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The Chicago Traveler

June 26th, 2008

Taste of Chicago 2008: Taste’s Better Every Year

It’s that time of year again. The Taste of Chicago is an annual food festival, where dozens of restaurants from across the city gather along Columbus Drive. Millions of locals and tourists sample hundreds of dishes from every cuisine imaginable, from hot dogs to ravioli to veggie gyros to pad thai to empanadas to omelets… […]

By Matt B -- 4 comments

June 9th, 2008

Seventeenth Church Attracts the Masses

Some people may be surprised to learn that this modern, strange-looking building (across from the George Washington Memorial) surrounded by incredible skyscrapers is actually a Church: the Seventeenth Church of Christ, Scientist, to be exact.
Encircled by tall, rectangular towers, this concrete structure’s round design makes it really stand out from the River North crowd. The […]

By Matt B -- 2 comments

June 9th, 2008

191 North Wacker Fits Right In

The Chicago Lantern Building at 191 North Wacker may not be quite as famous as its next-door neighbor, 333 Wacker Drive, but it holds its own in the downtown neighborhood. This 516-foot tall (157 m) skyscraper with 37 floors borders the Chicago River, and the building’s bluish-green glass complements the waters below. At the very […]

By Matt B -- 0 comments

June 2nd, 2008

Cadillac Palace Theatre

The Cadillac Palace Theatre, another beautiful piece of Chicago’s historic Theater District, first opened its doors in October of 1926. Although the theatre may not look like much on the outside, it more than makes up for that inside. Visitors then and now saw breathtaking design inspired by the palaces of Fontainebleau and Versailles, both […]

By Matt B -- 0 comments

May 24th, 2008

Potter’s Secret Chamber

A little over a month ago, the Palmer House Hilton opened Potter’s, a sophisticated bar and lounge. It’s named after Potter Palmer, the Palmer House founder, and replicates the style and elegance of the 1920s with a modern, sleek look.
Located inside the hotel, Potter’s is open to the public, but not many people outside of […]

By Matt B -- 1 comment

May 19th, 2008

McCormick Tribune Campus Center Covers Its Tracks

This week’s architectural attraction looks like it came from the cartoon show, The Jetsons. The McCormick Tribune Campus Center, officially opened in September 2003, is just one of several eye-appealing structures at the Illinois Institute of Technology.
Before the building was constructed, there was merely a parking lot which several students walked across to get to […]

By Matt B -- 0 comments

May 13th, 2008

Best and Worst of the eL

Recently, the CTA has been asking the opinions of “Mystery Commuters” to tell them all that is good and bad about Chicago’s buses and trains. The Chicago Sun-Times decided to take matters into their own hands and ride all 242 miles (389 km) of subway and eL tracks. They made a list of 10 “bests” […]

By Matt B -- 3 comments

May 7th, 2008

Millennium Park Features Chicago’s Most Striking Structures

If you’re scheduling a trip to Chicago and haven’t planned a trip to Millennium Park, you’re definitely missing out. The fact that it opened in July 2004 (not 2000) and was three times more expensive than anyone had planned just goes to show how much work went into this state-of-the-art attraction.
Oh sure, it may seem […]

By Matt B -- 5 comments

May 6th, 2008

Crown Fountain Combines Art, Tech, and Fun

Try to describe Crown Fountain to anyone who hasn’t been there, and you may be at a loss. While looking at it, the concept seems very simple: two 50-foot (15-m) towers facing each over a reflecting pool. But if you take a closer look, you’ll notice there is a lot going on with this project […]

By Matt B -- 0 comments

May 5th, 2008

Cloud Gate, a.k.a. "The Bean"

One of the most interesting and unique attractions in Chicago is Cloud Gate, otherwise known as “The Bean.” Sculptor Anish Kapoor created this work of art, giving visitors a unique panoramic view of Chicago’s skyline reaching for the clouds above. “The Bean” is made of 168 polished stainless steel plates seamlessly welded together. It stands […]

By Matt B -- 4 comments

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