco. It's a place to get a photo op at a minimum. The Chinese restaurants are actually on both sides of the main road.

An important part of any Chinatown is the gate. It proudly stands at the entrances to these…read moreneighborhoods letting people know this is where Chinese Americans call home. Lots of authentic restaurants and shops around here. Even though these kinds of gates aren't unique, it's still a Impressive work of architecture. There's usually announcements about festivals posted onto it so check it out to find out what's going on. Gate is located at the north entrance to Chinatown on Wentworth Avenue. It has a design based on a gate in Beijing. This has an inscription in Chinese. It reads "the world belong to all." This is an important message about inclusion. It seems to be a popular place for selfies and making Instagram posts, so watch out for these people if you happen to be driving. The gate was designed by Peter Fung, a notable Chinese American architect who designed other things around here. A very quick walk from the CTA station on Cermak. It's at the intersection of Archer and Wentworth before the main Chinatown entrance. There's more to Chinatown north of it too.

Aha! Pump it! Pump it real good! This is an actual pumping…read morestation! There's huge pipes up in here that transport lots of water up from Lake Michigan to all the thirsty Chicago people. This building is real old- it predates the great fire by two years. This is when they knew how to build things to last. This water tower pumping stationis kinda hollow inside, but full of water works infrastructure. There's a tour you can take. There's also an art gallery that's free and worth checking out, even if just for a few minutes.

This was awesome! You just walk in and find the pumping station operating behind glass enclosure…read more It takes you back in time for a quick minute. My dad was a union plumber in NYC, so of course I can appreciate this awesome structure available to the public. Visiting Chicago has been a great experience!!!

This is a small pocket plaza located in the heart of downtown Chicago, sandwiched between the…read moreWrigley and Realtor buildings. It was dedicated in 1963 by the then Mexican Consulate General, in honor of the member countries of the Organization of American States. It is a small plaza that is very picturesque, especially at night at is home to a few sculptures. In the Spring and Summer, the plaza is adorned with beautiful flowers and folliage. It is well maintained. Obviously, they cant have the plants in the harsh Chicago winters though. You will find the Wings of Mexico here. It is a temporary exhibit that consist of a pair of gold wings that visitor can pose in front of and take pictures. There is also a life-sized sculpture of Mexico's first president of indigenous origin (26th overall), Benito Juarez in the plaza. I did not see any seating in the plaza, so I guess they do not want it to be a spot to hang out and loiter, but to just enjoy. There are flags around the plaza's perimeter, representative of the each respective country that is part of the Organization of American States. Parking to get here is very difficult, as is most parking in the Windy City. I like this place and what it represents, but this plaza is not a destination spot and most of its visitors will be passerbys such as myself. I would say, I spent about 20 minutes here and moved on.

This place was nice to just sit, relax, enjoy the view, and take a quick break from walking around…read morethe city.

This thing cost $500K to put up and while it is a pretty damn cool looking gateway for an awesome…read moreneighborhood I don't think it's the best use of taxpayer money. If you've ever driven around here you know that there's potholes galore and personally I would have rather seen some of those go away before a spiffy sign. Just my opinion.

THINGS THAT MAKE YOU GO HMMMM…read more I like the sign with its neon changing colors in the evening but why is it there? The sign does have a Disney feel to it but there are no amusement rides on the other side. What really made me question the sign was Chicago's Yelp CM Danny W's review in which he pointed out the sign cost $500,000. What? I was shocked. We have people hungry in the streets. We have students who are losing teachers in schools and being crammed into crowded class rooms. We have pot holes and cracked sidewalks on the other side of the gateway. Walt Disney would have completed the project first before putting up a sign inviting people to visit. I went to the Internet and read some interesting things like the West Loop residents and Alderman tried to stop the project but the Mayors office didn't listen. In fact, they are proposing to spend a total of 45 million on this area. That's great but can I get my cut? I will have to check with Danny but we will sweep the street under the gateway for about $1 million. That seems fare to help with the tourist who are going through the gateway in order to visit pothole park & semi truck land. Maybe this is Disney! It's like a real version of test track at Epcot where I avoid blowing out my tires in giant holes or getting flattened by a giant 18 wheeler. I understand that you have to spend money to make money but it just seems fiscally irresponsible to be spending money on the gateway before actually improving the infrastructure of the streets. Politicians make all the final decisions but do they really represent us? Probably not! I really did like the gateway but that was before I became educated and learned the cost. I can only imagine how $500,000 could have helped the people of Chicago in need for a better life. Hmmm!!!!