Technically, one could say I was in Chicago today. I flew into O'Hare to change flights over, as my final destination was Kalamazoo, Michigan.

I have not been to Chicago since April, 2004.

Guys, let me just tell you--you guys love Chicago, as do I, but could you imagine having to really love the city from nearly 1000 miles away? I would kill to be able to see the architecture, new developments, new construction, etc, as well as have access to the local magazines, etc as you guys do at your disposal.

So I'm in O'Hare today, and deep down I wish my flight would be delayed so that I could take a Blue Line ride downtown and take a look around. It was not meant to be.

The way I see it, the longer I wait before visiting Chicago again, the more it will change, and the more I will appreciate whole new buildings just constructed that I have never seen. That, in a way, is exciting.

Anybody relate to this?

PS: BTW, OHare is a friggin riot. That place is busy as hell. Oh, and it's absolutely enormous. Kudos for the Chi

The way I see it, the longer I wait before visiting Chicago again, the more it will change, and the more I will appreciate whole new buildings just constructed that I have never seen. That, in a way, is exciting.

The longer you wait to see Chicago the more dramatic the changes will be, you are right. It would be more interesting that way.

"Anybody relate to this?"

I had a brief two-year exile in Madison, Wisconsin. So yes.

I feel your pain.

Here's a way to get some perspective. The last time I was in Chicago:

1) The University Center was still under construction

2) Most of Millennium Park was also a construction site--and you couldn't see squat

3) Lakeside on the Park was practically a hole in the ground

4) There was nothing but dirt on the current site of Lakeshore East

5) There was no Target at Roosevelt/Clark

6) They were still working on the Hard Rock Hotel

7) The original Rock n Roll McDonald's was standing and in its usual state

8) I had not yet become a member of this forum

9) The above were all just downtown. I am sure even more surprising changes have occurred in the 'hoods--ie Westhaven Park, infill housing, development in Kenwood/Oaklawn, Park Boulevard, etc..

So I'm in O'Hare today, and deep down I wish my flight would be delayed so that I could take a Blue Line ride downtown and take a look around. It was not meant to be.

Get the F*ck out! You flew in/out of KORD, and no delay?

Isn't that as rare as winning Little Lotto?

Get the F*ck out! You flew in/out of KORD, and no delay?

Isn't that as rare as winning Little Lotto?

keep in mind, there is a big difference between a delay from boarding a plane, and then a delay when everyone is in the plane, and the plane is in queue behind 27 other planes waiting to take off from the same motherfucken runway :)

O'Hare needs to expand. BAD.

O'Hare needs to expand. BAD.

Or Gary.

Gary is needed as a supplemental 3rd regional airport (IE, no Peotone). That dosent solve O'Hare's woes though... O'Hare still needs to expand... O'Hare is a hub airport. You can't run a hub out of two airports. If O'Hare wants to keep the MASSIVE AA and UA hubs, it needs expansion. Gary isnt gonna do jack shit here.

Gary should be expanded, yes.

Peotone, I don't have a problem with either on one condition: They build a rail connection from the Loop that can have you there in about 50 minutes. Why? Because Tokyo's Narita Airport is the same distance from the heart of the city and takes 50 minutes by express train as well.

And this is America, not Japan. Trains suck.

So with that, I'm completely against Peotone.

Chicago is a big city and getting bigger, we can no longer rely on a single hub airport. Ther are certain limits to how many aircraft you can cram into so much airspace. In addition, KORD expansion will cost $15-20 billion for an increase of 0.6 1.2M pax per year. The fee increases needed to pay for this will sink O'Hare. It's just cheaper to exapand Gary, make it our version of Newark.

Though to get the 2 hub system to work, it might mean the closing of Midway. KMDW cause a lot of problems for ATC routing traffic in and out of Chicago.

They will never build a rail line from Peotone to the Loop. Ever. Build new train lines? In America? Thats funny :P

There are already a gajillion freight lines between Chicago and Gary (no exaggeration with the gajillion remark there), so it would be easy to take one and convert it to metra or 3rd rail power CTA express... so expand Gary!

If private money wants to build Peotone... fine. Let them have a shot at it. As long as my tax dollars arent paying for it.

Either way, O'Hare needs expansion! :)

^I implied that a rail line to Peotone is a pipe dream as it is.

This should be O'hare's final expansion, and in all honesty, when looking at the diagram, it could be more efficient by putting terminals between runways to the south or north as well. They need to expand Gary and make it some huge multi-hub airport as well. I don't think MDW would be required to shut down, perhaps cut back a little, but as long as all three airports are operated in part by the city of Chicago, I see no problem with using Gary as a third airport.

There's a Target at Roosevelt/Clark!? Since when! That will make my life easier.... :)

BTW, what's the latest word on O'Hare/Peotone? Does it look like O'Hare expansion is a lock? And is Peotone going to be built or not? What's the latest?

^ Yes, the Target is a dream come true for those of us without cars in the city center. Easy as hell from the Red Line. (It opened October 17th, and I have made at least seven trips there since.)

in retrospect with Field's and Target having gone their separate ways, wouldn't a Target on State been better than one on Roosevelt?

will big box retailing be an even greater factor in the South Loop? Do you think the city would ever reconsider Ikea on a tight site and would Ikea even be interested in a city store now that it is building in Bollingbrook to go along with Schaumburg?

An Ikea downtown would be unbelievable. It's the last missing piece, IMO, to the shopping puzzle, now that we have a Target.

Hey guys I just got back from the South Loop. I went to see the progress on the Michigan Ave. Towers. It''s looking great. I will be closing in less than 3 months!
There are like 6 huge construction crains just on 12th and Michigan! The South Loop in 2 years is going to ROCK!

City under 500 murders despite weekend violence
http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/cst-nws-murd28.html

in retrospect with Field's and Target having gone their separate ways, wouldn't a Target on State been better than one on Roosevelt?

will big box retailing be an even greater factor in the South Loop? Do you think the city would ever reconsider Ikea on a tight site and would Ikea even be interested in a city store now that it is building in Bollingbrook to go along with Schaumburg?

While I agree that would be a great idea... We are dealing with Target Corp. a company known for suburban development. Stores in the city are some what new for them. They would not build a store in the heart of the loop for two reasons. Cost of space, as well as the fact that they would not be able to offer parking.
Let's face it, the Roosevelt Rd Store is really focused on the parking in the rear (A requirement of the city I am sure). The street entrance on Roosevelt isn't used all that much, except by us city dwellers without a car, schleping up from the train on State.

Let's face it, the Roosevelt Rd Store is really focused on the parking in the rear (A requirement of the city I am sure). The street entrance on Roosevelt isn't used all that much, except by us city dwellers without a car, schleping up from the train on State.

^Naturally, that will change as the south loop population explodes and Riverside Park/LaSalle Park is developed.

Not to mention, a Metra stop is being created at Roosevelt/ Clark.

Finally, correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the Target parking in the form of a garage?

Not to mention, a Metra stop is being created at Roosevelt/ Clark.

Since when? I've not heard of this.

I read about it recently. There is a plan to create a Metra stop along the line that runs next to the Target. I'm 100% that I read it, but I just can't remember where right now. If it comes to me, I'll try to post it

^Naturally, that will change as the south loop population explodes and Riverside Park/LaSalle Park is developed.

Not to mention, a Metra stop is being created at Roosevelt/ Clark.

Finally, correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the Target parking in the form of a garage?

Yes the parking for Target is in the form of a garage, and yes it is at the back (north) of the building. None the less, Without being able to have parking for a couple of hundred cars, Target wouldn't consider opening a store. Even the Target in downtown Brooklyn has garage parking. I suppose if they ever have a store on the island of Manhattan, they might actually be willing to give up the idea that the only way to have a store is to include parking.

I suppose if they ever have a store on the island of Manhattan, they might actually be willing to give up the idea that the only way to have a store is to include parking.

Then they might have to consider offering delivery. Personally, if Target offered delivery the way Treasure Island does, I'd be one happy person.

BTW, to answer the first post in this thread... well, I love Chicago from 600 miles away. 1000 doesn't seem to out of reach.

Great news, guys (for myself)!

My New Years Plans have been cancelled. I'm coming, as a last minute decision, to Chicago!

I am so excited that it kills me. I can't wait. Interestingly, I probably won't do a whole lot except walk around a bit downtown and eat at a nice restaurant. Yes, I'm coming with my folks. But still, does anybody have suggestions for a good place to eat that won't cost 125$ (the rate of many places I have seen on the internet)

I also hope to get some time to drive around and look at some of the new developments.

TUP, When will you get here, and how long will your stay be? We should pull together a quick forum meet up in the Loop.

Great news, guys (for myself)!
But still, does anybody have suggestions for a good place to eat that won't cost 125$ (the rate of many places I have seen on the internet)


For 3 people? (you mentioned that you are coming with your folks) You're going to have a hard time finding any nice resturant where dinner and drinks for three people is going to be less than that. Usually when my mom and I go out to eat together the tab is around $60-70 for just the two of us (but we do like to have a couple of drinks with our meal) and we don't go to overly upscale resturants, and by upscale I mean places like Tru, or Trotters where dinner for two can set you back about 1/2 a mos. rent.

TUP, When will you get here, and how long will your stay be? We should pull together a quick forum meet up in the Loop.

Looper, sorry for the delayed reply. I took off for Chicago pretty quickly and didn't get onto a computer until I got back home today. I wouldn't have been able to do a mini-meet anyhow, as I went with my parents. Either way, if time allows in the future I would love to get involved in a skyscraper meet sometime. :)

Anyway, I have not been to Chicago in a long time and this trip, although short, really taught me a lot. First of all, I love Chicago more than ever now. This trip reaffirmed pretty much everything I thought about the city, and in a way it even eased some of my doubts about it.

I drove to Chinatown with my folks (they had been to Chicago numerous times but pretty much have only seen Devon St. and Sears Tower, etc), and we were all impressed. Every time I see Chinatown it seems a bit more bustling than before. I walked around the housing development (Santa Fe Gardens or something?) just to see how it looked, and I was impressed--there is a whole neighborhood, densely built up, near Chinatown Square and full of Asians. Chinatown still has some parking lots that will be great future sites of development, but proximity to the 'L is awesome.

From there, we decided to take the 'L downtown. Walked around Marshall Field's, then we went over to Millennium Park--first time seeing it in person. What can I say? It's a work of beauty. Too bad that it's winter time and the fountains aren't running. Either way, you gotta love those faces. And you gotta love the "Cloud Gate". Everything was impressive, although it was starting to get really cold, and my mother was complaining, but I insisted to see every aspect of Millennium Park, including the Exelon Pavilions, Music and Dance Theater, Bike Station, Lurie Garden, and of course the skating rink, which was packed with people.

Took the 'L back to Chinatown and ate at Joy Yee's--if anyone hasn't eaten there it's great--excellent food for a good price. After that, drove back to Tinley Park (where our hotel was--downtown was way too expensive), drank some wine and toasted the new year in the hotel.

Next day I insisted (to some rolling eyes of my parents--who think I'm a nut, I'm sure) on driving back to Chicago and "checking out the hoods". Started in Bridgeport and saw Bridgeport Village, with all the new houses, and got a view of Cellular Field (okay, sure it's not Wrigley, but it's not THAT bad--just needs an entrace facing east, towards the 'L station). Drove up through University Village (damn that place is coming along real nicely!), Greektown, took a tour of the West Loop Gate (now this is developing into one mean-ass urban community--still some empty lots that need developing, though), and headed up Halsted to the north side.

Drove around Lincoln Park, Lakeview, and eventually we ate at a great Mexican restaurant on Clark St. I was impressed at how closely built up the north side is. I wanted to see Millennium Park again by car on our way out, but while we were in the area I stole a quick drive into Lakeshore East. All I can say about that is--Holy Shit. That place is going to rock my ass off some day. Oh, and the "bean" looks fuckin awesome during the day.

Not to mention, Central Station is coming along real nicely (yes, I saw that, too).

Here's my big assessment. Chicago is clearly a very dense, urban city. It has that old, industral grit that I have not felt anywhere else but New York. It feels like a phenomenal place whenever I'm there, and downtown has this affect on the rest of the city that sort of draws people inward. Downtown has this sort of 1920's fast-forwarded to 2000 feel to it--hard to explain, but I have only felt that in NYC. DC doesn't come near to this--DC is beautiful but it doesn't come remotely close in sheer grandness and power.

North side, west loop gate, and near south are coming along well. However, the south loop is still VERY VERY barren, despite the numerous projects. Driving south on Michigan Avenue you see a huge streetwall, and when you look right (or west), you see a great downtown that has a good amount of depth. But once you pass Harrison, Michigan Avenue's streetwall is the facade of a rather paper-thin district. When you get to Roosevelt and take a right, it's shocking to see--a friggin BP gas station, a Jewel-Osco Parking Lot, and a row of single family houses (on State St) clad in aluminum.

Not trying to criticize here, but I have to be honest. As I trek further down the south side, I always get sad. Bridgeport, Pilsen, Chinatown, Kenwood, Hyde Park, Woodlawn, and a few others are fine. But, damn it, the south side looks like HELL! Please don't hate me Damp, as I'm sure Bronzeville and other districts are developing their land rather quickly, but I still think I'll be an old man (or dead) before much of the south side becomes anything (density-wise) like the north side.

My final conclusion. I love Chicago--it's undoubtedly (it doesn't even take a second to consider this--it's so plain and clear) a world-class city. I can only speak for myself--and whenever I go there, I am blown away. And yes--I want to live here whenever the opportunity becomes available. Screw NY, Chicago will definitely give me what I want.

Final question. Does anybody know what UIC is building on their campus on Halsted St? Second question, does anybody know anything about "The Bridgeport", a building on the NW corner of 35th and Halsted. I haven't found anything about this on the internet, but it looks like it's U/C.

Sorry for the long post, buddies, but I had a fabulous time coming the Chi and I had to share it (for better or for worse) Seeya :runaway: