Riverwalk and Marina City

Look at you, strolling along the Riverwalk, just like a true Chicagoan! Yes, if you hadn’t heard that term before, that’s what the residents of Chicago are called. This waterfront promenade was created in the 2000s by the city to reclaim the riverbanks in an approach that is both ecological and recreational, as well as economic, providing a place of relaxation and tranquility for pedestrians. It stretches for just over 2 km, connecting Lake Shore Drive on the East side of town, which is the highway that runs along the lake shore, to Wolf Point on the West side. Wold Pointis the confluence of the three branches of the Chicago River whose Y-shape has become a symbol of the city. Now, if you spot a Y on buildings or vehicles, you’ll know what it stands for! The Riverwalk has six main sections.  You’re now on Marina Plaza, lined with bars and restaurant terraces. It offers a perfect view of the two Marina City towers. These two rather unique corncob-shaped towers were created in 1959 by Bertrand Goldberg. The idea behind the project was to create a city within a city and to keep the middle class downtown. The towers, which are the first twin towers in architectural history, house not only residences but also, as you can see, parking lots that take up the first 19 floors of each tower, as well as a multitude of amenities such as a theater, an ice rink, a swimming pool, shops, restaurants, a travel agency, and more. In 2010, there were 929 residents, which is the size of the village of Elkville in Illinois and larger than 636 other municipalities! If you feel like you’ve seen these towers somewhere before, stop searching, it’s most likely you saw them in movies! Marina City towers appear, among others, in The Blues Brothers, Batman Begins, Transformers 3, The Break-Up, The Dark Knight, I, Robot, to name just a few. If you want to get a closer look at them, know that the complex is home to the House of Blues, a bar-restaurant and concert venue founded by Isaac Tigrett, the owner of the Hard Rock Cafe, and Dan Aykroyd, co-star of the famous 1980 film The Blues Brothers.