I love the John Hancock building. I love its location at the north end of Chicago’s Magnificent Mile (that’s the famous shopping area on Michigan Avenue). I love its structural expressionist style and the architects’ use of X-bracing on the exterior so that the building could be taller with wide open floor plans. I love the restaurants and shopping at the base. The Signature Room on the 95th floor is where my family has celebrated some of our most special occasions. And of course, I love the Observatory. Located on the 94th floor, the John Hancock Observatory (JHO) provides Chicago’s best lake view and on a clear day you can…
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Lenny Kravitz In Chicago: A Summary In Tweets, Pics, And, Of Course, A Few Words…
It seems like months ago when I first wrote about the Lenny Kravitz concert in Chicago for which I, at the time, only hoped our family would be able to procure tickets, but it’s been less than a month. In that time, my sister and J got the tickets for us (two in the fifteenth row on the floor and three on the second row of the front balcony) while Jim and I were on our cruise by setting up an elaborate “Lenny Ticket Headquarters” which was made up of several computers, with phones on standby. They worked really, really hard to get those tickets. After they got the tickets,…
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Come And See Me At Elevenzees!
Mark your calendar, Chicago-area readers! I am super-excited to announce that I’ll be signing copies of Chicken in the Car and the Car Won’t Go: Nearly 200 Ways to Enjoy Chicagoland With Tweens and Teens on Saturday January 14, from 12-3. Where? Good question. I’ll be at Elevenzees, which is a fabulous boutique on the corner of Division and Wolcott in the trendy Wicker Park neighborhood of Chicago. I fell in love with Elevenzees the first time I walked in the door. It’s a great place to pick up a special gift for any special someone, and it’s just a beautiful shop. (It’s surrounded by other fantastic boutiques, too, so…
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I Tried To Do A Wordless Wednesday Post, But Couldn’t.
“Wordless” is difficult for me. I like to write and I like to talk. I do, however, have the ability to keep it short. Sort of. I’ve been wanting to post this picture for several months now. I snapped it on the north side of the Chicago River near Michigan Avenue, in the shadow of both the Trump International Hotel & Tower and the Wrigley Building. Those lily pads were peacefully floating around–not in the river, of course–in a little pond structure just steps away from Michigan and Wacker, one of the most bustling intersections in the city. I was amazed at the juxtaposition. Sadly, the picture doesn’t really go…
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When Any Seat Is A Great Seat At A Chicago Blackhawks Game
I recently had the good fortune to be a guest of General Motors’ Driving the Midwest at a year-end celebration of their “Our Town, Our Heroes” program, which spotlights Illinois folks who donate their time and resources to people and causes in need and “drive positive change in the community”. The event happened to take place in a Penthouse-level suite at United Center during a Chicago Blackhawks game. Much like the time I got invited to watch a Cubs game from a rooftop, watching a (2010 Stanley Cup Champions) Blackhawks game from the eighth floor in total luxury was something I have never before experienced, and appreciated from the depths…