Day 24: 2016 bid

Posted on January 25, 2011 by eaj81

The 2016 bid for the olympics in Chicago was a three year journey that ended unsuccessfully.  Chicago was up against Madrid, Spain; Tokyo, Japan and Rio De Janerio, Brazil.  Earning a 7.0 in the Application phase and being considered a favorite when entering into the voting process in Oct 2009, Chicago was eliminated in the first round in the IOC (International Olympic Committee) vote.  

Throughout the IOC visit to Chicago, the city rallied behind the Olympic bid and showcased the logo throughout the skyline.   

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Day 23: Ants Marching

Posted on January 24, 2011 by eaj81

This is the Ant from the BIG BUGS! exhibit that was featured at the Morton Arboretum in 2008.  The Ant was one of the 12 bugs that were created by David Rodgers.  All of the bugs were made of trees, saplings, dried branches and roots.  Among the Ant were bugs like: a spider on a web, praying mantis and a bee in a beehive.

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Day 22: Bear Down

Posted on January 23, 2011 by eaj81

Today is one of the biggest games for the Chicago Bears in years… they play the Green Bay Packers. There is a long history of the rival between the Bears and the Packers. They last played the Packers in 1941 in the playoffs for the Western Division Championship… Bears won 33-14.  Today the Bears play the Packers at Soldier Field for the NFC Championship and the right to play in the Superbowl.

 

 

 

 

 

                The city of Chicago glows of blue and orange as we approach kickoff.  With the lions at the Art Institute wearing helmets or scarves and earmuffs to the buildings cheering on their beloved Bears.

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Day 21: Firehouse

Posted on January 22, 2011 by eaj81

This is the one of the four firehouses that were featured in the movie Backdraft.  Located on Cermak road, this was the firehouse used for Engines 17 and 46 in the movie.

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Day 20: Grant Statue

Posted on January 21, 2011 by eaj81

The statue of General Ulysses S. Grant is located in the Lincoln Park neighborhood near the South entrance of Lincoln Park. Created by Louis Rebisso in 1891 the statue overs the pond to the west and and a parking lot to the east. The statue sits above a tunnel that ongoers are able to walk through.  Depending on the time of day, the light can really make this a spectacular view.

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Day 19: Lake Shore Drive Bridge

Posted on January 20, 2011 by eaj81

The Lake Shore Drive bridge…a product of depression relief funds.  Started in 1929, the bridge wasn’t completed until 1937 due to a halt in construction until Federal Aid funded the completion of the bridge.  At the time of its construction it was the longest and widest bascule bridge, with the addition of the lower deck of the bridge (where the picture was taken) the bridge also claimed the title of heaviest in the world as well. Deemed as a historic landmark, this bridge really is a spectacular structure.  Each May you can experience the a ride across the top of the bridge on your bike during the annual Bike The Drive.

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Day 18: Chicago Board of Trade

Posted on January 19, 2011 by eaj81

Taken standing in the middle of LaSalle street, looking at the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) building. The CBOT building was built in 1930 and was designated a Chicago Landmark in 1977, a National Historic Landmark in 1978 and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in June 1978. Atop the building stands a three-story art deco statue of Ceres, goddess of agriculture (particularly grain) holding a sheaf of wheat in her left hand and a bag of corn in her right.  Falling behind in the construction of this sculpture, the designer John H Storrs decided to skip adding a face onto her since he thought that no other buildings would ever be tall enough to notice… I guess he was wrong.

Until 1965 the CBOT building was the tallest building in Chicago, only to be  The building is known for its art deco architecture, sculptures and large-scale stone carving.  Because of this, the building is a popular sightseeing attraction and location for shooting movies.  The owners and management of the building have won awards for efforts to preserve it and for office management.

You are able to tour this building through the Chicago Architecture Foundation.

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Day 17: Lower Wacker View

Posted on January 18, 2011 by eaj81

View of the Wrigley Building and Trump Tower from Lower Wacker Drive. What a beautiful night… the lights reflecting off the water and a clear night sky. Such a great view that is somewhat hard to capture as you drive down lakeshore drive.

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Day 16: Escape

Posted on January 17, 2011 by eaj81

The fire escape of an older more detailed building.  Used as a way to escape in a time of panic, but looks so calming and serene in the peace of the night.

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Day 15: The Scoreboard

Posted on January 16, 2011 by eaj81

Wrigley Field is the one of the last ballparks to use a manually operated scoreboard (Fenway Park being the other).  The scoreboard was installed in 1937 when the new bleachers were installed. It is still the original scoreboard that is present and has only seen a few minor changes throughout its history; clock was added in 1941, addition of the 5th and 6th score lines, in 1988 lights facing the scoreboard were added with the addition of night games and finally an electronic message board.  Since Wrigley is a registered landmark, the scoreboard cannot be moved. 

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