The Evolving Chicago River (Paris, Manhattan: 2014, condo, university)

[sfchi]

"The Evolving Chicago River"
The Evolving Chicago River

[edsg25]

The Chicago River can rightfully call itself Chicago's second great waterfront. with its man made canyons, it is like no other river in the world. uniquely Chicago.

[thefallensrvnge]

I am so happy that Chicago is investing more into the Riverwalk. I think it is a great asset to the city, and can help bring more people in. I also love the Wolf Point development. Curbed just put an article about the city looking to install a "Lighting Framework Plan" along the river. Looks interesting.

City Formally Launches Ambitious Lighting Framework Plan

[nearnorth]

Originally Posted by edsg25

The Chicago River can rightfully call itself Chicago's second great waterfront. with its man made canyons, it is like no other river in the world. uniquely Chicago.

Sure-- except for every other large city with skyscrapers that has a river running through it.

Don't get me wrong, I think it's great, and will be greater once the river walk is complete. I don't think it's uniquely Chicago, though.

If anything, the part that has been unique to Chicago is our relative lack of pedestrian access to the river and very few bars/cafes/restaurants along the river compared to other cities. I thought that was truly bizarre when I first moved here, until I learned the history about how the river was basically a smelly open-air sewer until relatively recently.

[edsg25]

Originally Posted by nearnorth

Sure-- except for every other large city with skyscrapers that has a river running through it.

ok. name one other river in the US where the skyscrapers line both banks while enclosing it into canyon status. i can't think of one except an absolutely min-version in our neighbors to the north, Milwaukee.

I'm talking a real canyon, the type that can exist only with a narrow enough river and a long string of high rises.

The East River certainly doesn't give that effect between DT Manhattan & DT Bkyn. The Hudson doesn't give it between DT Manhattan and Jersey City and certainly doesn't between Manhattan and the high rises on the Palisades. the Cambridge side of the Charles doesn't have the skyscrapers Boston does. Neither the opposite banks of Allegheny and Susquahana have high rises like DT Pgh. Biscayne Bay can give you Miami high rises and Miami Beach high rises, but it is a bay, not a river.

Where else but in Chicago do you have a river run smack through tall buildings in the downtown core.

[high density]

Our university just started a crew team (depaul). We absolutely love rowing through downtown every mornings. The river has straight shots, long enough for a 2k race( main type of race in rowing), and it is curvy enough to make the row enjoyable and scenic. next fall we are setting up downtown chicago's first collegiate race between university of chicago, northwestern and ourselves(depaul), between chinatown and the harrison street bridge. The water is still pretty dirty (condoms and other nasty stuff) but has gotten a lot cleaner since I was a kid in wicker park, and hopefully clean enough to swim in when i'm a senior -3 years. fingers crossed.

[oddstray]

Originally Posted by edsg25

...Where else but in Chicago do you have a river run smack through tall buildings in the downtown core.

San Antonio, TX. The Riverwalk.
Paris, France. The Seine
London. The Thames.

[rzzz]

There are a lot of urban rivers. Melbourne, Brisbane, London, Paris, Miami, etc. However, I've never seen one that looked much like the Chicago River.

[edsg25]

Originally Posted by oddstray

San Antonio, TX. The Riverwalk.
Paris, France. The Seine
London. The Thames.

i was actually referring to skyscrapers because that was the "canyon effect" i mentioned. plenty of cities have rivers running through them.

now let me go back to my original premise:

Chicago is the only city in the world that I know where a river flows through a steep, man made canyon of extremely tall high rises and skyscrapers, lining both its banks.

you know, I may have missed some global city on this account, but I certainly can't think of one American city (or one North American, for that matter) that would have such a description.

if anyone wants to offer up alternatives, please fill me in.

The Chicago River can rightfully call itself Chicago's second great waterfront. with its man made canyons, it is like no other river in the world. uniquely Chicago.

i don't think i could have been clearer as to what i meant.

[Sabal77]

Originally Posted by edsg25

The Chicago River can rightfully call itself Chicago's second great waterfront. with its man made canyons, it is like no other river in the world. uniquely Chicago.

Tokyo