Yeah why are we concerned about the next 5 years? We shouldn't be building for the next 5 years, we should be building for the next 500. Once another tower goes up next to this it will likely be there for centuries barring some kind of catastrophe like nuclear war or societal collapse. I would rather totally ignore the next 5 years and plan only for what will eventually be next door. See Imperial Rome for how to plan.

This 100%

July 26, 2018

God damn Essex is a baller.

I was taking 55 inbound from Harlem to Cermak/Chinatown, and I gotta say both OGP/NEMA and Essex have a profound impact on the skyline when looking from the southwest. Essex especially, since it rises from a low point in the skyline. It does wonders tying in the South Loop skyline with the rest of the skyline to the north.

Can't wait to see both of these towers up close at Lolla this weekend :)

Edit: typo

I noticed they threw up a bit more paint on the front of NEMA today. Might see them start painting more of it now that the glass is basically finished up on the base levels

You get a pretty good view of OGP from the platform on the 35th and archer orange line stop. I dont have any personal pictures on me to post but theres a picture of the view In this article. Looking forward to visiting home and seeing NEMA from this vintage point,.


"Go on a Walking Tour of Chicago's Historic McKinley Park Neighborhood"
by Shawn Ursini
curbed.com
April 12, 2016

https://chicago.curbed.com/2016/4/12...-mckinley-park
"Located at the geographic center of Chicago and just a mere 10-15 minutes away from the Loop on a swift ride on the Chicago Transit Authority's Orange Line sits McKinley Park, a smaller neighborhood poised with much growth potential. Chicago's neighborhoods are defined by two ways, the more common methodology is through the collective wisdom from Chicagoans who define boundaries by word of mouth and realtor lingo, and then there are the official boundaries set forth by the system of 77 community areas dividing up the city."

August 2, 2018

^A bit overdue for a crane jump at Paragon?

Screengrab from the livestream
https://i.imgur.com/F6KdGaz.png

Haha certainly seems overdue. I wonder if it's close to topping out and it can finish its job without a jump?

August 2, 2018

Oh wow... that first shot shows just how good this baby will look once all glassed and painted. To hell with the haters, this will be one of the top 10 buildings to go up this cycle no doubt

Now that's a great pic. Lolla pulls in tons of out of town money for their gigs.


BTW im not trying to troll or redirect this issue.

I could have posted this in the general thread but there were no other discussions on the pros and cons of Lolla 2018 yet. At least you posted a pic on it and the buildings going up around the fest.




Every year some building is going and growing up around them.

[When I remember When BCBS was expanding and the head of the fest found it amazing.]

Lolla regardless if you like it or not pulls in thousand of the younger generation into the city to see how it plays and works. The business articles post on the impact of hotels and Airbnb's putting millions in the pocket of people that would not otherwise get because all of the hotels are fully booked. I looked at some prices at hotels for this weekend and most of them were gouging twice the normal daily rate.



I think Chicago is not over satuated with hotelires yet. The very expensive ones we might be but your average midwestern traveler is not going to pay over 300 dollars a night for a mid grade hotel when the city is saturated.


I think we have the high end covered and many more rooms are coming on line.


But it seems we are lacking in mid price hotels at the current moment.



IMO a mid price hotel with a thousand rooms could be completive for the 15 to 20 year old travelers and those that use hostels.


Not everyone uses all of the exclusive things a 4-5 level hotelier provides. I mean I know they are most fully booked at this time but rooms that go for 270 at the most are asking 500 now before taxes per night. To me that is price gouging.


Most just what to stay out all night and just have a place to crash.


That's why we are seeing such cheap ass Airbnb prices in some of the not most safe hoods in the city. Money matters to those that follow music festivals.


I just hope no one is robbed because >90 of lolla is white and a lot of them are from out of state or even the country.

One bad mugging or worse would give the city an eyesore for a long time and again invite the entire news dedicated to link every bad thing Chicago can do to you.

I just hope for a non eventful festival. That is my concern for this weekend.

Why not rent out McCormick Place and put a whole bunch of cots in there as a budget Lolla option.

Because that sounds like a hurricane shelter, not a fun festival experience.

Camping (or glamping) at a festival can be fun, but you can’t do that in Chicago.

Northerly Island

Washington Park

Lower Wacker