2022 US Trip – Day 17 (Chicago – Trump Tower and the Chicago L)

Walking to the station to get my train to the airport, I meandered by Trump Tower which it’s fair to say has some very impressive views over the Chicago River. It’s not an unattractive building, it’s 92 floors in height and has 339 hotel rooms as well as many floors of residential properties. I had a look to see how much the residential apartments were, although I’d add that was just out of interest as I’d be horrified to have an address of Trump Tower. They’re not that expensive, a studio apartment is from $300,000, although there’s a $675 monthly home owners fee for the services offered to residents, so I imagine that’s a factor given that local property taxes are a similar sum.

I’ve been impressed at the Chicago L, or their subway system, since I first visited the city. It’s loud, clanky and feels like a hefty piece of engineering because most of it in the centre is elevated. Indeed, that’s where the nickname the Chicago L came through, the L is shorted for Elevated. It’s been clanking its way around the city centre since 1892 and I’m not sure that it looks much different from when they put it up. Saves digging under city streets I suppose as they did in London. Matters have changed somewhat since the initial construction, much of the now greatly expanded network is now under ground or at least at ground level.

Another photo of the L in all its subtlety.

And a metro train clanking its way around, which must have annoyed the residents at first floor level (second floor in the US) when they constructed it.

This was my stop (or start technically I suppose), Washington Station which is on the Blue Line and goes from the Loop all the way to O’Hare airport. It’s a relatively late build for a station, constructed in 1951 and it’s also connected in with the Red Line.