This weekend was Open House Chicago weekend, with the Chicago Architecture Foundation hosting open houses at 150 spaces (not always traditional buildings!) around the city. I’d heard about this event before, but we’d never gone, so this year we decided to check out some of the open houses. On Saturday, we went downtown, stopping first at a really good ramen noodle place called The Slurping Turtle.
We decided to try a few of the open houses in the financial district. I’m not sure we’ve ever really walked around there, which is kinda crazy, considering we’ve been in Chicago for 21 years! We took a very quick look inside the landmark Rookery Building. Beautiful decorative and fireproof terracotta exterior (built in 1888, 17 years after the fire) with bird details to reference the “Rookery” name.
Pigeons and other birds made themselves nuisances in the building formerly on that lot, and the name ‘rookery’ not only stuck but is what the new building was named.
Just south of the Rookery is the Chicago Board of Trade.
And across from the Rookery is 190 S. LaSalle. There’s a lot of if not secrecy certainly privacy in the financial district (a huge bank nearby is called The Private Bank, sounds very Swiss bank account) and it was not revealed what happens in 190 S. LaSalle. We went there to visit The Library, an event space that is on the 40th floor of 190 S. LaSalle.
After hanging out in the library, we went next door to the Federal Reserve Bank. There’s a lot of security there — it was rather like being in the airport except we didn’t have to take our shoes off. There, we went through the renovated lobby and also to the Money Museum, which was really interesting!
Ever wondered what a million dollars looks like?
They gave Miles $364. Shredded. We commented that shredded money would make good guinea pig bedding.
After some renovations, an elevator shaft was left unused, and they decided that instead of sealing it up with something unimaginative, they would fill it with coins.
After leaving the Fed, we walked north out of the financial district toward the center of the loop. We passed a rare coin dealer. Reliefs of coins from all times from around the world decorate the exterior wall, including this florin or Irish 2 shilling coin.
Our destination was this building, which looks pretty much like any other office building on the outside
but inside, it’s a church! The stained glass and decorative wooden ceiling are very cool. Due to the open house event people were allowed to go up to the steeple, but the wait was really long, so we decided to try again another time. This building is the site of many of the Chicago Humanities Festival events that we like to go to throughout the year.
Oh, and this doesn’t belong but I like it: on Friday night we tried out a new restaurant near our house. It’s called Polak and has pierogi and other Polish food. It was really good, we’re going to try them for brunch sometime soon too! Maybe with Liam, he’s also a big pierogi fan.
That’s like Culture Night here in Ireland where they open up all sorts of buildings for people to see across various cities on the one night – I love the Church – looks amazing – is it a Methodist Church as it says on the outside? Looks like you had a really good evening!
I don’t think we ever made it to Culture Night, sounds like a great idea! Yes, it’s a Methodist Church in the Loop — but probably most known for the public events they host like authors’ readings.
Yes very interesting alright-this Open House Day must be world wide-what a great idea.
I like the idea Miles of shredded money being used for guinea pig bedding-no expense spared.
The million dollars is very cool! I once heard a Planet Money podcast about the one company that makes the paper for dollar bills – was really interesting about how it’s so different to other paper and all the security involved.
Seems like Chicago and Dublin are ahead of Sydney in the open house idea by the way – have never heard of it here!
But I thought YOU looked like a million dollars! 🙂
Ah yes there are all kinds of looks for a million dollars 🙂 Sydney should definitely join the trend and do an open house event!