Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
211
the first large-scale building to be electrically lighted, and its theater was the first in the
country to install air-conditioning. The lobby fronting Michigan Avenue has faux orna-
mental marble columns, molded ceilings, mosaic floors, and M exican onyx walls. I f this
inspires you and y our kids, take the elev ator to the 10th-floor librar y reading room and
have a look at what was once the city 's first top-floor dining r oom. Soak in the decorativ e
details and show your kids that they just don 't make them like this anymor e—the barrel-
vaulted, muraled ceiling, and marvelous views of Grand Park and the lake will make archi-
tecture fans out of novices.
3
THE GOLD COAST
Walking nor th on
Lake Shore Drive
from North Michigan Avenue, you will enter a
neighborhood known as the Gold Coast. The neighborhood runs from about Oak Street
on the south to North Avenue on the north and includes some of Chicago's most desir-
able real estate and historic architecture. This is the classic “old money” neighborhood of
Chicago, wher e many of the city 's w ealthiest citiz ens built homes after the 1871 fir e.
Sadly, starting in the late 1950s, most of the mansions that once lined Lake S hore Drive
were slowly torn down and high-rises built in their stead, but y ou can see the r emnants
of Chicago's storied past in the thr ee mansions still standing near Lake S hore D rive's
intersection with Goethe Street. This hour-long stroll is suitable for the whole family and
can be combined with a foray into Lincoln P ark to make a day's worth of activities.
To get a feel for the neighborhood, walk up Lake Shore Drive to
Schiller Street.
Turn
left and walk 1 block to
Astor Place.
Turn right onto Astor and enjo y the amble past
stately mansions and beautiful brownstones. (Just a block or two far ther west, State and
Dearborn sts. also featur e homes fit for magazine co vers.) Once you reach
North Ave-
nue,
you'll see a r ed-brick mansion on y our left. This is the home of Car dinal Francis
George, Catholic ar chbishop of Chicago, and is o wned by the Catholic ar chdiocese of
Chicago. Ask your kids to count the chimneys—I bet they'll lose track once they pass 10!
(There are a total of 17.)
You can continue on into
Lincoln Park,
or turn back south. I f you go south, walk 1
block west to State Street and follow that to Division Street. From there going south, you
will find a thriving z one of r estaurants, bars, and nightclubs, many featuring side walk
seating—all the better to view the beautiful people who fr equent the area.
7
4
OLD TOWN
This residential neighborhood is best kno wn as the home of the S econd City comedy
troupe for the past 30-plus years. A hippie haven of the 1960s and 1970s, Old Town now
includes a ne wly gentrified Cabrini G reen (located on the far southern bor der of O ld
Town), America's most notorious housing pr oject, which began falling to the wr ecking
ball in the late 1990s. The nor thern par t of O ld Town, par ticularly the ar ea nor th of
North Avenue and west of Wells Street, has a lovely residential neighborhood, and on any
given day, you will see plenty of strollers and parents with kids in tow. I'd allow a couple
of hours to stroll through the neighborhood, including time to linger in the shops.
To get the flav or of O ld Town, star t at the intersection of Wells Street and N orth
Avenue. On the northwest corner is
Pipers Alley,
a shopping complex containing a large
