Tag Archives: Chicago

Pedway Exploring: Part 2

Chicago, Travel, , ,
Chicago Cultural Center

Chicago Cultural Center

Today’s exploration of the Pedway involved a little bit of retracing my steps, but rather than return to the depressing North Grant Park Garage I started at Chicago’s Cultural Center. I had to resist the temptation to dawdle in the galleries, as I walked towards the north of the building where a largely hidden elevator descends to the Pedway that runs east-west along Randolph street.

Beneath The Chicago Cultural Center

Beneath The Chicago Cultural Center

The décor here is pretty much anonymous, but gets very busy as you approach Millennium Station to the east.

Millennium Station

Millennium Station

The floor has a train track motif, which induces a desire to hurry up and get out of the way. So I did. A plethora of fast food vendors ply their trade behind glass walls to the south of the concourse.

Goat/Numerically Inspired Sculptures

Goat/Numerically Inspired Sculptures

I choose north, and exited to above ground at Prudential Plaza (passing goat/numerically inspired sculptures) and crossed Lake Street to re-enter the Pedway at the Boulevard Towers complex.

205 N. Michigan Avenue

205 N. Michigan Avenue

Food was hastily consumed at Mezza, and then I continued north and east below the Illinois Center and Hyatt Regency Hotel, then ascended to street level. The aim here was to explore the disconnected length of Pedway that connects the area where the BlueCross Blue Shield Tower sits and Grant Park.

Pedway

Pedway

Here it gets a little trippy – the entrance is in a spacious skyscraper lobby, with an elevator down to the Pedway. Beneath everything seems normal until you cross Randolph Street through a glass and steel tunnel supported by luminescent yellow girders. The south exit onto Grant Park is pretty close to the BP Pedestrian Bridge that snakes its way across South Columbus Drive and into Millennium Park.

Art Institute

Art Institute

It was as hot as Hell outside, but the walk through the park and across the Nichols Bridgeway to the Art Institute was pleasant. The occasional oasis of air-conditioned buildings keeping me from melting into a sweaty mess.

 

Pedway Exploring: Part 1

Chicago, Travel, , ,
Van Buren Street Metra Station Entrance

Van Buren Street Metra Station Entrance

The first day of official exploring began fairly innocuously. I explored the less useful / less interesting part of the Pedway that begins at the nicely appointed Art Nouveau-style Paris Metro entrance on Michigan and Van Buren. From outside it looks like you are about to descend to a place that looks historic and pleasantly designed, but once underground it is ugly and functional – with a pathway east-west to the Van Buren Street Metra Station platforms, and north-south along the Grant Park South Garage.

Grant Park Garage South

Grant Park Garage South

Grant Park Garage South

Grant Park Garage South

The north most part of the Pedway here ends at Jackson Blvd., so I had to head up to street level and the blistering heat.

Grant Park Garage North

Grant Park Garage North

Grant Park Garage North

Grant Park Garage North

I continued walking north along Michigan Avenue, and ducked down into the Pedway again just north of Monroe Street. Again the Pedway was part of the underground parking garage, this time the Grant Park North Garage. It was a toss-up whether it was warmer underground or at street level, as the path was largely alongside air-conditioning vents, which nosily blasted hot air. Around Randolph Street things improved, with cooler air-conditioning and a more tourist-friendly décor as the Pedway became part of Millennium Station. I grabbed a very quick lunch at Market Creations Café (in Prudential Plaza – the Pedway exits here), and then rapidly got lost amidst the passageways below the Aon Centre and Hyatt Regency Hotel. Luckily there was a map to help me orient myself.

Pedway Map

Pedway Map

Here the Pedway largely resembles an out-of-town shopping mall, with food courts, hairdressers and newsagents. Coming from the grungy parts of the parking garage it feels a little surreal.

Carbide & Carbon Building

Carbide & Carbon Building

I headed back south and exited at Boulevard Towers where Lake Street meets Michigan Avenue. A somewhat surreal, but fun lunch break.

Chicago’s Underground City: The Pedway

Chicago, Travel, , , ,
Chicago Pedway (James R. Thompson Center)

Chicago Pedway (James R. Thompson Center)

An unfulfilled resolution (until now) has been to get a better understanding of Chicago’s Pedway – the near secret underground city complex of passageways beneath Chicago. Lunch breaks are now finding me starting to explore. The downside (or perhaps the challenge) of doing so is the paucity of accurate maps and information. The City of Chicago website has a very basic map from 2008 here, but this is not particularly helpful:  However, Will Vaughn has a more useful overlay map which can be found here. Hoping to plug away at this before the year is out and get a good understanding….