Michigan Avenue, Chicago

I just got back from wading my way through the crowds during Taste of Chicago...it was not my destination, but rather I went past all the crowds in the park to get on Balbo street to find one of my favorite seasonal treats...Summerdance. Free dance lessons and live performaces right along Michigan Avenue, all summer long. So, I'm inspired to share some of the great music coming up, so if you happen to be in Chicago on one of these dates...you'll really treat yourself if you check this out.

Just got back from seeing the Maxwell St. Klezmer Band - very kosher cool!

See the whole summer schedule at www.chicagosummerdance.org. Here are some that I think will be fun:

July 9 - Lost Bayou Ramblers (Cajun Swamp)

July 16 - Chuchito Valdes Afro-Cuban Ensemble

July 21 - Chicago Afrobeat Project (70s funk and jazz fusion)

July 28 - Raul Jaurena's I Love Tango

August 11 - Funkadesi (East Indian, Funk & Reggae)

August 27 - C.J. Chenier & Red Hot Louisiana Band (Zydeco)

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I am contemplating of doing this tip into the tourist traps since the Magnificent Mile is One big luxe shopping area hehehe in Michigan avenue area, particulary starting from the Chicago River to Oak Street in the Near North Side community area. Aside from that, we have to thank the famous Architect Daniel Burnham for including this area for his plans (he also planned parts of Washington DC and Baguio City in the Philippines in the 1900's). and the great real estate Arthur Robloff for coining the word "Magnificent Mile" to this area. The Magnificent Mile contains a mixture of upscale department stores, restaurants, luxury retailers, residential and commercial buildings, financial services companies and hotels, and caters primarily to tourists and the affluent. The area also has a high concentration of the city's major media firms, such as the Chicago Tribune newspaper, and advertising agencies. The Magnificent Mile includes 3,100,000 sq ft (288,000 m2) of retail space, 460 stores, 275 restaurants, 51 hotels, and a host of sightseeing and entertainment attractions . Numerous prestigious buildings are located along the Magnificent Mile, such as the Wrigley Building and the John Hancock Center, places listed on the National Register of Historic Places such as The Old Chicago Water Tower District and Chicago Landmarks such as Tribune Tower and the Allerton Hotel.

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Did you know that once Michigan Ave was the beach on Lake Michigan? Hence it's name. Since the cities founding, the shore line has been pushed eastward into the Lake, creating parks and more space.

The city of Chicago, passed a law, called the "Burnham Plan" that set aside everything to the east of Michigan Avenue as public park. Thus as the shoreline was filled in, first by the railroads, to push closer to downtown (they're below street level), then by the city to create either sites for Worlds Fairs (1890's and 1930's) and then later under the Burnham Plan for public parks. Michigan Avenue has become the quintessential face of Chicago. It's not the sky-line. It's not the center of Shopping (that's the loop and north Michigan Avenue). It's the historic hotels, grand vistas and link to the cities heart.

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Walking along Michigan Avenue you can see Water Tower Plaza - a huge shopping mall that has a Disney store and other stores.
"Filenes Bargain Basement" is supposed to be discount name-brands.
You will see the Old Water Tower that is one of only two buildings to have survived the great Chicago Fire.
There is a nice bookstore on the corner called "Border's" after the old Water Tower. You must see F.A.O. Schwartz toystore in the next block after 'Border's' - even if you don't want to buy toys!
Visiting Schwartz toy store you can play with the toys, and they have an annoying song they play all the time, "Welcome to my world!" This toy store is 3 or 4 storeys.
John Hancock Building is right across the street, if you'd like to go up to the observation platform - admission is $7, and it's open until midnight.

You've heard of 5th Avenue, Rodeo Drive, the Champs Elysees; well Chicago's "must shop" street is North Michigan Avenue a.k.a the Magnificent Mile. Perfect for the self proclaimed professional shopper, or someone who wants to take a stroll and experience a true Chicago institution.

If you're a bargain shopper, do not be deterred by the designer stores like Louis Vuitton and Cartier, more wallet-friendly stores such as the Gap, and the Disney Store and everything in between can be found on Michigan Avenue. A personal favorite is the 3 story H&M! Be sure to visit Water Tower Place- a shopping mall at the north end of the street if you can't find what you're looking for outside.

For a fun history lesson visit the Old Water Tower across from the Water Tower Place shopping mall. As a survivor from the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, its architecture stands in stark contrast to the modern buildings that surround it.

For a bird's eye panoramic view of the city, an alternative to the Sears Tower (now the Willis Tower) Skydeck check out the John Hancock Center's observation deck.

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The Chicago Tribune Tower was built during 1922-1925, the design was the result of an international competition by the Chicago Tribune that offered a $50,000 prize to design "the most beautiful and eye-catching office building in the world".

The winning entry by architects Raymond Hood and John Howells, with a crowning tower with flying buttresses, was inspired by the Butter Tower at the French cathedral in Rouen. The base of the building contains 136 stones from famed sites and structures from all over the world collected by eccentric owner Col. Robert Mc Cormick and Chicago Tribune reporters, some of which I suspect were not exactly approved removals, including the Parthenon, Taj Mahal, Great Wall of China, Westminster Abbey, the Alamo and there's even a moon rock displayed in one of the windows. Near the main entrance are carved images of Robin Hood (Hood) and a howling dog (Howells) to commemorate the architects.

A statue of Revolutionary War hero Nathan Hale, who is known for proclaiming "I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country" before being executed by the British for being a spy, stands in front of the building.

The Chicago Tribune newspaper was printed in this building until 1982 when printing operations were moved to the Freedom Center on Chicago Avenue, the original location was selected because it was close to the city center, accessible by rail and near the Chicago River in order to receive paper from the Tribune's paper mills in Canada. The building still houses the Tribune's offices.

As you walk along Michigan Avenue the 154 ft (47m) Water Tower in its Gothic Revival style stands out among the other buildings. Along with the nearby Pumping Station they were the only 2 public buildings to survive the Fire of 1871.

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Michigan Avenue Bridge crosses the Chicago River to connect the Loop with the Magnificient Mile in downtown Chicago. This bascule bridge was completed in 1920, and it was built in what could be described as the oldest part of Chicago: in 1673, French explorers Louis Joliet and Jacques Marquette became the first Europeans to sail on the Chicago River, on their way to their discovery of the Mississippi River. In the 1770s, Jean Baptiste Point du Sable became the first permanent settler in Chicago when he established a trading post at the bridge's north end. In 1803, Fort Dearborn was built at the south end of the bridge. It was destroyed during the War of 1812, but there are markers on the sidewalk that indicate where the Fort used to stand.

Perhaps drawing on its historic location, four bas-relief sculptures were included in the design of the bridge (one on each of the four bridgehouses). Each of them represents one of the major events that shaped the history of the city from its beginning to the construction of the bridge: the discovery of Chicago by European explorers, the attack on Fort Dearborn, the arrival of the city's first citizens, and the rebuilding of Chicago after the Great Fire of 1871.