Well, wow. Just wow. As we all know, Chicago has a reputation as being one of the most vibrant cities in the States - it deserves that rep, imho. It has that big, huge, wow factor to it, but at the same time there's a tinge of that intangible sense of being manageable. Sure, the buildings are tall and multiplying like rabbits, and yeah there are crowds and bustling streets but it never overwhelms you in a bad way. Here is round 1 of the many photos I took - these are mostly in the Rivernorth (north of the Chicago River) and Boystown (the gayborhood around North Halsted Street):

 

When this is your view from your hotel room...

 

You just know...

 

That it's going to be a great weekend :-)

 

We walked north up Michigan Avenue and the Hancock Building was there to greet us:

 

 

Being the curious geek that I am, the Presbyterian Church across the street was open - lovely interior, too bad I didn't have my tripod:

 

Ho-hum, more huge skyscrapers ;-)

 

This is the pedestrian tunnel/walkway from Michigan Avenue to the Oak Street Beach. My inner artist says this area needs a public art installation - it's a little foreboding given the walkway's purpose:

 

Ok, this is the pedestrian/cyclist activity on a Saturday around 9:30am (and it kept increasing). It'd be nice to see HALF that at Edgewater!

 

Towers, beach. Nice!

 

However, I noticed some boarded up windows (granted they were on the penthouse level of an old grand apartment building) but it looked a little sketchy to me ;-)

 

So we did what 'mos do whenever we feel threatened - we went shopping! The atrium of the 900 North Michigan building (Bloomingdales!)

 

A few good bargains later, I come across the site of the Elysian - a condo tower slated to be 700' tall. Folks, they're shoehorning a Terminal Tower-sized building into this site!

 

Not all the gems are the tall buildings, though:

 

 

But it was time to head to the El and get to Market Days, a huge street festival in the gayborhood along North Halsted:

 

We arrive, and punch served as our tour guide - he knows the good spots!

 

 

Infrastructure acknowledging the gay community's contribution to the city:

 

There are some times when my gay brethren exercise poor taste:

 

Gay bar that loves high-rise architecture - I like it!

 

A replica of the famous clock at Marshall Fields:

 

Nice old building:

 

See that red arrow? That's the entrance. See the crowds? They were that thick alllll the way to the entrance:

 

The patio at X/O (no relation to Cleveland's) - a nice oasis from the hustle and bustle:

 

 

 

As the sun began to set - this building started to really catch the rays as it happened to be a little taller. It took on a strange glow, and I simply had to set foot into the bar located there:

 

As I looked around the club, I heard nice house music, saw a decent crowd, and there it was. I looked at the bar, saw a row of taps, and I sh!t you not - as the Halleleujah chorus crescendoed, I saw right dead center of all the taps was none other than my beloved Burning River Pale Ale - in Chicago. Not Dortmunder, not some obscure untried pale ale - Burning River. I was in tears of joy (and stayed that way until my S.O. suggested that I didn't need to kiss the tap - I disagreed but after three glasses of the nectar of the gods, I wasn't able to argue too much.

 

I attempted to render what I saw but even I can't add divine rays to a beer tap. You get the idea. I was one HAPPY queen:

 

As we headed out, I had a sobering moment. See this person's shoes? I used to wear a similar pair back in my clubkid days (and though I did have a feather boa, I never wore a corset!) - but that was over 10 years ago. Compare the freaks - Cleveland on the left, Chicago on the right:

 

A few blocks away, Hydrate was playing seriously incredible house music (if you have iTunes, here is one tune they played: http://www.clevelandskyscrapers.com/lovesomeone.m4a )and the side street became the dance floor:

 

But the revelry drew to a close and back to the El we went, catching a glimpse of Wrigley Field:

 

The historic Water Tower was the beacon to our hotel (well a block away, but you get the idea):

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chi-town!!!

 

I love the building in the first pic.

 

LMAO!! @ your Great Lakes graphic :]

The Park Hyatt is a nice building on the outside.  the rooms however....are a joke.

 

Market Days looks like it was great this year.  I started to go, but I just couldn't get on another plane this week.  Sidetracks' is a great bar on the inside.  Did you get a chance to go to the generator....the music is legendary!!!

 

Bloomie's on Mich. Ave sucks....I would have thought you would have preferred to shop at Marshall Fields on State, or the Bloomies furniture store (i love that building) it would have provided you with plenty of photo opps. or even Barney's down the street by the Westin.

 

Did you get an opportunity to try the Original Pancake house??  I love that place.

 

NICE, Chi-town neighborhoods insted of just skyscrapers! :)

Bloomie's on Mich. Ave sucks....

 

Are you trippin?  Bloomie's rocks! :D

"Did you get a chance to go to the generator....the music is legendary!!!"

 

Nope, but I'll put it on my list for next time!

 

"Bloomie's on Mich. Ave sucks..."

 

Okay, if by sucking you mean they had a pair of Kenneth Cole flat-front khakis that were marked down to $4.98 and had nothing wrong with them AND happened to fit so flatteringly well that my S.O. said "you will wear those the next time we go to lunch", AND if by sucking you mean they had a great herringbone tweed blazer that fit my S.O. like it had been tailored for him AND he will get plenty of mileage out of AND it was marked down from $700 to $100... well, okay - I suppose it DID suck.

 

"I would have thought you would have preferred to shop at Marshall Fields on State"

 

Thanks, but we'll have Macy's all over Cleveland soon enough ;-)

 

"or the Bloomies furniture store (i love that building) it would have provided you with plenty of photo opps"

 

Riiiight, I'll just stuff an ottoman into the overhead bin!  :-P

 

"or even Barney's down the street by the Westin."

 

HelLO - first time to Chicago and it was during Market Days. Yeesh!

 

"Did you get an opportunity to try the Original Pancake house??  I love that place."

 

Carb central during Market Days? Are you crazy??? Like I'm gonna let myself go while some vile (yet attractive) civilians make lovey-eyes at MY S.O.?!? I don't think so, sister! :-D

^It was great to see Mayday, but man, he really would not shut up about those pants.  :)

"Bloomie's on Mich. Ave sucks..."

 

Okay, if by sucking you mean they had a pair of Kenneth Cole flat-front khakis that were marked down to $4.98 and had nothing wrong with them AND happened to fit so flatteringly well that my S.O. said "you will wear those the next time we go to lunch", AND if by sucking you mean they had a great herringbone tweed blazer that fit my S.O. like it had been tailored for him AND he will get plenty of mileage out of AND it was marked down from $700 to $100... well, okay - I suppose it DID suck.

 

OK...you worked a sale, but that location "lacks" compared to the Lexington ave location.  But hey...A sale is a sale...and i say "charge it!!!  So can we get a picture of you in the pants??  :-o  Are you "bootilicous" up in these pants or something??  :wtf:

 

"I would have thought you would have preferred to shop at Marshall Fields on State"

 

Thanks, but we'll have Macy's all over Cleveland soon enough ;-)

 

I meant to view and photograph the building itself.  It's a beautiful building...even though the inside has been "modernized" they have kept some of the "old world" detailing.  Its seems like a prime candidate for a Mayday photo spread.

 

"or the Bloomies furniture store (i love that building) it would have provided you with plenty of photo opps"

 

Riiiight, I'll just stuff an ottoman into the overhead bin!  :-P

 

When i was there two weeks ago...they had some awesome pieces...trust me..I came pretty damn close to shipping two chairs to Cleveland. 

 

"or even Barney's down the street by the Westin."

 

HelLO - first time to Chicago and it was during Market Days. Yeesh!

 

Even more reason to have the SO take you on a lil "pick me up something" trip to Barney's!!

 

 

"Did you get an opportunity to try the Original Pancake house??  I love that place."

 

Carb central during Market Days? Are you crazy??? Like I'm gonna let myself go while some vile (yet attractive) civilians make lovey-eyes at MY S.O.?!? I don't think so, sister! :-D

 

Honey...that's what cardio (and I know you could have come up with some creative cardio) and the gym is for!  :strong: besides, you feed the pancakes to the SO and stay tight and lovely yourself! You know a best way to a mans heart is to rip it out....er I mean...thru his stomach!  Besides, let those vile (yet potentialy attractive) civilians can make all the lovey-eyes they want at your SO......just don't touch or they catch a beat down!

 

^It was great to see Mayday, but man, he really would not shut up about those pants.  :)

 

What's the real story behind these knickers??

 

Punch why didn't you take MayDay and his SO to club escape on the southside?!  :cool2:

LOL!  That photo of the Great Lakes beer and the stars LOL!

ooooh mayday lol!  :roll:

 

*** looks at great lakes tap shot, laughs & coffee squirts out nose  :laugh:  ***

 

 

 

 

 

Did you get a chance to go to the generator....the music is legendary!!!"

Sadly....The Generator is long gone.  Spin is getting more of that crowd lately it seems. Every other Saturday is hip-house. I think there is also another place somewhere on the South Side...but without a car and sketchy cab service, that is not an option for me

 

"Bloomie's on Mich. Ave sucks..."

 

I agree with MTS...The Chicago Bloomingdales is really lame compared to NYC...even the small one in SoHo is way better for men's.  The furniture store in the Old Armory building is worth a trip for the building itself.  It was almost torn down at some point.

 

Marshall Field's on State should have some good stuff on sale.  They carried a lot of high end names that Macy's is ditching.  I just hope that the Thomas Pink" shop isn't trashed...the shirts are hard to find.

Did you get a chance to go to the generator....the music is legendary!!!" Sadly....The Generator is long gone.  Spin is getting more of that crowd lately it seems. Every other Saturday is hip-house. I think there is also another place somewhere on the South Side...but without a car and sketchy cab service, that is not an option for me

 

Are you thinking of Reunion (on West Lake)?    I just went to the generator (on North Halstead) two weeks ago and sent some friends this past saturday.  Did it close today?  lol  :?

 

I agree with MTS...The Chicago Bloomingdales is really lame compared to NYC...even the small one in SoHo is way better for men's.  The furniture store in the Old Armory building is worth a trip for the building itself.  It was almost torn down at some point.

 

Marshall Field's on State should have some good stuff on sale.  They carried a lot of high end names that Macy's is ditching.  I just hope that the Thomas Pink" shop isn't trashed...the shirts are hard to find.

 

The chicago Bloomies sucks because its in the back of that mall.  I mean i feel as though I'm walking through a badly space-planned mall.  How often do you say that about a chicago building?  anyway, in regards to Macy's.  Select stores will have High End options.  For instance the Macy's on 34 Street & Paramus, have high end stores in them.  But the locations in Downtown DC, Atlanta and Miami are just run of the mill.  I suspect the two MF downtown stores will stay upper end locations.

Are you thinking of Reunion (on West Lake)?    I just went to the generator (on North Halstead) two weeks ago and sent some friends this past saturday.  Did it close today?  lol 

 

Wow, I must be so out of it, I didn't even realize that Generator had repoened.  It was changed to Rive Gauche years ago, and according to Metromix it was called that for 6 years. It had a straight mostly white crowd being that the neighborhood has changed.  I guess the Generator is back, thanks for the tip!  It looks like it was the same owners through all the changes.  Let me know next time you are town and going there, i'd like to check it out again.

The chicago Bloomies sucks because its in the back of that mall.

 

Very true, I never liked any of those malls on the mag mile though.  I just never really saw any exciting merchandise there...it seemed pretty run of the mill department store fare (Polo, Tommy, Colors....etc).  The ones in NY are more like the Sak's men's store for selection and higher fashion.  A couple of years ago I needed a suit and asked them if they had any without pleated pants, and the guy thought I was crazy, "they don't ever make suits without pleated pants" he said.

The chicago Bloomies sucks because its in the back of that mall.

 

Very true, I never liked any of those malls on the mag mile though.  I just never really saw any exciting merchandise there...it seemed pretty run of the mill department store fare (Polo, Tommy, Colors....etc).  The ones in NY are more like the Sak's men's store for selection and higher fashion.  A couple of years ago I needed a suit and asked them if they had any without pleated pants, and the guy thought I was crazy, "they don't ever make suits without pleated pants" he said.

 

Hint...start shopping at Barney's and Prada.  Even if they dont have what you want...they make you feel fabulous while lying to your face about then in the same breath, show you the "must have items" you need your wardrobe but you didn't come in for!  LOL

I think I need that jacket with the crest on it!