BEA 2000: Irreverently Yours, Chicago
Dan Santow and Todd Savage -- 5/8/00
Brazen answers to everything from what's so great about the Magnificent Mile to finding elusive bathrooms
You probably didn't know... Why do they call Chicago the Second City? If you're speaking in terms of population, these days Los Angeles beats Chicago. (New York still wins.) Legend has it, though, that the term "Second City" refers to more than just population. After the Great Fire in 1871, much of the city was rebuilt, and locals started referring to the new, glistening seduction of town as the "second city." The phrase eventually caught on to describe the city as a whole, maybe because it fits a certain state of mind--Chicago's decades-long low self-esteem binges--implying that the town lacks the beauty, excitement, grandeur and power of New York. The truth of that, of course, you'll have to decide for yourself.
Why do they call it the Windy City? No doubt, Chicago is windy--it sits on a big body of water, and winds whip across it throughout the year. But other cities are just as windy, if not windier (Oklahoma City and Atlanta, for example, annually average faster winds than Chicago). Although a record 69 mph wind blew through the city on April 14, 1984, the average is a measly 10.2 mph. There are various legends as to why Chicago became known as the "Windy City," but the most popular blames it on the fact that it has hosted so many presidential nominating conventions over the decades; with all those politicians generating so much hot air, they were referred to as "windy-mouthed." That certainly hasn't changed.
What is the Loop? Once upon a time, the el tracks made a loop around a compact and dense area of downtown. Well, they still do--the el tracks haven't been moved--but the encircled area long ago burst at its seams. Nowadays when Chicagoans speak of the Loop, they're referring to anywhere east and south of the Y-shaped Chicago River, north of Roosevelt Street and west of Lake Michigan. The Loop means downtown, the financial heart of things, a cultural and commercial nerve center packed with landmarks and theaters and smart hotels (all of which exist in other parts of town as well, but not in such concentration). That is where Chicago's big-city pulse throbs most insistently.
What's so great about State Street? Lots, actually. When the glitz and glam of N. Michigan Avenue becomes too much to take, State Street's old-time urban aura can be a pleasant antidote. Its strength lies not so much in the reflection of its past as the Loop's main artery but in its current reincarnation as a middle-class, bargain-hunter's paradise, upscale Marshall Field's (312-781-1000, 111 N. State St.) notwithstanding. In the last few years, a gargantuan three-story Toys "R" Us opened (312-857-0667, 10 S. State St.), which caused a brouhaha among purists who saw this as the final step in the suburbanization of the street. A few architectural gems have avoided the wrecker's ball, lo, these many years, and are worth a look up: Carson Pirie Scott & Co., (312-641-7000, 1 S. State St.), designed by Louis Sullivan and completed in 1904, and Daniel Burnham's 1890, 15-story Reliance Building (32 N. State St.), both of which presaged much of today's modern architecture. Architectural insignificance, however, is the key to one of the street's other highlights called Block 37, just across the street from Field's. Starting out as an urban nightmare--it was razed to make room for a shopping-and-office development that never got off the ground (literally)--the square block has evolved into one of the most pleasant oases in the area, with an outdoor art gallery during the summer months and an ice-skating rink in the winter.
What's so magnificent about the Magnificent Mile? The Magnificent Mile isn't, in fact, a mile at all--this stretch of Michigan Avenue, starting at Oak Street and running south to the Chicago River, measures slightly less than a mile in length. Magnificent it is, though, without a question. Once lined with some of the city's most renowned architecture, the street has evolved over the years from a sleepy yet chic thoroughfare of five-story limestone buildings to a bustling, traffic-choked canyon of cash-cow retailers and gleaming office buildings. Yet it's still elegant, wide and surprisingly light-filled, with water on both ends (the lake at the north end, the river at the south). The Mag Mile is the true retail center of the city, as well as a business center and an upscale residential neighborhood.
D s size really matter? To most of us, no, but that d sn't stop us from boasting about the John Hancock Center and Sears Tower, two of the world's tallest buildings (both of which were recently, and sorely, overtaken by twin towers in, of all places, Kuala Lumpur--who wants to go to Kuala Lumpur anyhow?). Chicago also has the biggest urban zoo (the Lincoln Park Zoo; 312-742-2000, 2200 N. Cannon Dr.), the longest uninterrupted public coastline in any major U.S. metropolitan area, and the biggest Banana Republic, Pottery Barn and Ralph Lauren Polo stores in the country.
How can I sound like a real Chicagoan? Pronounce the city's name Chicawgo, not Chicahgo.
What's "coffee and"? A Chicago idiom, the phrase means coffee and a piece of cake, coffee and a pastrami sandwich, coffee and a slice of pie--whatever you might have after a movie or play. "Come on," you might say, "let's get some coffee and." We know, it sounds like a word is missing, but trust us, it's not.
Is there anyone in town who d sn't idolize Michael Jordan? No.
Well, I brought my car--now where am I going to park it? Parking on the street in most neighborhoods is a huge pain in the keister--meters are enforced by an army of persnickety meter readers, and a parking space on side streets, where it's free, is a rare commodity. In addition, the city of Chicago loves, loves, loves to have cars towed, and the companies that do the actual towing are not known for service with a smile. (It'll cost you at least $100 to ransom your car.) Most decent restaurants have valet parking for $5 or $6, which is a good deal considering the cost to your psyche of driving around the block for half an hour looking for a space. There are privately owned parking garages all over the city, which are generally well-lit, safe and convenient, if pricey. Municipal lots, where the prices are lower than the private garages' (how d s $5.50 for 24 hours sound to you?), are mostly downtown.
Where can I hear music for free? While there are clubs all over town that feature live music, the city itself sponsors some of the best sounds every summer--and it's free. Chicago's lineup of three-day music festivals, which take place at the Petrillo Music Shell in Grant Park (312-742-7638), rivals the music you'll hear anywhere else in town. The best events are the Chicago Blues Festival and the Chicago Gospel Festival, both in June. In addition, the Grant Park Music Festival (also at the Petrillo Music Shell) includes night-time outdoor concerts ranging from classical to show tunes, performed by the Grant Park Symphony and Chorus; they're on Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings throughout the summer.
What if I gotta go? Chicago's a pretty user-friendly place when it comes to finding decent, clean public bathrooms. Hotels, of course, are the best bets. The Drake (312-787-2200 or 800-445-8667, 140 E. Walton Pl.), the Park Hyatt (opens in May 2000 at 800 N. Michigan Ave.), the Ritz-Carlton (312-266-1000 or 800-621-6906, 160 E. Tearson St.) and the Four Seasons (312-280-8800 or 800-332-3442, 120 E. Delaware Pl.) are all reliable way stations. There are little-known and very private bathrooms at Crate & Barrel (312-787-5900), 850 Michigan Avenue, and at Starbucks on Rush Street. And, of course, there are bathrooms within all the department stores and malls, such as Water Tower Place (312-440-3165, 835 N. Michigan Ave.).
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