The Evolution of the Merchandise Mart
While on the green line last week I rode past the hefty, block-long Merchandise Mart and began to wonder about its history. As I learned from Amanda‘s talk at the Union League Club this past week, the structure of older buildings usually aren’t very flexible and so they struggle to provide functioning spaces like modern […]
Why Does UIC Have So Much Brutalist Architecture?
In Part 1 of this two-part blog post, I introduced the development of the University of Illinois at Chicago, now let’s explore the campus’s famous Brutalist architecture. This was an experimental architectural style for a college campus, especially because it’s a style that many people don’t understand. We do our best to explain and contextualize […]
Visit the Chicago Neighborhood of Andersonville
Andersonville is a Chicago neighborhood with a small-town feel. The neighborhood has everything you need–bakeries, theaters, bars, grocery stores, a gym, a church, and even a taxidermy store–all within walking distance! Many of these amenities are located in historic buildings, which just makes things more exciting. Of course, it’s that historic architecture which I’d like to […]
Three Classic Chicago Books for Summer Reading
I’m often asked “What Chicago books should I read?” Since this question is usually during a tour, it’s fair to say our guests want to learn more. As a lover of literature and an alumna from the History Department of UIC, my studies are based on how we learn history without reading standard, dry history […]
Chicago Blackhawks Past and Present Explained
As the Chicago Blackhawks are doing better and better this season. That means I’m getting more and more questions about them on our Chicago walking tours. Being a non-athletic, bookish girl, I thought I should brush up on my Blackhawks knowledge with a little research on Chicago’s ice hockey scene and share it with all you […]
Chicago Blues Fest and a Bus Tour
As Chicago gears up for Blues Fest this weekend, we at Chicago Detours are preparing to celebrate the musical history of Chicago with our Jazz, Blues & Beyond tour, held this Saturday, June 8, 10:30am-1:00pm. This bus tour explores neighborhoods north to south and details Chicago blues and jazz’s roles in our cultural heritage. Jazz, […]
Chicago Irish for St. Pat’s Day: Three Influences on History
With the St. Patrick’s Day Parade and celebrations in Chicago coming up this weekend, I began to wonder about why a specifically Irish celebration is such a big deal here in Chicago. Do the Irish make up a large portion of the populace? What’s their history here and how have they contributed to Chicago’s history? […]
Frederick Law Olmsted’s Riverside: the First Planned Suburb
When I think of “planned community,” pristine lawns, curving curbs, and happy little driveways come to mind. Maybe it’s even a “gated community” with three or four house designs repeated along the block. Interestingly the roots of the ‘burbs came from mastermind of landscape design Frederick Law Olmsted (think 1893 World’s Fair or NYC’s Central […]
A Brief History of Living in the Loop
Most of us think of downtown as a place for big business and shopping, but a few people actually live downtown. Inspired by the construction of the new Waterview Tower climbing to the skies near the river, I decided to explore a history of residential architecture in the Loop.It’s a topic that comes up fairly […]
Chicago History and Architecture Answers from Tour Questions
To make good on our commitment to questions asked on our Chicago architectural and historical tours, here are some answers to questions from inquisitive people. What ever happened to the World’s Fair? This question struck me most of all the random requests that are made of my knowledge bank during our tours because I had […]