Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
7
Neighborhood Strolls
The best wa y t o get a f eel f or
Chicago is to stroll its streets. Every block
brings interesting window-shopping, peo-
ple-watching, or snippets of conv ersation
that are sure to keep you and the wee ones
entertained. The orderly configuration of
Chicago's str eets and the ex cellent public
transportation system make walking a
breeze—when you get tir ed, you can hop
on a bus or the E l without having to v eer
too far off your course.
This chapter pr ovides brief walks that
will give you a snapshot of the city 's most
frequented neighborhoods.
1
NEAR NORTH/MAGNIFICENT MILE
North Michigan Avenue is known as the Magnificent Mile, from the bridge spanning the
Chicago River on the south end to O ak Street on the nor thern tip. Many of the city 's
best hotels, shops, and r estaurants ar e to be found on and ar ound elegant M ichigan
Avenue. But never fear: Michigan Avenue offers excellent family shopping, too. Scattered
among the shops o wned b y G ucci, S alvatore F erragamo, and Car tier ar e mor e kid-
friendly stops such as American G irl Place and N iketown. You and y our kids will feel
right at home making your way up this storied avenue. Strolling the entire mile will take
you half a day , since y ou'll want to stop fr equently. Of course, if y ou're determined to
avoid the shops, you can do it in less than an hour—but who 'd want to?
Start at the
Riverwalk
that goes along the north side of the Chicago River. Walk down
the steps on the east side of Michigan Avenue that lead off the Michigan Avenue Bridge.
You can walk east for a shor t distance and see the plaza of the NBC Tower, as w ell as
some of the ne west condominium and to wn house developments along the riv er. Back-
track and continue nor th on M ichigan Avenue. You'll run right into the
Chicago Tri-
bune Tower.
The tower is notable for its signatur e array of stones jutting out fr om the
exterior. The collection was started shortly after the building's completion in 1925 by the
newspaper's notoriously despotic publisher, Robert R. McCormick, who gathered them
during his world trav els.
Tribune
correspondents then began supplying stone souv enirs
encountered on assignment. Each one no w bears the name of the str ucture and country
whence it came. There are 138 stones in all, including chunks and shards from the Great
Wall of China, the Taj Mahal, the White House, the Arc de Triomphe, the Berlin Wall,
the Roman Colosseum, London's Houses of Parliament, the Great Pyramid of Cheops in
Giza, Egypt, and the original tomb of A braham Lincoln in S pringfield. Send your kids
on a scav enger hunt to see ho w many they can find.
Hint:
Inside the
Tribune
's lobby,
there's a brochure telling you where they are.
Chicago Neighborhoods
Turn to chapter 2 for more descriptions of Chicago neighborhoods. Also see
p. 53 for a map of the neighborhoods.
