Chicago
So on the 26th of December 2007, I arrived at Chicago, Illinois, for the second time in my life, and this time to spend more than just a couple of hours with old friends.
This time, it was to spend an entire day seeing what this great city was all about. And, of course, go nuts with my little Sony Ericsson Walkman/phone/camera/beauty.
Chicago is regarded as the architectural capital of the world for good reason, having seen it up close and personal now. It is a city like any other, full of tall skyscrapers, people, traffic, etc, but what makes it particularly distinct is the fact that it is one of the very few cities where the buildings and monuments actually seem to fit in with each other so well that the skyline does not seem like some weird blotted, jagged monstrosity.
There is harmony to the rich, somewhat classical, elaborate architectural styles of the Wrigley Building, the Sear's Tower, John Hancock, and even that strange 'Bean' at Millenium Park. Everythin
g seems to fit well, and does not feel out of place, which is what is so impressive about this city.
Walking down Magnificient Mile (Michigan Avenue) is a pretty amazing feeling... for Malaysians, this is very much the Jalan Sultan Ismail or Jalan Ampang of Chicago, except that it is very straight, and filled with rows and rows of buildings that range from endless shopping malls, bookstores, universities, libraries, radio broadcast centres, Newspapers (Chicago Tribune) and a whole bunch of others.
The bridge over the river leading to Michigan Lake is something special too. One could just meander around from one end to the other, losing yourself in the sights and taking the most glorious photos of people, buildings, and whatever else... it helped a lot that the weather was simply pristine, almost summer-like in quality.
Going to Navy Pier, on the shores of Lake Michigan, I finally realised where the idea for Eye of Malaysia came from. The huge ferris wheel at this beautiful pier is something to behold, and it gives this spectacular view of the city skyline and the lake itself, that words simply do not do it justice that I will just have to let the photos do all the talking.
I was a little worried that a day will not be enough to see this city, but I was both wrong and right. A day was more than enough to come
to terms with just how great a city Chicago really is, even though there is still so much to see and do.
The fact that Michigan Avenue itself lies at the very heart of the city and there is so much that can be experienced in the short, two mile walk, is a testament to the ingenuity of town planning. It is something that modern cities that are hell bent of putting up as many buildings as possible in every conceivable angle would do well to learn from.
Finally, having the extra time, I even got to sample a small bit of the nightlife in Chicago, by visiting this little live music bar called the Underground Wonder Bar. I have no photos of this place, though...it was too dark.
Till my next post, then... hope you like the new design.
Burn
This time, it was to spend an entire day seeing what this great city was all about. And, of course, go nuts with my little Sony Ericsson Walkman/phone/camera/beauty.
Chicago is regarded as the architectural capital of the world for good reason, having seen it up close and personal now. It is a city like any other, full of tall skyscrapers, people, traffic, etc, but what makes it particularly distinct is the fact that it is one of the very few cities where the buildings and monuments actually seem to fit in with each other so well that the skyline does not seem like some weird blotted, jagged monstrosity.
There is harmony to the rich, somewhat classical, elaborate architectural styles of the Wrigley Building, the Sear's Tower, John Hancock, and even that strange 'Bean' at Millenium Park. Everythin
g seems to fit well, and does not feel out of place, which is what is so impressive about this city.
Walking down Magnificient Mile (Michigan Avenue) is a pretty amazing feeling... for Malaysians, this is very much the Jalan Sultan Ismail or Jalan Ampang of Chicago, except that it is very straight, and filled with rows and rows of buildings that range from endless shopping malls, bookstores, universities, libraries, radio broadcast centres, Newspapers (Chicago Tribune) and a whole bunch of others.
The bridge over the river leading to Michigan Lake is something special too. One could just meander around from one end to the other, losing yourself in the sights and taking the most glorious photos of people, buildings, and whatever else... it helped a lot that the weather was simply pristine, almost summer-like in quality.
Going to Navy Pier, on the shores of Lake Michigan, I finally realised where the idea for Eye of Malaysia came from. The huge ferris wheel at this beautiful pier is something to behold, and it gives this spectacular view of the city skyline and the lake itself, that words simply do not do it justice that I will just have to let the photos do all the talking.
I was a little worried that a day will not be enough to see this city, but I was both wrong and right. A day was more than enough to come
to terms with just how great a city Chicago really is, even though there is still so much to see and do.The fact that Michigan Avenue itself lies at the very heart of the city and there is so much that can be experienced in the short, two mile walk, is a testament to the ingenuity of town planning. It is something that modern cities that are hell bent of putting up as many buildings as possible in every conceivable angle would do well to learn from.
Finally, having the extra time, I even got to sample a small bit of the nightlife in Chicago, by visiting this little live music bar called the Underground Wonder Bar. I have no photos of this place, though...it was too dark.
Till my next post, then... hope you like the new design.
Burn
