I Blog Chicago

Historic Ford Theater For Performing Arts – Oriental Theatre

0 comments By Al Filed in Chicago Tagged with history, oriental theatre May 29th, 2012 @ 9:07 pm

Gracing Chicago’s downtown area at 24 West Randolph Street is the Ford Center for the Performing Arts Oriental Theatre. The Oriental Theatre, as it was known at the time, was opened in 1926 as a movie palace by the Rapp and Rapp firm. Today the theater is operated by Broadway in Chicago where visitors can view some of the hottest shows on Broadway in the Windy City.

History of the Oriental Theatre

In its heyday, the Oriental Theatre hosted both movies and Vaudeville Acts, but eventually it ended up primarily becoming a movie house in the 1930s. On occasion live acts and concerts were held, including frequent appearances by Duke Ellington and his Orchestra. Other well known celebrities frequented the Oriental Theatre such as the Three Stooges, Judy Garland, George Burns and Gracie Allen, Bing Crosby, Ella Fitzgerald and many others. The Oriental continued to be part of Chicago’s theatre district for many decades.

With its unique Indian inspired motif, the Oriental was practically its own museum of Asian Art. Imagine the days of turbaned ushers guiding patrons to their seats: passing large mosaics of an Indian prince and princess, elephant-thrown chairs, and images of Buddhas.

Later in the 1970s, the Oriental came under renovation. It was added to the Federal National Registry of Historic Places in 1978. Then In 1997 it was renamed the Ford Center for the Performing Arts. Now a part of the Broadway in Chicago circuit, the Ford Center Oriental Theatre is one of 5 theaters where you can see some of the most popular shows playing on Broadway today. This ranges from the long-standing Les Miserables to more modern shows such as the Book of Mormon.

See a Broadway Show in Chicago

If you’re visiting Chicago and you’ve already experienced the museums, the city’s history tours, sampled as many wonderful morsels in all the amazing restaurants that you could; and now you want to do something a little more relaxing, why not spend a night watching a show? You should make it a date. Find out what shows are playing, ticket prices, and group discounts by visiting the Broadway In Chicago website for more information.

The Chicago Fire – A Brief History

0 comments By Al Filed in Chicago Tagged with chicago fire, chicago history May 8th, 2012 @ 12:25 pm

It’s no secret I love our city – and with it – I love its rich history :::

It’s a Sunday in 1871, the morning of October 8, and Chicago has started to burn. It started near a small barn in an alleyway by 137 DeKoven Street. It’s unknown how exactly the fire began. Though Michael Ahem — a reporter for the Chicago Republican — famously wrote that the fire started when a cow kicked over a lantern, he later admitted that the account was fiction and he simply thought it would be a good story. It was, of course, a good story, but the fallout of the blaze told its own tale: having spread easily among Chicago’s wooden buildings (a then-overused material in the Windy City), the fire continued until Tuesday, October 10, destroying much of the city, killing more than 300, and leaving more than 100,000 people without homes. All in all, roughly 34 blocks of Chicago were completely destroyed.

The damages totaled roughly $222 million in property, which then amounted to roughly one-third of the city’s worth — so how could the Great Chicago Fire possibly be a benefit to the city in the long run? For one thing, the disaster spurred a re-evaluation and reform of Chicago’s fire standards, which led to the Windy City boasting one of the country’s most formidable fire-fighting forces a short time later.

Perhaps the greatest benefits to Chicago were economic though. The destruction spurred not only an outpouring of donations to the beleaguered city, but also necessitated tremendous amounts of construction for rebuilding efforts. It wasn’t long before the affected area was rebuilt and Chicago was once again one of the country’s crown jewels, hosting the World’s Columbian Exposition and the more than 21 million visitors it entailed only 22 years after the blaze.

In 1956, the Chicago Fire Academy was constructed near the start of the fire, at 558 DeKoven Street. There are four structures that survived the fire and continue to stand: St Michael’s Church in Old Town, the Chicago Water Tower, the Chicago Avenue Pumping Station, and St. Ignatius College Prep. To this day, the Great Chicago Fire remains a prominent event in the city’s history, and this is reflected by the fact that many Chicago-area sports teams boast fire-related names (such as the UIC Flames and the Chicago Fire). The Windy City is nothing if not a Phoenix, as the 1871 disaster has proven.

A Day At The John Hancock Observatory

0 comments By Al Filed in Chicago Tagged with hancock observatory chicago May 7th, 2012 @ 10:39 pm

The skydeck observatory located at the very top of the John Hancock Building offers visitors a breathtaking view of Chicago’s skyline. It also provides a sweeping view of four different states: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin. Located at 875 North Michigan Avenue, the John Hancock Center is the fourth tallest building in Chicago, measuring 1,127 feet in the air. It was constructed by the Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill architectural firm under Chief Designer Bruce Graham and Bangladeshi American structural engineer, Fazlur Khan.

The building contains offices, restaurants, and about 700 condominiums, and it received its name to represent the John Hancock Mutual Life Insurance Company. The John Hancock Observatory offers a competitive view to the Willis Tower Skydeck, though the former has Chicago’s only open-air Skywalk with a free multimedia tour given in six languages.

Start your day 94 stories high with the best view of Chicago, and plan your next adventure on the ground, whether it’s dinner and theater or a family walking tour. You can participate in an audio tour and view the city through five telescopes, allowing you to experience Chicago like never before. Plus, the John Hancock Observatory offers the world’s highest cafe — Lavazza Expression Cafe — where you can enjoy a variety of foods and a cocktail. Best of all, the Observatory is open to large groups and parties, and weddings, graduations, school trips, and even corporate private parties have made their mark in the Observatory.

The John Hancock Observatory also offers a free concierge service. In partnership with WHERE Magazine, the Observatory offers you the chance to plan your day in Chicago. Begin with an amazing view of the city and Lake Michigan. You can then use the Sky High Concierge to help plan the rest of your trip, whether you’re booking a hotel or a dinner reservation.

Best of all is the Observatory’s sky high skating rink 1,000 feet up — the highest in the world. Measuring 900 square feet and created with a synthetic substance called XTRAICE, kids and adults can enjoy ice-skating against a backdrop of the Chicago skyline every year from January 1 through April 8. The rink is open from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. and each 25-minute skating session costs $5. Skates can be rented for just $1.

As you can see, there’s more than meets the eye at the John Hancock Observatory. Take the opportunity to spend a fun and intimate time with family and friends, while seeing Chicago in a whole new way.

Why I Love Chicago In Spring

0 comments By Al Filed in Chicago May 7th, 2012 @ 10:33 pm

Chicago is an exciting place to visit any time of the year. Whether you’re heading downtown to see the trees all lit up for Christmas or spending a gorgeous summer afternoon walking around for a much-needed day of retail therapy, there’s always something to do in Chicago. There are many times when I love visiting Chicago, but my favorite time to head to the city is in the spring.

There are many reasons why I love Chicago in the spring:

● The gorgeous spring weather – Often it’s too cold to walk around the city in the winter, and it can get very warm in the summer. In the spring, though, you can throw on a skirt or a pair of shorts and grab a light sweater and you’re good to go. The springtime is the perfect time to visit Chicago for a day of shopping, walking around, and visiting the various attractions the city has to offer.

● Enjoying a delicious meal outside – Chicago is known for having some of the most delicious restaurants in the country. A favorite has always been Mity Nice Grill inside of Water Tower Place. After a day of shopping, you can sit in a fun and relaxing environment while enjoying a delicious turkey burger, green chilli chicken nachos, or a seven vegetable Asian salad.

● Outdoor shopping – The best part about Chicago in the spring is spending a Saturday afternoon shopping and enjoying the beautiful weather. Chicago is known for brutal winters, so I do what I can to enjoy the weather when it’s gorgeous. This means taking some time to shop around the city for great small boutiques and popular stores that are having major spring sales.

● Popular attractions – Chicago is known for its diverse culture, and it’s always fun to visit the city in the spring on a rainy day and check out the various museums to learn more about art and culture.

Those who have been to Chicago know that there’s always something to do no matter what the weather is like, but for me, the best time to visit Chicago is in the spring. The weather is gorgeous, and you can spend the day doing some shopping before enjoying a delicious meal outside at one of your favorite restaurants.

Chicago Blog Coming Soon

0 comments By jchura Filed in Uncategorized April 15th, 2012 @ 11:59 am

Hey friends, I am fired up to start up blogging out Chicago – the city I love.

It will take me a few days to get rolling, but in case you were wondering, that’s what’s going on here.

Chicago is a wonderful city and this is my chance to share my daily life in the jewel of the Midwest::: Chicago.

I Blog Chicago Life In The Windy City