This Spring in Chicago
Then and Now Washington and Dearborn streets CIRCA 1865
Ah, Chicago before the fire. The city was so different—a nexus between the industrial East and the agricultural West, full of opportunity. It grew like a weed, and in order to keep up, the city was made mostly of lumber. Wood covered the streets and sidewalks, and since the steel revolution hadn’t caught on yet, many buildings were, yes, also wooden. This photo of Washington Street looking west from Dearborn Street is a good example of what Chicago looked like back then. Carriages sat on muddy roads by wooden boards and gaslights just asking to catch fire—and that’s exactly what happened in 1871.
2016
The dream layout that makes modern-day Chicago an
architectural beauty wouldn’t have come to fruition had our great city not burned to the ground, and today’s view along Washington Street proves how beneficial the Great Chicago Fire really was— from a city-planning perspective. These days, Daley Plaza sits in the area north of the street, and City Hall has been occupying the block north of it between Clark and LaSalle streets since it was completed in 1911. Cars and buses have replaced the horse- drawn carriages, and the downtown area in question is now called the Loop (because of, you know, the trains).—Clayton Guse
Let’s go to Navy Pier (no, seriously)
Navy Pier, the Chicago attraction that’s loved by sightseers and scoffed at by locals, is about to become way less lame. This year, to celebrate its 100th anniversary, the lakeside tourist trap is undergoing a rebranding initiative dubbed the Centennial Vision. For starters, open alcohol is now sanctioned on the pier (as long it was purchased on the park grounds). On top of that, the indoor walkway of the South Arcade is becoming a “Chicago-themed food experience” that should be a big step up from Bubba Gump Shrimp Co., Navy Pier’s current flagship restaurant. A boutique
8
TIMEOUT.COM/CHICAGO March–May 2016
hotel is also coming to the east end of the pier, and it may just offer one of the best views of the sunrise in the city.
The kicker: A new 196-foot Ferris wheel—about 50 feet taller than its predecessor—is scheduled to be completed by Memorial Day. While this may not seem like a big deal to native Chicagoans, it’ll be a pretty glorious homage to the original 264-foot Ferris wheel that was the centerpiece of the World’s Columbian Exposition in 1893. So, Chicago, say goodbye to the tacky Navy Pier of the past, and say hello to what could be your new favorite downtown hang.
See more
then and now photos from around the city at
timeout.com/ chicago
PHOTOGRAPHS (FROM TOP): COURTESY NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY; JACLYN RIVAS; COURTESY NAVY PIER
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