Sketches from life. Magnificent Mile Chicago Water Tower

October 25th, 2013

Chicago water tower It is considered almost the only building in Chicago to survive the great fire of 1871. This, of course, is not entirely true: this is the only surviving public building and one of the few that have survived to this day. One way or another, the Chicago Water Tower has become a symbol of old Chicago and the city's restoration after the fire.

The Chicago Water Tower was built in 1869 in the "European" style that was fashionable at the time. medieval castles in the American view."

Once the tower, reaching 47 meters in height, was the tallest building in the area.

Chicago Water Tower in 1886.

Today, against the background of modern skyscrapers, it looks very small.

Photo taken by Dori ( [email protected])

The water tower is part of a complex that also includes a pumping station.

Pumping station.

This station was built to provide the city with clean water. Before this, the water came from the coastal waters of Lake Michigan, which were polluted by the Chicago River flowing into it (wastewater from numerous Chicago plants and factories was discharged into this river).

Chicago River. 1905


Source: Library of Congress Archives.

Water had to be supplied to the pumping station from special reservoirs located in the lake at a distance from the shore.

View of Chicago from Lake Michigan.

This idea was not particularly successful - the tanks themselves quickly became contaminated. The problem was solved only by turning the flow of the Chicago River back (yes, long before Brezhnev the idea of ​​turning rivers not only existed, but was even successfully implemented!).

The Magnificent Mile is one of the most famous shopping streets in the world, located on a section of Michigan Avenue north of the Chicago River. There are many shops along the Magnificent Mile, shopping centers, restaurants, hotels and Chicago attractions. The street is surrounded by huge skyscrapers and remarkable buildings.

The areas around the Magnificent Mile are considered some of the most expensive and prestigious in Chicago. The wide sidewalks are always crowded. Luxury shops, boutiques and restaurants cater primarily to the wealthy as well as tourists. All famous shopping brands are present on the Magnificent Mile.

The oldest building along the Magnificent Mile is the old Chicago Water Tower. The tower was built in 1869. The pumping station and tower look a little out of place among the many high-rise buildings. It is a highlight in the heart of Chicago and a popular tourist attraction. The water tower is one of the few structures surviving from Chicago after the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. The building symbolizes Chicago's resilience. They tried to demolish the water tower several times: in 1906, 1918 and 1948, but each time the defenders were able to defend the symbol of Chicago.

Interesting buildings located on the Magnificent Mile (year of construction, height in meters):

• Wrigley Building (1924)
• Tribune Tower (1925, 141 m)
• Water Tower Place (1975, 262 m)
• Olympia Center (1986, 221 m)
• Chicago Place (185 m)
• One Magnificent Mile (205 m)
• 900 North Michigan (1989, 265 m)
• John Hancock Center (1970, 344 m)
• Park Tower (2000, 257 m)
• Drake Hotel (1920)
• Allerton Hotel (1924, 110 m)
• Palmolive Building (1929, formerly the Playboy Building)

Chicago- the third most populous city in the United States; largest metropolis Illinois, located along the coast of Lake Michigan. Chicago is often called the “second city” or “windy city”: the “second city” refers to economic leadership (after New York), and he received the nickname “windy city” due to fluctuations in city authorities (and not because of strong winds, as many people think). The nickname, uttered by politicians, stuck so much that it became Chicago's middle name. This city is not lacking in arrogance and vanity, there is something mesmerizing about it... Chicago's powerful architecture hides Mexican, Polish, Vietnamese and other ethnic residential areas to wander through. This is a city of blues, jazz and rock clubs open every night.

Video: Chicago

Basic moments

This is where such concepts as the gang, electric blue and, reputedly, pizza were born. Journalist Henry Mencken called Chicago "the literary capital of the United States," and writers from Nelson Algren to Nobel laureate Saul Bellow maintained that reputation. The comedy theater troupe Second City Players produced such actors as Steve Martin, John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, and gave birth to the late-night musical and comedy program Saturday Night Live on American television. (Saturday Night Live).

The nickname of Chicago as a “windy city” also comes from the corsair habits of Chicago politicians (chattering of bills), and from exorbitant praise of his 1893 World's Columbian Exposition. And although a piercing wind blows from the lake here, this is not why the city received such a nickname.

A pleasant surprise for many who come here for the first time will be a 24 km long strip of sandy seaside and parklands along the lake in this purely trading city. Unlike other cities on the Great Lakes, Chicago has most of its lakefront land devoted to parks and residential areas, and there is no industrial activity. Just a few blocks from the center there is freedom for sunbathing, swimming or fishing.

The city, which set an example for the whole world in the construction of skyscrapers, began to do this unwillingly. In 1871, a fire devastated predominantly wooden Chicago, which was barely 30 years old, leaving 100,000 residents homeless. We had to quickly rebuild, building fireproof houses while prudently using the space available for construction. Architects who developed techniques for constructing a building around a metal frame so that it could rise to its intended height while maintaining style and without losing sophistication laid the foundation for the so-called Chicago School of architecture.

This included Louis Sullivan, Daniel Burnham, and later Mies van der Rohe. Frank Lloyd Wright also worked in Chicago, but he is best known for building residential buildings.

According to the 2013 census, Chicago's population is about 2.7 million, which by any measure is a big city, however, it is far inferior to New York, which makes the “second city” not only take a defensive posture, but also encourages action. The local architectural tradition itself inevitably led to the desire to build something grander than the New York Spitz, and finally the Willis Tower became the tallest building in the world until it was surpassed in 1996 by the twin towers of the Petronas oil company in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

The Chicago Symphony Orchestra is one of the best orchestras in the world, and the Art Institute of Chicago is world renowned famous museum. But the townspeople themselves, while not striving for the sophistication of Manhattanites, are distinguished by a friendly and ironic attitude towards life, which makes them more approachable in communication.

It's hard to shake off the old image of a gangster town, but you won't find a monument to Al Capone here, and the influence of the mafia here is the same as in other rich cities in America. The moneymakers here are people from England, although the tone of social life is set by the descendants of the Irish, Poles, Germans, Italians, blacks and Jews.

Flamingo Chicago sculpture (Calder's Flamingo)

(Chicago Transit Authority, CTA) There is an excellent bus service and taxi fares aren't too burdensome, but for once we recommend renting a car to get around the city outside of the congested center if you're going to be here for more than a day. Getting around is easy: the city center is called the Loop ("a loop") because of the elevated railroad track that surrounds the business district south of the Chicago River. Other urban areas are listed according to their location relative to the center: North Side ("northern"), South Side ("southern") and West Side ("west").

Story

At the end of the 17th century, the Potawatomi Indians gave the area the name Chekagow (Chicago), which means "wild onion". There were once swamps in the surrounding area. The turning point for the emergence of the city was October 8, 1871, when (as the legend says) Mrs. O'Leary's cow knocked over a kerosene lamp, which started the Great Chicago Fire. It burned the entire middle of the city and left 90,000 people without homes.

“Damn,” said the city planners. “Looks like we shouldn't have built everything out of wood. It's burning." And they rebuilt, using steel, and created space for the implementation of bold ideas - they built new buildings, for example, the world's first skyscraper, which suddenly appeared in the sky in 1885.

Al Capone's gang ruled here in the 1920s, corrupting political power. The local government paid the price: 30 council members were jailed in 1970.

For the past half-century, the biggest name in Chicago has been Daley: Richard Daley was the city's mayor from 1955 to 1976, and son Richard M. Daley held the top job from 1989 to 2011.

Chicago Attractions

The main attractions in Chicago can be found in or near the city center, although visits to more distant areas such as Pilsen and Hyde Park will also keep you entertained.

The streets of the city are laid out in a grid and numbered. Madison Street (Madison) and State Street (State St) in Chicago Loop (Loop) is the center, when you go north, south, east or west from this location, each increase of 800 units in the street number corresponds to 1.61 km. For example. after Chicago Avenue (Chicago Ave (800 N)) goes North Avenue (North Ave (1600 N)), then Fullerton Avenue (Fuilerton Ave (2400 N))- having reached this point, you will be 1.83 km north of the center.

Michigan Avenue

Instead of the bustling center, we advise you to begin to form your idea of ​​the city from its most beautiful street, although businesslike, but more measured. Chicagoans call the tree-lined stretch of street north of the Loop and the river to Oak Street the Magnificent Mile. (Magnificent Mile). The largest high fashion stores, jewelry stores, department stores, art galleries and bookstores are located there. The street acquired a unique look, so when McDonald's, whose headquarters is in Chicago, decided to open a branch here, local merchants insisted that the exterior design of the building fit into the surrounding environment.

Most notable is the enormous, blued, 100-story John Hancock Center, with its striking, braced frame appearance. In front of us is a real vertical street, rising up to 337.5 m. The first five floors are occupied by shops, then half a dozen floors are given over to parking, and then there are office and residential premises, where a supermarket and a swimming pool are provided for residents. The 94th floor observation deck offers views of the Michigan lakeshore, the Indiana steel mills behind the Loop, the Wisconsin-facing shores and the flat residential neighborhoods of the West Side.

A block east of North Michigan Avenue is busy Rush Street with summer cafes, nightclubs, restaurants and taverns, which comes to life at dusk. At Chicago and Michigan Avenues there is an amazing white limestone water tower that has become a historical landmark. It was erected in 1869 to house a pump that pumped water from the lake, and was the only public structure to survive the fire. Today there is a park around it.

Water tower area (Water Tower Place; 845 North Michigan) is a shopping center with waterfalls along the escalators that take visitors to the shops and restaurants located on the seven floors of the building. Four blocks south is Ontario Street, lined with art galleries, where works of contemporary art are lavishly exhibited.

The Tribune Tower stands out with pseudo-Gothic spires and a portico, between which 30 floors fit. Built in 1925 for the local newspaper the Chicago Tribune, it became the basis for America's most famous architectural competition. Many leading architects (233 applications received from 23 countries) presented their projects, and among the losers were Walter Gropius, the creator of the Bauhaus, a famous educational institution and architectural and artistic association in Germany, and the great Finnish architect Ero Saarinen. Having tacitly convinced the world that modern buildings should henceforth have a modern look, the tower appeared as an unusual and even endearing eccentricity.

We see a magnificent variety of styles in skyscrapers near the Chicago River, starting from the Michigan Avenue Bridge. The yellowish-white building with a clock tower north of the bridge is the skyscraper of Wrigley, the famous manufacturer of chewing gum, especially beautiful at night under the floodlights.

Further west along the river are the Twin Towers residential complex Marina City, resembling huge ears of corn.

Round reinforced concrete towers, with living quarters on the upper floors like slices of pie, slope down to the river. They serve as a pier for 500 ships of local residents or boats of entrepreneurs who use them to get to work from the suburbs north coast lakes. Contrasting with them is a multi-storey steel and glass panel building by Mies van der Rohe, owned by IBM, located behind.

Buckingham Fountain is one of the largest in the world; "gate" of Chicago

Loop

Loop - area along with the El elevated railway (elevated railroad), which encircles it along Wabash Avenue in the east, Ozernaya streets in the north, Rodnikovaya streets in the west and Van Buren streets in the south, symbolizes American efficiency. LaSalle Street, the heart of the financial and banking district, resembles a canyon like New York's Wall Street. The main downtown department stores are located on State Street and Wabash Avenue. One of them, the Carson-Peary-Scott building, is a place of pilgrimage for architectural specialists, attracting them, like the first buyers in 1904, with Louis Sullivan’s unusual openwork metal ornament above the entrance from Madison Street, as well as unprecedented for that time, windows stretched lengthwise. Unfortunately, the store closed in 2007.

The most remarkable feature of the Chicago business district is that in its many squares, plazas, space is not given to statues famous people, A modern sculptures with mosaic. This design, called “area art” (plaza art), began with a massive steel untitled sculpture by Picasso (1967) before Municipal Center Richard Joseph Daley (Washington and Dearborn streets), a complex of city hall and courthouse buildings named after the late mayor. Like a high-rise courthouse, Picasso's 15-meter-tall sculpture is made of weather-resistant steel that turns rust-colored. To those who are trying to understand whether the person in front of them is a woman or a horse, Picasso himself has already answered that this, they say, is akin to trying to understand what a bird is singing about. And yet this statue attracts admirers of the artist and townspeople to the square, who love to eat sandwiches here.

Mosaic "The Seasons" by M. Chagall

Among other notable examples of “square art” we can highlight Chagall’s “Seasons” - a 21.5 m long mosaic on the First People's Square (First National Plaza; Monroe and Dearborn streets); bright red, 16 m high abstract sculpture “Flamingo” (Flamingo Stabile; Adams and Dearborn streets) Alexander Calder, decorating the Mies van der Rohe-designed Federal Center, considered by some to be the finest complex of government buildings in the country; and, perhaps, the most provocative sculpture “Batcolumn” (on the border of the Loop at the Social Security Administration building; 600 West Madison Street) representative of pop art Claes Oldenburg, 30.5 m high, assembled from 1608 welded steel elements.

Willis Tower rises at the edge of the Loop (Wacker Drive and Adams Street), with 110 floors soaring up to 443 m, which at one time allowed it to become the tallest building in the world. Nowadays the building consists of nine towers of the architectural agency COM (Skidmore, Owings & Merrill - SOM), resembling square cigarettes gathered together, peeking out of the “pack” at different lengths. The steel frame is covered with blackened aluminum, and 16 thousand windows are painted bronze. Located on the 103rd floor Observation deck. After visiting Hancock Tower during the day, come to the Willis Tower site at night to admire the view.

Most restaurants and cafes in the Loop are designed to accommodate the lunchtime crowds of office workers.

Chinatown

You can truly feel the charm of Chicago's Chinatown by walking from bakery to bakery, inhaling the aroma of pecan pies and macaroons, and shopping for Hello Kitty-branded trinkets. Wentworth Avenue (Wentworth Ave), south of Sermak Road (Cermak Rd), - the shopping heart of old Chinatown; Chinatown Square (Chinatown Sq), along Archer Avenue (Archer Ave), south of Semark, is a newer commercial area. You can easily get here in 10 minutes from Loop by train. Take the Red Line STA to the Cermak-Chinatown stop.

Lake Shore Drive

A trip along this road provides an opportunity to admire the surrounding area. On the South Side, you travel from Jackson Park past the sailboats moored in Chicago Harbor at Grant Park, past the Oak Street beachfront, and arrive at Lincoln Park on the North Side and the boats docked in Belmont Harbor. If you move in south direction, the road leads you to the place of greatest concentration of structures of the current millennium, located in the Millennium Park.

The Royal Fountain consists of two glass block towers enclosing a shallow granite pool. The faces of thousands of Chicagoans change on video screens behind glass blocks; Almost every 5 minutes the lips on the screen fold into a tube and “release” a stream of water gushing from the tower.

Jay Pritzker Pavilion, summer concert venue for the performance of classical music, designed by architect Frank Gehry. The pavilion is enclosed by wavy sheets of stainless steel that resemble huge ribbons winding from the stage. Gehry, in addition, was responsible for the construction of the wavy pedestrian bridge British Petroleum stainless steel.

But my favorite building (And newest symbol cities) in Millennium Square - a curved, three-story building tall sculpture, “Cloud Gate” ("Cloud Gate"). Anish Kapoor's creation, with its curved, mirror-like surface, appears to be a cross between a work of art and a funhouse mirror, and has been lovingly nicknamed "the bean." (the bean).

Lincoln Park is worth a separate visit for its menagerie. There is a stunning monkey house there, but what is most attractive is the idea of ​​introducing urban children, instead of tropical exotica, to domestic animals and birds, such as pigs, cows, goats, ducks and chickens, which they have seen exclusively in fried form and are familiar only with cats, dogs and sparrows. Likewise, the Lincoln Park Conservatory, besides a fine selection of orchids and striking African and South American trees, delights the eye with the simple charms of marshmallows, hyacinths, snapdragons and daisies in Grandmother's Garden.

Museums in Chicago

Museum town in Grant Park (1300 South Lake Shore Drive) brings together three wonderful exhibitions. Seawater aquarium Shedda (Shedd Aquarium; tel.: 312-939-24-38; www.sheddaquarium.org) is one of the largest in the world. It contains 7,500 species of fish, including a magnificent collection of 350 inhabitants of the Caribbean coral reefs.

If you're lucky, you'll see scuba divers feeding big fish. Field Museum of Natural History (tel.: 312-922-94-10; www.fieldmuseum.org) also allows visitors to “play” with some of its exhibits, although at first you will be scared by the huge, restive elephants fighting in the main hall.

(tel.: 312-922-78-27; www.adlerplanetarium.org) offers colorful multimedia views of the sky. In addition to the detailed, but now commonplace, exhibitions highlighting space exploration, there is an attractive display of astronomical instruments dating back to the times when people still believed that the Earth was flat.

Museum of Science and Industry (South Lake Shore Drive and 57th Street; tel.: 773-684-14-14; www.msichicago.org)- the most visited in the city, since you don’t just stand and look, but walk among the exhibits and do something. Go down into a coal mine, walk through a huge model of the human heart, visit a captured German submarine from World War II, push buttons and pull levers marked “Do not touch.”

(Michigan Avenue & Adams Street; tel.: 312-443-36-00; www.artic.edu), originally an art school, now belongs to the best American museums. In less than a century, a collection has been assembled here, where the collection of impressionists and post-impressionists stands out. The new, modern wing of the building displays works by Matisse, Picasso, Georgia O'Keeffe and Edward Hopper.

Electronic tickets and discount cards

Major attractions including the Art Institute, Shedd Aquarium (Shedd Aquarium) and Willis Tower, allow you to purchase tickets online. The advantage is that, firstly, you are guaranteed entry, and secondly, you do not have to wait in line. Disadvantage - you have to pay for the service, fees can range from $1.50 to $4 per ticket (sometimes for the entire order), and sometimes the online queue is no shorter than the live one. Our suggestion: Consider purchasing online tickets in the summer and for some large exhibitions, otherwise it is not necessary.

Chicago offers several discount cards that will also allow you to bypass the waiting lines Go Chicago Card (www.gochicagocard.com). Allows you to visit attractions and attractions an unlimited number of times for a fixed fee; convenient if you visit these places one, two, three, five or seven days in a row.

CityPass (www.citypass.com) Gives access to the city's five main magnets, including the Shedd Aquarium and Willis Tower, for nine days; this is the best option if you prefer a leisurely pace of sightseeing.

Leisure

Chicago's 552 parks include public golf courses, skating rinks, swimming pools and more. The events are free or very inexpensive; the necessary equipment can almost always be rented. Chicago Park District holds various shows; golf information (Tel: 312-245-0909; www.cpdgolf.com) need to be looked at separately.

Bike

Cycling along the 29.77 km lakeside path is a wonderful way to see the city. Bicycles are rented out by two companies. The cost is about $10 per hour or $35 per day (helmet and lock included). Both companies offer two to four hour tours ($35 to $60, including bicycles) with a walk around the lake area, drinking beer, eating pizza and sightseeing Obama (highly recommended!). Active Transportation Alliance (www.activetrans.org) provides a list of cycling events taking place in the city.

Velo-Chicago (Bike Chicago) (Tel: 888-245-3929; www.bikechicago.com; 239 E Randolph St); 6:30-8:00 Mon-Fri, 8:00 Sat-Sun, closed Sat-Sun November to March) A fairly separate organization, it has its branches in different places. The main one is in Millennium Park, and the other one is at Navy Pier. Bobby's bike rides (Bobby's Bike Hike) (Tel: 312-915-0995; www.bobbysbikehike.com; 465 N McClurg Ct (McClurg Court); 8.30-19.00 June to August, closed December to February) Energetic successful company. Office located at Ogden Slip (River East Docks).

Water sports

Dive, build sandcastles, or sunbathe at any of Chicago's 30-plus beaches. Rescuers patrol the shore in summer season. Check out the Chicago Park District (www.chicagoparkdistrict.com) for advice before boarding the ship. North Avenue Beach (North Avenue Beach) and Oak Street Beaches (Oak Street Beach) located close to the center. Gather all your will and concentrate, as the water remains chillingly cold even in July.

Ice skating

Ice rink McCormick (McCormick Tribune Ice Rink) (Tel: 312-742-5222; www.milienniumpark.org; 55 N Michigan Ave); skate rental $10; from late November to February) in Millennium Park lights up when the temperature outside begins to drop.

Festivals and events

There are events happening every day in Chicago, but the biggest ones happen in the summer. This is what happens downtown on weekends, unless otherwise noted. Explore Chicago (www.explorechicago.org/specialeverts) can give you exact dates and other details.

St. Patrick's Day Parade

www.chicagostpatsparade.com; mid-March. Local Plumbers Union Turns Chicago River Green (Oxalis color), followed by a big parade.

Blues Festival

www.chicagobluesfestival.us; every year in June. This is the largest free blues festival in the world - three days of music that made Chicago famous.

Taste of Chicago

www.tasteofchicago.us; end of June - beginning of July. 10-day bash in Grant Park with live bands and lots of food.

Summer Dance

www.chicagosummerdance.org; 601S Michigan Ave (Michigan Avenue); 18.00 Thu-Sat, 16.00 Sun, from early July to mid-September. Bands play rumba, samba and other world-famous tunes, and fun dance lessons are held to the music. All this happens in the Spirit of Music Garden (Spirit of Music Garden) in Grant Park.

Pitchfork Music Festival

www.pitchforkmusicfestival.com; day pass $45; mid-July. Indie bands strumming in Union Park (Union Park) in three days.

Lollapalooza

www.lollapalooza.com; day pass about $100; beginning of August. Up to 130 bands will scatter across eight stages in Grant Park for the three-day mega-concert.

Jazz Festival

www.chicagojazzfestival.us; beginning of September. National big name jazz artists play here on Labor Day.

Accommodation

Hotels in Chicago are not cheap. The best way save - use special offers, such as Priceline or Hotwire (look for the "River North" or "Mag Mile" location). On weekends and on days when the city is flooded with members of any conventions (which often take place here), your chances are dwindling before your eyes, so plan everything in advance to avoid unpleasant surprises. The prices we have listed below are normal for midweek in the summer, i.e. hot season. Another 15.4% goes to tax.

B&B hotels are an excellent choice for the middle-class dandy. Contact the Chicago Bed & Breakfast Association (www.chicago-bed-breakfast.com; rooms $125-250), which represents 18 hotels. Many hotels have a minimum stay, two to three days minimum. Vacation rentals in local apartments too a good option. Contact Vacation Rental By Owner (www.vrbo.com) or Craigslist (www.chicago.craigslist.org).

Hotels in the Loop are convenient for visiting Grant Park, museums, and the business district, but the area comes to a standstill at night. Housing in the Near North or Gold Coast is popular due to its proximity to restaurants, shopping and entertainment. Rooms in Lincoln Park, Lake View and Wicker Park are tempting as they are often cheaper than downtown rooms while still being close enough to the action. nightlife cities.

Wi-Fi is free unless otherwise stated. You'll pay a lot for parking in Chicago, about $45 per night downtown and $22 in outlying areas.

Street cafe in Chicago

For years, epicureans have written about Chicago as a "meat backwater." Then something funny happened: the city won a ton of James Beard awards and was named home by foodie magazines like Saveur best restaurants countries. Even the noisiest restaurants are beautiful here: the chefs are dreamers and great inventors, but at the same time true to tradition. The prices are tolerable. You can also try some excellent ethnic restaurants, especially if you leave the center and visit one of the neighborhoods such as Pilsen or Uptown.

During the long winters, Chicagoans rely heavily on the warmth of bars. Typically bars close by 2.00, but some remain open until 4.00 or 5.00. During the summer, many bars open beer gardens.

Chicago Transportation

To/from the airport

Chicago Midway Airport, 17.70 km southwest of the Loop, connected via CTA Orange Line ($2,25) . Other options include shuttle buses ($24 per person) and taxi ($30 to $40).

O'Hare International Airport 27.36 km northwest of Loop. The cheapest and often fastest way to get to O'Hare is to take the CTA Blue Line ($2,25) Mansueto Library

Bicycles

Chicago has 193.12 km of bike paths. Get free card at the city transportation department (www.chicagobikes.org). Bicycle racks (parking lots) so many; the largest, with showers, is McDonalds Cycle Center (www.chicagobikestation.com; 239 E Randolph St) in Millennium Park. If you don't click the lock, you'll lose it. For information about renting bicycles.

Cars and motorcycles

Be warned: parking on the streets and in garages is expensive. If you absolutely must leave your car somewhere, try the East Monroe Garage (www.millenniumgarages.com; Columbus Dr btwn Randolph & Monroe Sts (Calumbas Drive between Randolph and Monroe Streets); per day 1.4). Chicago rush hour traffic is terrible.

Public transportation

Chicago Transit Authority (Chicago Transit Authority) (CTA; www.transitchicago.com) operates city buses and overground/underground trains (this train system is known as EI). STA buses travel everywhere from early morning until late evening. Two of the eight color-coded trains are Red Line (Red line) and Blue Line (Blue line), driving to international airport O'Hara - operate 24 hours a day. Other lilies operate from approximately 5.00 to midnight every day. During the day you will not have to wait for a train for more than 15 minutes. You can get free maps at the station.

(called a “transit card”) or pay the exact amount without change (in this case the fare is $2.25). When traveling by train, you must use a transit card, which is sold in vending machines at railway stations. One day pass (one/three day pass $5.75/14) guarantees you great savings, but they can only be purchased at airports and various pharmacies and currency exchange offices.

Metra commuter trains (www.metrarail.com) has 12 routes serving suburban areas with departures from four terminals located in a ring around the Loop: La Salle Street Station (La Salle St Station), Millenyui station (Millennium Station), Union Station (Union Station) and Richard W. Ogilvy Transportation Center (and Richard At the Ogilvie Transportation Center, a few blocks north of Union Station). Some trains run daily, some only run on weekdays during peak hours. Metra fares range from $2.25 to $8.50. A full weekend pass costs $7.

RACE (www.pacebus.com) controls the system commuter buses, integrated with urban transport.

Taxi

There are plenty of taxis in the Loop, going north to Andersonville and northwest to Wicker Park/Bucktown. The minimum fare is $2.25, plus $1.80 per mile and $1 per additional passenger; A 15% tip is expected. If you travel outside the city, you will pay one and a half times higher than the established city tariff. Recommended Companies: Flash Cab (Tel: 773-561-1444) Yellow Cab (Tel: 312-829-4222).

Road there and back

Air service

Chicago Midway Airport (Chicago Midway Airport) (MDW; www.flychicago.com) Small airport used primarily by local carriers such as Southwest (Southwest); Sometimes flights from here are cheaper than from O'Hare Airport.

O'Hare International Airport (O"Hare International Airport) (ORD; www.flychicago.com) Most major airport in Chicago and one of the busiest in the world. Headquarters of United Airlines and hub for American. Most non-US airlines. and international flights use Terminal 5 (except Lufthansa and flights from Canada).

Buses

Greyhound (Greyhound) (Tel: 312-408-5800; www.greyhound.com; 630 W Harrison St) The main station is located two blocks southwest of the Blue Line Clinton CTA stop. Buses go frequently to Cleveland (7 o'clock), Detroit (7 o'clock) and Minneapolis (9 hours), as well as to small towns throughout the US.

Megabass (Megabus) (www.megabus.com/us; southeast cnr Canal St & Jackson Blvd (southeast corner of Canal Street and Jackson Blvd)). Travels only to big cities Midwest. The price is often lower, the quality of service and frequency is better than Greyhound on these routes. Bus stop located next to Union Station (Union Station).

Trains

Old Chicago Union Station (Union Station) (225 S Canal St)- transportation hub for Amtrak regional and interstate buses (Amtrak) (Tel: 800-872-7245; www.amtrak.com).

Some routes:

• Detroit (5 hours, three trains daily)
• Milwaukee (1 hour, seven trains daily)
• Minneapolis/St. Paul (8 hours, one train daily)
• NY (20 hours, one train daily)
• San Francisco (emeryville) (53 hours, ONE train daily)
• St. Louis (5 hours, five trains daily)

Calendar of low prices for air tickets

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Then we dare to recommend you to visit Chicago, Illinois. This city is rightfully considered one of the most colorful cities in the world. The “Windy City,” as it is also called in America, ranks third in terms of population in the United States. It's really beautiful and interesting city. Its amazing sights are famous all over the world. Chicago is famous for its architecture, wonderful museums and the best food on Lake Michigan. The architectural wealth of this wonderful city is a real gem, extraordinary in its attractiveness and beauty.

One of the oldest buildings in the city is water tower(Chicago Water Tower), built in 1869. This is one of the few buildings that managed to survive after terrible fire in 1871. Today this structure looks rather incongruous next to modern glass and steel buildings, but it is a symbol of the city. A piece of its history, which local residents jealously protect and cherish.

A modern Chicago landmark is Willis Tower(Willis Tower) or as it was previously called the Sears Tower (Sears Tower). It was the most high building in the world since its completion in 1974. You experience indescribable sensations looking at the panorama of the city from this skyscraper. The surrounding grandeur and beauty is simply breathtaking!

Another attraction of the city is The Magnificent Mile(Magnificent Mile). This is perhaps the most famous shopping street in the city. It is located north of the Chicago River. This extraordinary street is home to some of the city's most prestigious shopping centers, restaurants and hotels. The Magnificent Mile is without exaggeration the most luxurious street in Chicago.

After visiting the Magnificent Mile, it's time to start your museum tour. There are a lot of museums in Chicago and they are rightfully considered the best in America. You can start with Field Museum of Natural History(The Field Museum of Natural History). Where you can see with your own eyes dinosaur fossils, artifacts from Ancient Egypt and much more. Then we recommend visiting the Chicago Planetarium to learn more about our Universe, planets and stars. And, of course, magnificent Museum of Science and Industry(Museum of Science and Industry), where you can get acquainted with all the modern innovations of science and technology. This museum has many models of airplanes, trains, cars and other creations of engineering.

Having walked around the city to their heart's content, many tourists use river tours for excursions. This is a great way to relax and admire the sights while riding on comfortable water buses. Experienced guides will tell you a lot of new and interesting things about this wonderful city.

There's so much in the city interesting places that it is simply impossible to tell about everyone. Chicago is an extraordinary city, but you can only be sure of this by visiting it. Believe me, having visited the “Windy City” at least once, you will remember this trip forever!

The Trump International Hotel and Tower (more commonly known as Trump Tower in the United States) is owned by multimillionaire Donald Trump and is the second tallest skyscraper hotel in the United States. The building consists of 92 floors, and the height to the top of the spire is 423 meters.

Guests can enjoy impeccable interior design and five-star service at this world-class hotel. A total of 339 elegantly decorated rooms with fine furnishings are ready to welcome guests. The restaurant offers a wide variety of dishes and offers stunning views of the city and Lake Michigan.

The restaurant opened in 2008, and almost immediately it received a five-star rating, which not every establishment of its kind in the United States receives. The expansive Spa features 11 treatment rooms and 53 spa rooms with stunning views of the Chicago skyline, offering a variety of wellness services such as massages, therapeutic Jacuzzi baths, manicures and beauty treatments.

In addition to all this, Trump Tower has a wonderful fitness center with a swimming pool and several honeymoon suites.

Chicago Water Tower

The Chicago Water Tower was built in 1869, and is a symbol of the city and one of the oldest buildings. They tried to demolish it several times, but city residents were able to defend the building. The tower symbolically survived the fire of 1871, which destroyed most cities.

Regarding this fire there is local legend about a certain cow turning over a kerosene lamp on a haystack, causing it to instantly burst into flames, and then the fire spread to neighboring houses. The scorching summer sun only intensified the effect. Residents of the city fled, but the caretaker of the water tower remained in his place. When the fire came close, the man, wanting to avoid a painful death, climbed to the very top of the tower and hanged himself there. Locals It is believed that the ghost of the hanged man still lives in the tower and can be seen there at night.