Two Views of ... Buckingham Fountain

It has been a while since I did a "Two Views" post.

This "Two Views" is of Buckingham Fountain. The first view is of Buckingham Fountain in 1 inch to 50 feet scale. It's part of the Chicago Model City exhibit at the Chicago Architecture Foundation. (I had posted a photo of the whole Model City for the September Theme Day - Big.) I hadn't even noticed the water flowing in the fountain model until I zoomed in close for the photo. The second view of Buckingham Fountain is yesterday, after the water has been shut-off. It seems to take quite a few pipes to pump over 14,000 gallons of recirculating water for the displays.

Two views of ... Ohio Street Beach

The Ohio Street Beach is nicknamed "The Playpen" and, on summer weekend afternoons, attracts a lot of boaters who anchor out and socialize. On a recent weekend there were way more than the usual number of boaters there and the boats were rafting up (tying themselves together) in long chains. Clearly, to draw that many boats (and it wasn't really one of the prime summer weather days) it was an organized event. Had to do a little internet searching to figure out what was going on. Turns out it was the 9th Annual "Boat Party" sponsored by Chicago Scene Magazine. It's quite the wild party, apparently, having been described by the New York Times (no less) as "a ticket to Girls Gone Wild come to life". The local newspaper described it, more sedately, as "a floating Mardi Gras". The Chicago Police Department and Coast Guard boats do patrol the area to make sure things don't get too wild.

But that's the weekend. During the week, it is a much more serene spot, well-suited for overnight anchoring by cruising boaters or even "staycationers".

Ohio Street Beach - Weekend Boat Party
Wide View

Ohio Street Beach - Quiet Weekday Morning

Two Views of ... Smurfit-Stone Building

Today's Two Views is of the Smurfit-Stone Building (previously known as the Stone Container Building, but also referred to as "that diamond shaped building"). It's a very recognizable building in the Chicago skyline and is also known for a co-starring role in the movie "Adventures in Baby-Sitting".

Smurfit-Stone reflection in Cloudgate

The Smurfit-Stone Building at night

Two Views of ... The World's Largest Bug Zapper

Today's "Two Views" is of the Giant Bug Zapper that keeps all the bugs away from Millennium Park.

OK. It's not a bug zapper. (Nor is it the "Blue Light Special" Kmart headquarters.) It is the twenty foot tall beehive-shaped beacon on top of the Metropolitan Tower at 310 South Michigan. Its six 1000-watt bulbs light up the night sky. The day view shows two of the four buffalo that are part of the base of the light tower.

Two Views of ... DuSable Harbor

Today's "Two Views" is of DuSable Harbor. Now (on the left) and when it didn't exist (on the right).

Two Views of ... The Wrigley Building

Today's "Two Views" is The Wrigley Building. The first view is the building's reflection in the Trump Tower; the second view is the real building.

Two Views of ... The Riverwalk

The work on extending the Chicago Riverwalk has been completed. So this "Two Views" is "During Construction" and "Done". I think they completed it fairly quickly (it was only March when they were still filling in the area that would be the walkway). There are plaques set in to some of the decorative boulders that discuss the tour boats, wildlife along the river, and historical events.

Done

During Construction

Two Views of ... Lake Shore East

If you haven't visited Chicago in a few years, then the Loop lakefront area is going to surprise you. There's been a building boom as these two photos below show. The left picture is now. The right picture is "then" (around 1998).

Yes, there was a golf course right in the Loop. It was constructed back in the 1990s as a way to use the land when a downtown office building glut postponed a big development. When the real estate market picked up again in the early 2000s, the golf course was closed and construction on the new Lakeshore East development began.

Two Views of ... The Pritzker Pavilion

Most Chicagoans - me included - put up with "The Winter" because of a day like Saturday. Warm. Light breeze. Clear blue sky. Outdoor music in the park.

This is the Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park. The two views are Night and Day.