Fancy Chicago

Jonathan Adler

 Waking up at 4:30 am has it's advantages.  Our dear girl Charlotte, Jon's girlfriend was having surgery in downtown Chicago yesterday.  We drove into the city to pick up the kids, drop them off and then park.
We were in a fancy neighborhood I have never visited before.  Right outside of the parking garage were stores and shops.  Beautiful designs...

 I was intrigued by this ball, a pillow, footrest, objet d'art?

 Looked like it was made of different shades of grey velvet.

 This reminded me of Superman's Fortress of Solitude...crystals used as a centerpiece.

The architecture of this Church is breathtaking, St. James Episcopal Cathedral, the second Church on this site.  The first burned down in the Great Chicago Fire of  1871, leaving only the bell tower.  This Church was completed in 1875. It is at 65 E Huron.  I read that the inside is amazing too.

This photo was taken later in the day.

 Then at the corner Erie and Wabash is the Ransom Cable House.  I had no idea a house like this existed in Chicago.  It is massive, the stonework, arches...  I was gawking, taking pictures, amazed by what I was seeing.

 How would you like to sit in that window and watch Chicago go by?

 All this nestled between hi-rises...

 It looked like a storybook castle, even with the construction cone.

Doing some research I found that this house is owned by Richard Driehaus, he used to park his car in this neighborhood to go to the bars on Rush Street as a young man. Thirty years ago it was a run down side street, but because of Driehaus' personal mission it was saved.  (The article I found was written by Ron Magers, a local newscaster in 2007)

So many amazing discoveries, and so much to learn about them and their preservation. Tomorrow I'll share with you a museum you may not know about.  I didn't.  They call it Chicago's Downton Abbey.

Charlotte's knee surgery went perfectly.  We were in Mariano's, a local grocery two hours after surgery...she was encouraged to be as active as she felt comfortable.  I love having a house guest, especially such a good natured and happy one.

Thanks for stopping by and enjoy this beautiful day.