Chicago has changed a lot over the last century (unlike this blog, which seems to update with about that frequency). Dimly lit speakeasies and fetid swamps have given way to expansive parks and a plethora of public sculptures. Al Capone would turn in his grave if he saw what's become of his hood.
What's this cheap trick? A photoshop filter?
No, it's the famous Cloud Gate sculpture, better know as the Bean.
I wonder how many iced frappachinos you could make out of this monster?
Mei is disappointed to discover that the bean isn't a slimming mirror.
Jumping beans.
So much for the Windy City. Where's the breeze when you need it on a scorching mid-west day?
Ring around the rosie. Another scupture. Another photo op. Another filler comment.
Supposedly the Navy Pier is the mid-west's most visited tourist attraction. Which perhaps says more about the competition than it does about the charms of a McDonald's infested dock.
Time for an architecture appreciation cruise down the Chicago river that meanders past some of the most famous skyscrapers in the world. Mei takes the opportunity to admire the recently constructed Vodka & Lemonade Tower, completed in the post-modern style with a revolutionary plastic exoskeleton supporting a pink lemonade interior and topped with a cylindrical antenna that doubles as a transportation shaft.
The neo-gothic Chicago Tribune building, a relic from the golden age of journalism. You know, before any two-bit wannabe could set up a blog to record their inane ramblings.
Trump Tower. If that's the best comment you've got, you're fired! (ed: groan)
Let's play the drinking game: one sip of vodka lemonade for every pre-war skycraper with gargoyles on it.
Some bright executive at some company called Willis decided it would be a good idea to buy the naming rights to the Sears Tower. The Willis Tower? Good luck with that mate.
Chicago has a lot of experience with hydo engineering. Back in 1900 the Chicago River flowed into Lake Michigan. But this became a problem because all the city's sewage was dumped straight into the river and was contaminating the lake which was used for drinking water. The solution? Stop dumping into the river, right? Wrong! Instead the city reversed the flow of the entire river so that it flowed away from the lake. Talk about making it someone elses problem!
On a hot day the babes come out to play.
Some of Chicago's sculptures leave you scratching your head. Apparently these big folks are a tribute to the American family. Hey, you'd look grumpy too if your sub-prime house had just been repossessed...
The old...
...and the slighly less old. The John Hancock Center may be getting on in years, but the view from the top is still (almost) worth the exhorbitant entry fee.
I came, I saw, I ate. Team J00ster knows there's only one way to measure the true worth of a city.
Chicago is bidding for the 2016 Olympics. Judging by the cracking knees and straining muscles in this lunge, Rock isn't.
Continuing the line-up of fine learning institutions that Rock didn't attend, we present the University of Chicago, home of the Booth School of Business.
Old town. Mei fits right it, hahahahaha.
Chicago is a candidate for the Olympics, and also for the Coolest Mailbox.
What's this cheap trick? A photoshop filter?
No, it's the famous Cloud Gate sculpture, better know as the Bean.
I wonder how many iced frappachinos you could make out of this monster?
Mei is disappointed to discover that the bean isn't a slimming mirror.
Jumping beans.
So much for the Windy City. Where's the breeze when you need it on a scorching mid-west day?
Ring around the rosie. Another scupture. Another photo op. Another filler comment.
Supposedly the Navy Pier is the mid-west's most visited tourist attraction. Which perhaps says more about the competition than it does about the charms of a McDonald's infested dock.
Time for an architecture appreciation cruise down the Chicago river that meanders past some of the most famous skyscrapers in the world. Mei takes the opportunity to admire the recently constructed Vodka & Lemonade Tower, completed in the post-modern style with a revolutionary plastic exoskeleton supporting a pink lemonade interior and topped with a cylindrical antenna that doubles as a transportation shaft.
The neo-gothic Chicago Tribune building, a relic from the golden age of journalism. You know, before any two-bit wannabe could set up a blog to record their inane ramblings.
Trump Tower. If that's the best comment you've got, you're fired! (ed: groan)
Let's play the drinking game: one sip of vodka lemonade for every pre-war skycraper with gargoyles on it.
Some bright executive at some company called Willis decided it would be a good idea to buy the naming rights to the Sears Tower. The Willis Tower? Good luck with that mate.
Chicago has a lot of experience with hydo engineering. Back in 1900 the Chicago River flowed into Lake Michigan. But this became a problem because all the city's sewage was dumped straight into the river and was contaminating the lake which was used for drinking water. The solution? Stop dumping into the river, right? Wrong! Instead the city reversed the flow of the entire river so that it flowed away from the lake. Talk about making it someone elses problem!
On a hot day the babes come out to play.
Some of Chicago's sculptures leave you scratching your head. Apparently these big folks are a tribute to the American family. Hey, you'd look grumpy too if your sub-prime house had just been repossessed...
The old...
...and the slighly less old. The John Hancock Center may be getting on in years, but the view from the top is still (almost) worth the exhorbitant entry fee.
I came, I saw, I ate. Team J00ster knows there's only one way to measure the true worth of a city.
Chicago is bidding for the 2016 Olympics. Judging by the cracking knees and straining muscles in this lunge, Rock isn't.
Continuing the line-up of fine learning institutions that Rock didn't attend, we present the University of Chicago, home of the Booth School of Business.
Old town. Mei fits right it, hahahahaha.
Chicago is a candidate for the Olympics, and also for the Coolest Mailbox.
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