Chicago, Water and Views
Most great cities around the world have a relationship with water. If you were looking for
a place to live a hundred (or four thousand) years ago, a water source was important to the survival of your community.
17th century French explorers who stumbled upon a watershed at the mouth of a river
located at the southern tip of a great lake, had no idea that one of the most beautiful and dynamic cities on the planet would rise over the swampy marshland where a wild leek grew that Native Americans called, Chicagoua.
Chicago is a city defined by its neighborhoods. I grew up in the Humboldt Park area, but
I identify the city with its lake front and river. You feel the strength and character of the city as you look down the river and the buildings that tower above its waters. Chicago is architecture, and the streets are teeming with the best survey of modern (mid-19th to present day) architecture in the world. And, because of the city's relationship to its waterways, no urban enclave shows off its built environment as dramatically as this city does. The views from Hollywood Beach, all the way down to Hyde Park, as you cycle along the lake front bike path, makes exercise much more tolerable for those of us who hate to exercise. I have never seen a city view as stunning as the one of Chicago's skyline from the end of Navy Pier, or the Adler Planetarium.
The winters can be harsh - no question. As a native, I can't tell you how many times I've
heard people say how incredibly beautiful Chicago is and that they'd love to live here, followed by the disclaimer, "But the winters!" Nothing in life is perfect, but even in January, a spectacular sunrise over the lake glistening on the buildings along East Lake Shore Drive, can take your breath away. Of course, it may be the view, or the 15 degree temperature that leaves you gasping.
Winter, Spring, Summer or Fall; with views like these, it makes you want to live here.
Posted by designslinger at 5/13/2009 7:25 AM 
Categories: Cities, Architecture, Photography, History
Tags: Jean Baptiste Point du Sable Lake Michigan Water Chicago River
Categories: Cities, Architecture, Photography, History
Tags: Jean Baptiste Point du Sable Lake Michigan Water Chicago River
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