One More Look at Downtown Chicago

Well, this is it. Yesterday morning, after taking those photos at Lake Michigan, I took the #147 bus downtown for my last Chicago photography excursion. Initially, I had intended to take the architectural boat tour, but before the first tour I took the #66 west on Chicago Avenue and headed to Ukrainian Village. As I have said, I am a Jew who loves the beauty of church architecture, and there were several Eastern Christian churches there that I had wanted to see for the last time, one of them being Sullivan's historic Russian Orthodox church built over a century ago and modeled after a church in Russia. I took photos, but I went too early for the churches themselves to be open, and so I couldn't go in. While the architectural designs of the church exteriors are beautiful, the main attraction, at least for me, are the gilded interiors that are a trademark of Eastern Christian, especially Orthodox, churches, which seek to bring divine inspiration to their congregants by appealing to their senses.

If ever you get the chance, then definitely visit Ukrainian Village. There is a nice selection of cultural venues there, including Ukrainian restaurants, a Ukrainian/European deli and bakery, a store featuring traditional Ukrainian arts and crafts, and a museum focusing on contemporary Ukrainian art. I've been in many of these places in the past, just as I have been inside several of the area's Eastern Christian churches. In fact, a few times I joined a friend for vespers service at the historic Sullivan Orthodox church (Holy Trinity). The interiors of all of these Eastern Christian churches, particularly the Sullivan church, possess a mystical atmosphere, aided significantly by gilded mosaics and the scent of beautiful incense during church service.

After that detour, I returned to Michigan Avenue, but I felt too antsy to commit to a boat tour. Besides, so much of my life in Chicago has been about walking down its streets and visiting its neighborhoods on foot. I thought, Why break that tradition now? And so, here is the result from that walk. The first photo, of the John Hancock Center, is one I actually took earlier that morning, before heading to Ukrainian Village, but the rest are part of the same walk. I decided to take the Chicago Riverwalk, which you can catch at the Michigan Avenue Bridge. Then, I headed deeper into the Loop, before getting some lunch and heading home. Enjoy!

John Hancock Center, Chicago, IL

Wrigley Building, Intercontinental Hotel, and Tribune Tower, Chicago, IL

Yes, I have a love affair with this trio of buildings. They are always beautiful, especially under a deep blue sky cluttered with a few white clouds.

The city from the Chicago Riverwalk, Chicago, IL

Simply stunning! What else is there to say?

Marina City, Chicago, IL

They still look like honeycombs or two cobs of corn!

The Reid Murdoch Building, Chicago, IL

The Reid Murdoch Building now houses the headquarters for the Encyclopedia Britannica.

Merchandise Mart, Chicago, IL

The art deco Merchandise Mart opened in 1930 and was considered at the time to be the largest building in the world with 4,000,000 square feet (or so says Wikipedia). I guess at one time it even had its own zip code. I confess that I haven't been inside in years, but I have always enjoyed the sight of it when taking the Brown Line "L" train (seen on its tracks below the Merchandise Mart) into the Loop.

Looking east from the River, Chicago, IL

What a beautiful city!

Boeing Headquarters, Chicago, IL

Sears Tower, Chicago, IL

I searched high and low for a building called "Willis Tower," but I couldn't find it, and so I decided to take photos of the Sears Tower instead. Enjoy!

Sears Tower, Chicago, IL

Sears Tower, Chicago, IL

Well, that does it for my series of photo excursions around my hometown of Chicago. I have another photo or two to share with you tomorrow, but then it's onward to the Great American Southwest!