|
|
|
Hello From Chicago Part 4 A Personal Tour Of The Chicago Cultural Center
hicago, Arlington House, Chicago Greeter program today
Sunday, October 23, 2005, offers 150 greeters speaking 20
6:15 am languages and the Greeter program
is one of the best ways of
Yesterday, after our lovely getting to know the city through
Austrian breakfast we went the eyes of a local resident.
downtown to the Chicago Cultural
Center, the main downtown As a matter of fact, I had
information hub for tourists, to registered electronically for a
ask some questions about the Chicago Greeter Tour prior to my
Pullman Historic District, a departure, but something had gone
planned industrial community, wrong with my registration and as
built in the 1880s by industrial a result I was not assigned a
magnate George Pullman, creator greeter. The good thing is that
of the famous Pullman sleeper the City of Chicago also offers
cars. We figured this would be an "InstaGreeters" - local
interesting place to visit since volunteers / experts who take
it brings together architecture, people on downtown walking tours
social and industrial history, without the necessity of a prior
and it would really give us registration.
insight into one of the most
interesting personalities of This is how we happened upon our
Chicago's history. very own personal InstaGreeter
tour: Chicago Greeter and local
To get more information about expert Don talked to us a bit
this neighbourhood we talked to about the Pullman Historic
one of the volunteer greeters who District, but the more we talked,
staff the Chicago Cultural Center and the more he saw that we were
and offer their local expertise really interested, he asked us
to visitors free of charge. The whether we wanted a 20 minute
tour of the Chicago Cultural facilities. You can even get
Center. Considering that this is married inside the Chicago
a Chicago landmark we readily Cultural Center.
agreed.
Designed in the beaux-arts style
The Chicago Cultural Center was by the Boston firm Shepley, Rutan
originally dedicated in 1897 as and Coolidge, the Chicago
the city's original Public Cultural Center was completed in
Library. It is an impressive 1897 and dedicated as the city's
limestone-faced building with original Chicago Public Library.
intricate details, marble Completed at a cost of nearly $2
staircases, patterned ceilings, million, this remarkable monument
beautiful floor mosaics and two was inspired by the neo-classical
impressive stained glass domes. style of the World's Columbian
The cupola on the south side of Exposition held in Chicago in
the building is the world's 1893.
largest Tiffany stained-glass
dome. To start off, Don told us that
the name of the city of Chicago
Today the Cultural Center houses is an Indian word for "stinky
one of the city's Visitor onion swamp". He also explained
Information Centers , various that Chicago is a city of
galleries, exhibition and meeting superlatives: 3 of the world's 10
spaces, the Landmark Chicago highest buildings are located
Gallery which displays here. Chicago is also widely
photographs from the permanent considered to be the birthplace
collection of Chicago landmarks, of modern architecture and a
the 294-seat Claudia Cassidy living museum of architecture,
Theater as well as the Studio showcasing some of the world's
Theater and various other most famous architects including
Frank Lloyd Wright, Daniel collection of Chicago landmarks,
Burnham, Louis Sullivan, Mies van and to keep going along the line
der Rohe and Frank Gehry. of superlatives, Don gave us a
brief synopsis of Millennium
Chicago likes to do everything Park, located right across
big. The world’s largest public Michigan Avenue from the Chicago
library is located here: the Cultural Center. The idea for
Harold Washington Library Center Millennium Park was conceived by
houses 2 million books. Chicago famous mayor Richard M. Daley,
is also home to the largest and with the help of private
building in the United States sector donations Millennium Park
(excluding the Pentagon): the has become one of the most
Merchandise Mart has 90 acres of impressive outdoor venues
floor space, housed in an Art anywhere. The project cost $495
Deco landmark. Buckingham million, of which $220 million
Fountain in Grant Park is one of were financed privately.
the world's largest fountains.
Chicago also has the only river Our Chicago Greeter Don, a former
in the world that flows vice-president at Motorola, is
backwards. Engineers reversed the very knowledgeable about the
Chicago River in 1900 for history of Chicago and very
sanitary purposes. Here's another passionate about his city. His
interesting fact: Chicago also pride in his city is obvious, and
has the largest Polish population there is a lot to be proud of.
outside of Warsaw. For me, Chicago's waterfront
including Grant Park, the
Our local expert Don took us lakefront trail and its beaches
through the building and showed are some of the most awesome
us the two stained glass domes, features of this city. In total
the exhibit halls, the photo Chicago has more than 7300 acres
of parkland, 552 parks, 33 was the perfect preparation for
beaches, nine museums, two our tour of the Pullman Historic
world-class conservatories, 16 District, an industrial community
historic lagoons, 10 bird and created by George Pullman, an
wildlife gardens, and it's not industrial despot, yet a
surprising that Chicago has won foresightful social entrepreneur
numerous awards including "Best who, according to Don, was
City in the World" and other universally despised.
accolades.
Armed with a bit of background
With Don's help we got a great knowledge we were looking forward
overview of the Cultural Center to our exploration of Pullman's
and a bit of insight into social experiment.
Chicago's interesting history. It
About the Author:
Susanne Pacher is the publisher of Travel and Transitions (http://www.travelandtransitions.com), a popular web portal for unconventional travel & cross-cultural connections. Check out our brand new section featuring FREE ebooks about travel.
Read more articles by: Susanne Pacher
Article Source: www.iSnare.com |
|
