85-461: South Chicago , formerly known as Ainsworth , is one of the 77 community areas of Chicago , Illinois . This chevron -shaped community is one of Chicago's 16 lakefront neighborhoods near the southern rim of Lake Michigan 10 miles south of downtown. A working-class neighborhood, it is bordered by East 79th Street on the north, South Chicago Avenue (the Chicago Skyway ) on the southwest,
170-429: A mascot named Seemore Miles. Separate from its observatory, 875 Michigan Avenue formerly had a restaurant space on its 95th floor and a cocktail lounge space on its 96th floor. The combined space on these floors was approximately 30,000 square feet (2,800 m ). The original restaurant in this space was named "The 95th restaurant", which operated from the 1970s until 1993. Its accompanying 96th floor cocktail lounge
255-1082: A "natural area" that underpinned Park's and Burgess's thinking has also been challenged. Chicago is traditionally divided into the three "sides" of the North Side, West Side , and South Side by the Chicago River. These three sides are represented by the white stripes on the Flag of Chicago . The city is also divided into 50 wards for the purpose of electing one alderman each to the Chicago City Council . These wards have at times generated identities similar to neighborhoods. Unlike community areas, wards are adjusted decennially to account for population shifts. Another method of neighborhood nomenclature in heavily Catholic neighborhoods of Chicago has been to refer to communities in terms of parishes . For example, one might say, "I live in St. Gertrude's, but he
340-506: A 5,200 square feet (480 m ) grocery store accessible only to apartment residents and office tenants. In 2007, operation of the grocery store was taken over by the local Potash chain of grocery stores. As of February 2023, Potash continues to operate the grocery store. The elevators that serve the top three public floors are credited as the fastest in both North America and the Western Hemisphere. Manufactured by Otis ,
425-659: A comprehensive plan for the shoreline before it became hyper-industrialized. Until 1971, long-distance passenger trains stopped at the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad 's South Chicago Station (19 miles from Grand Central Station). Trains included the Chesapeake and Ohio 's trains to Grand Rapids, Michigan, and in earlier years, the Resort Special to Bay View. B&O trains included the Capitol Limited and
510-477: A distinctive identity. Ernest Burgess , a colleague of Park's who shared his thinking, was crucial in creating and naming the community areas. Initially able to identify 400 neighborhoods of the city, he considered that number excessive and trimmed it down to 80 and thereafter 75 by grouping related neighborhoods into a single community area. The Chicago Department of Public Health wished to present local differences in birth and death rates; it worked with
595-399: A fire in a car on the seventh floor required approximately 150 firefighters to extinguish. On November 16, 2018, an express elevator cable broke. Initial reports stated that an elevator with six passengers plunged 84 stories from the 95th to 11th floor. Since express elevators are not accessible from floors within the express zone, a team of firefighters had to break through a brick wall from
680-522: A fully engaged fire hose at him and by blasting fire axes through nearby glass from the inside. Fearing for Goodwin's life, Mayor Jane Byrne intervened and allowed him to continue to the top. On December 18, 1997, comedian Chris Farley was found dead in his apartment on the 60th floor of the building. On March 9, 2002, part of a scaffold fell 43 stories after being torn loose by wind gusts around 60 mph (100 km/h) crushing several cars, killing three people in two of them. The remaining part of
765-450: A neighborhood or encompasses several neighborhoods, but the areas do not always correspond to popular conceptions of the neighborhoods due to a number of factors including historical evolution and choices made by the creators of the areas. As of 2020 , Near North Side is the most populous of the areas with over 105,000 residents, while Burnside is the least populous with just over 2,500. Other geographical divisions of Chicago exist, such as
850-432: A part of the culture of Chicago, contributing to its perception as a "city of neighborhoods" and breaking it down into smaller regions for easier analysis and local planning. Nevertheless, Park's and Burgess's ideas on the inevitability of physically related areas forming a common bond have been questioned, and the unchanging nature of the areas has at times been seen as analytically problematic with major subsequent changes in
935-406: A public oasis with seasonal plantings and a 12-foot (3.7 m) waterfall. A band of white lights at the top of the building is visible all over Chicago at night, and changes colors for different events. For example, at Christmas time the colors are green and red. When a Chicago-area sports team goes far in the playoffs, the colors are changed to match that team's colors. The building is a member of
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#17327718212451020-479: A restaurant. Months later, it was announced that Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (the architectural firm that designed the building in the 1970s) would be involved in re-imaging the two floors. Housed within several of the lower levels of the building is a parking garage , which cars enter and depart via a spiral vehicle ramp. The building features a two-level outdoor plaza along its Michigan Avenue face. The plaza contains retail and dining tenants. The top level of
1105-544: A seasonal settlement for the Pottawatomie, was left alone due to an unmovable and deeply embedded bedrock of granite, which defied the development techniques of the time. It is the only natural beach frontage left and virtually unknown on the entire Chicago coastline. This beachfront and the massive outcrop of the Southworks table slag to the south and the water treatment plant to the north is a perfect demonstration of
1190-456: A separate community, South Chicago began as a series of scattered Native American settlements before becoming a village. First occupied by a chief named Askhum, considered 'lord' of the vast Callimink ( Calumet ) Valley and leader of the Pottawatomie people. They and other Native peoples used South Chicago and the shallow Calumet River area as portages, for seasonal settlements, hunting and fishing thousands of years before White settlers arrived to
1275-625: A small stretch of East 95th Street on the south. With the Calumet River on the community's southeast side, South Chicago can be considered the gateway to the Calumet Region and the one of the four Chicago neighborhoods ( East Side , Hegewisch and South Deering ) that are considered by the locals as part of Chicago's Southeast Side. The Southeast Side is a description that the city itself continues to resist, including this neighborhood with all of Chicago's South Side communities. Once
1360-456: Is divided into 77 community areas for statistical and planning purposes. Census data and other statistics are tied to the areas, which serve as the basis for a variety of urban planning initiatives on both the local and regional levels. The areas' boundaries do not generally change, allowing comparisons of statistics across time. The areas are distinct from but related to the more numerous neighborhoods of Chicago; an area often corresponds to
1445-601: Is from Saint Ita's." John Hancock Center The John Hancock Center is a 100- story , 1,128-foot supertall skyscraper located in Chicago , Illinois . Located in the Magnificent Mile district, the building was officially renamed 875 North Michigan Avenue in 2018. The skyscraper was designed by Peruvian-American chief designer Bruce Graham and Bangladeshi-American structural engineer Fazlur Rahman Khan of Skidmore, Owings and Merrill (SOM). When
1530-498: Is home to TILT, a moving platform that leans visitors over the edge of the skyscraper to a 30-degree angle, a full bar with local selections, Chicago's only open-air SkyWalk, and also features free interactive high-definition touchscreens in six languages. The 44th-floor sky lobby features the highest indoor swimming pool in the United States . The project, which would become the world's second tallest building at opening,
1615-405: Is home to several offices and restaurants, as well as about 700 condominiums , and at the time of its completion contained the highest residence in the world. The building was named for John Hancock Mutual Life Insurance Company , a developer and original tenant of the building, which itself was named for the U.S. Founding Father John Hancock . In 2018 John Hancock Insurance, years after leaving
1700-653: Is one of the largest parks on the South Side . Eckersall Playground Park and Stadium is centrally located in South Chicago at the corner of East 83rd Street and South Yates Avenue. Other new greenspaces are planned throughout the community including what is currently called "Park No. 503" at 8900 South Green Bay Avenue in the Millgate community. Designated bicycle paths from East 83rd Street, South Shore Drive/Mackinaw Avenue and South Chicago Avenue connect directly to
1785-540: Is the floor where the building transitions from offices to residential, with offices occupying floors below and residences occupying floors above. On its 44th floor, the John Hancock Center has a resident swimming pool . The pool area has double-height ceilings. The pool is the highest pool in the United States when measured by distance above ground level. On its 44th floor, the building has
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#17327718212451870-552: Is the historic triangular Bessemer Park , named after English inventor Henry Bessemer , whose iron ore refining process revolutionized steel production. The park was designed by the Olmsted Brothers of the renowned landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted of New York City 's Central Park , as well as Chicago landmarks Washington Park and Jackson Park , built for the World's Columbian Exposition of 1891. Their work on
1955-682: The Washington–Chicago Express . The last B&O trains stopped serving the station between 1968 and 1970. South Chicago is not connected to the Chicago "L" rapid transit system. The nearest CTA Red Line station is located 3 miles west, at 95th Street & Dan Ryan Expressway . The CTA Green Line is 5 miles north, at 63rd Street and Cottage Grove Avenue. The South Chicago neighborhood does, however, contain 4 newly rebuilt Metra Electric Line , South Chicago Branch stations: Cheltenham and East 79th Street, East 83rd Street , 87th Street , and 93rd Street/South Chicago , which terminates in
2040-416: The 2016 presidential election , South Chicago cast 9,908 votes for Hillary Clinton and cast 258 votes Donald Trump . It was Clinton's 22nd largest margin of victory by percentage points in the 76 community areas she won. In the 2012 presidential election , South Chicago cast 12,147 votes for Barack Obama and 207 votes for Mitt Romney . It was Obama's 22nd largest margin of victory by percentage points in
2125-644: The Burnham Greenway Trail which links to a comprehensive system of greenways throughout the Calumet Region . Since the de- industrialization of South Chicago's once inaccessible shoreline from the late 1970s on, East 87th Street has been extended to Lake Michigan with the look and feel of a landscaped boulevard. The former Southworks site brownfield , an area larger than the Loop, is a cleared and remediated table of slag and concrete, currently being transformed into Chicago's newest lakefront park with
2210-598: The Dan Ryan Expressway and southeast towards Hammond, Indiana . It can be entered nearby only towards Indiana, but has one westbound entrance, to the southeast at Indianapolis Boulevard & Avenue B. South Chicago is also served by a number of Chicago Transit Authority bus routes, services which enable commuters to make relatively easy connections to downtown and other Chicago neighborhoods. The buses that serve South Chicago are: As part of an effort to stimulate sustainable and equitable economic development in
2295-604: The Hancock Building were built from South Chicago steel. The embers, (graphite) from the smokestacks would cause the cars and sidewalks to sparkle and created a golden glow throughout the night. Softball and bowling were popular pastimes. Large Polish weddings on Saturdays were also a common sight. Throughout the early 1910s, Mexicans from a variety of regions within Mexico began to settle in communities throughout Chicago including South Chicago. South Chicago became one of
2380-573: The entire 99 stories. This forced the owner to stop development until the engineering problem could be resolved, resulting in a credit crunch. The situation is similar to the one faced during the construction of 111 West Wacker, then known as the Waterview Tower . Wolman's bankruptcy resulted in John Hancock taking over the project, which retained the original design, architect, engineer, and main contractor. The building's first resident
2465-400: The "New World". The post-Civil War era brought with it great industrial innovation. Developer James H. Bowen, the "Father of South Chicago," and others in a massive land grab wrested the land from its former existence and founded "Ainsworth" among other communities. This community was formed out of wetland prairie to provide residence for the labor force of European immigrants coming to work at
2550-612: The "sides" with origin in the 3 branches of the Chicago River , the 50 wards of the Chicago City Council which undergo redistricting based in population movements, and the parishes of the Roman Catholic Church. The Social Science Research Committee at the University of Chicago defined the community areas in the 1920s based on neighborhoods or groups of related neighborhoods within the city. In this effort it
2635-441: The 'sunken yards' and bridge-like walk ups from street like Houston, Baltimore and Brandon attesting to the degree infrastructure built up from the original topography of that time. It also demonstrates how South Chicago was not immediately affected by the housing ordinances restricting the use of lumber for home building after The Great Fire of 1871. Most of the neighborhood north of East 83rd Street and west of South Manistee Avenue
South Chicago, Chicago - Misplaced Pages Continue
2720-530: The 1920s the Social Science Research Committee at the University of Chicago wanted divisions that were more natural and manageable than the arbitrarily-designated and numerous census tracts. The sociologist Robert E. Park led this charge, considering physical barriers such as railroads and the Chicago River to form distinctive and consistent areas within the city, which he deemed "natural" areas that would eventually merge into
2805-456: The 1950s many residents called the northeast section of South Chicago *"The Bush" and worked in the local massive steel mill, US Steel. Others worked in neighboring steel mills such as Youngstown Steel, Republic Steel, Bethlehem Steel, and LaSalle Steel. At its zenith, South Chicago helped make the Chicago metropolitan area the leading producer of steel products in the nation. The Willis Tower and
2890-538: The 76 community areas he won. At the local level, South Chicago is located in Chicago's 7th and 10th wards represented by Democrats Gregory Mitchell and Susie Sadlowski Garza respectively. Chicago Public Schools operates public schools. The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago operates Catholic Schools. St. Michael the Archangel School in South Chicago closed in 2018, when it had 80 students. Community areas of Chicago The city of Chicago
2975-624: The Hancock is an annual stair climb race up the 94 floors from the Michigan Avenue level to the observation deck. It is held on the last Sunday of February. The climb benefits Respiratory Health Association . The record time as of 2007 is 9 minutes 30 seconds. The building is home to the transmitter of Univision 's WGBO-DT (channel 66), while all other full-power television stations in Chicago broadcast from Willis Tower . The City Colleges of Chicago 's WYCC (channel 20) transmitted from
3060-502: The John Hancock Mutual Life Insurance Company (the owners of the building at the time) to replace the plaza with a "$ 20 million glass and marble three-story atrium". One rationale cited by building's management was they claimed that access to the building's ground level was complicated by the need of pedestrians to circumnavigate around the courtyard in order to reach the street-level entrance to
3145-766: The South Chicago neighborhood, the City of Chicago is sponsoring its redevelopment. The effort represents one of the largest sustainable neighborhood revitalization developments in the country and should serve as a guide to the city for sustainable redevelopment on the south side for the next 25 years. Chicago's plan is to be rated by the United States Green Building Council and is part of the council's LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) for Neighborhood Development pilot program. A thirty-year development plan estimated to cost $ 4 billion
3230-550: The University of Chicago, they have been used by other universities in the Chicago area, as well as by the city and regional planners. They have contributed to Chicago's reputation as the "city of neighborhoods", and are argued to break up an intimidating city into more manageable pieces. Chicago was an early adopter of such a system, and as of 1997 most cities in the United States still lacked analogous divisions. The areas do not necessarily correspond to popular imagination of
3315-768: The World Federation of Great Towers. It has won various awards for its distinctive style, including the Distinguished Architects Twenty-five Year Award from the American Institute of Architects in May 1999. In celebration of the 2018 Illinois Bicentennial, the John Hancock Center was selected as one of the Illinois 200 Great Places by the American Institute of Architects Illinois component (AIA Illinois) and
3400-460: The architects of the building an estimate that 700 feet of antenna structure would be required to accommodate all of the city's radio and television stations. In 2002, the eastern antenna tower was extended to a height of 378 feet (115 metres) in order to enable WBBM-TV to add new digital antenna equipment at a height greater than the roof height of the Sears Tower (Willis Tower). Subsequently,
3485-435: The area notorious for its poor living conditions. Some of these discrepancies are due to names that were common at the time of the adoption of community areas but have since been supplanted by others. The static nature of area boundaries is one of their benefits, but is also problematic at times such as when expressways were built in the mid-20th century and divided neighborhoods without area boundaries adapting. The concept of
South Chicago, Chicago - Misplaced Pages Continue
3570-772: The boundaries of the community areas. O'Hare was created from land that was annexed by Chicago in 1956 to control O'Hare International Airport . Edgewater was separated from Uptown in 1980 as residents considered being joined to it a detriment to obtaining aid for local improvements. In addition to these two there have been minor changes due to further annexations and additions to the Lake Michigan shoreline. The areas are used for statistical and planning purposes by such professions as assessors, charities, and reporters. Shortly after their development they were used for all kinds of statistics, including movie theater distribution and juvenile delinquency. Although developed by
3655-808: The building topped out on May 6, 1968, it was the second-tallest building in the world after the Empire State Building , in New York City , and the tallest in Chicago. It is currently the fifth-tallest building in Chicago and the thirteenth-tallest in the United States , behind the Aon Center in Chicago and ahead of the Comcast Technology Center in Philadelphia . When measured to the top of its antenna masts , it stands at 1,500 feet (457 m). The building
3740-527: The building until November 2017, when it departed the air as part of the 2016 FCC spectrum auction. On February 12, 2018, John Hancock Insurance requested that its name and logos throughout the building's interior be removed immediately; John Hancock had not had a naming-rights deal with the skyscraper's owners since 2013. The building's name was subsequently changed to its street address as 875 North Michigan Avenue. On November 11, 1981, Veterans Day , high-rise firefighting and rescue advocate Dan Goodwin , for
3825-410: The building's lobby. They also cited a belief that the building's entrance was too understated for a building of its level of prominence. This atrium proposal faced backlash from local residents who felt that such an addition would mar the appearance of the landmark building. In 1989, newly-elected mayor Richard M. Daley criticized the proposed atrium and the plans were ultimately abandoned. In 1994,
3910-414: The building's owners in the mid-2010s which would have added features such as video screens and decorative prisms to the plaza. Since its completion, the tower has been topped by two antenna structures. These antenna superstructures support a large number of broadcast antenna equipment. At the time of the tower's completion, both antenna structures were 350 feet (110 metres) in height, and RCA had given
3995-468: The building, requested that its name be removed; the owner is seeking another naming rights deal. From the 95th-floor restaurant, which closed in late 2023, diners were able look out at Chicago and Lake Michigan . The observatory (360 Chicago), which competes with the Willis Tower's Skydeck , has a 360° view of the city, up to four states, and a distance of over 80 miles (130 km). 360 Chicago
4080-600: The century-old gap between Chicago's world-class chain of parks between South Shore 's Rainbow Beach Park in South Shore and Calumet Park in East Side neighborhoods, fulfilled the dreams of noted Chicago planner and architect, Daniel Burnham and business mogul and philanthropist Montgomery Ward (both of the Gilded Age ), for a free and clear lakefront. Famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright had also once designed
4165-547: The committee to produce the list of 75 community areas, which were divided into 935 census tracts. After the community areas were introduced, the University of Chicago Press published data sorted by them from the 1920 and 1930 Censuses , as well as a citywide 1934 census to help collect data related to the Great Depression , in what was known as the Local Community Fact Book . With
4250-525: The community. Commercial Avenue is also home to many non-profit organizations including Healthy South Chicago, the Alianza Leadership Institute, Centro Comunitario Juan Diego, El Valor, Centro de Trabajadores Unidos, and SEDCOM. The violent crime rate is 401% higher than the national average, according to the latest data from 2020. Wedged between East 89th Street, South Muskegon Avenue and the sycamore tree-lined South Chicago Avenue
4335-407: The elevators travel 96 floors at a top speed of 1,800 ft/min (20 mph; 9.1 m/s). It has been said that they would be capable of reaching the 95th floor in 38 seconds if they could run the entire trip at their top speed. Located on the 94th floor, 360 Chicago Observation Deck is 875 North Michigan Avenue's horizon observatory. The floor of the observatory is 1,030 feet (310 m) above
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#17327718212454420-505: The exception of 1970 (whose data was published in 1980 ), it continued this publication for every subsequent census through 1990, expanding in the 1960s to also cover major suburbs of Chicago. The Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning continues this work by periodically publishing "Community Snapshots" of the community areas and suburbs, the most recent being data from 2018 published in June 2020 . Only two major changes have occurred in
4505-424: The expected acquisition of 875 North Michigan Avenue's 856,000 square feet (79,500 m ) of office space and 710-car parking deck. The Chicago firm did not disclose a price, but sources said it was about $ 145 million. This was the last step in that piecemeal sale process. In May 2016, Hearn Co. announced that they were seeking buyers for the naming rights with possible signage rights for the building. Hustle up
4590-463: The feel of wide open prairie land. The purchase of the property from notable world-class developers, has put South Chicago at the center of the city's, and the Nation's largest lakefront redevelopment effort in the 21st century. Mixed residential, retail and lake recreation are quietly planned. The new lakefront park, as yet nameless (which is nearing completion), was the missing link effectively closing
4675-403: The first growing Mexican communities in Chicago. The community faced many challenges including many racist attacks by the more assimilated groups. The early Mexican community began to band together and worked to help build Our Lady of Guadalupe Church as they were not welcomed in other churches throughout the area. South Chicago's Mexican Patriotic Club's Mexican Independence Day (Sept. 16th) Parade
4760-399: The heart of the neighborhood's business district along South Baltimore Avenue, and is the community's most accessible commuter rail service to downtown Chicago. Although Metra is mainly a suburban service, the outbound South Chicago Branch, which terminates within Chicago's city limits is the only Metra line to do so. The Chicago Skyway borders South Chicago Avenue, running northwest towards
4845-664: The industries developing along the Calumet River, most notably the North Chicago Rolling Mill Company, built at the mouth of the river in 1881. Only fractions of the original topography and habitat remain as is the case with most of urban Chicago. With the entire Chicago Lakefront built on miles of landfill and slag there still remains a small stretch of semi-secluded beachfront just north of the Southworks Site. This bit of lakefront, once
4930-414: The inside floorplan. Such original features have allowed 875 North Michigan Avenue to become an architectural icon. It was pioneered by Bangladeshi-American structural civil engineer Fazlur Khan and chief architect Bruce Graham . The interior was remodeled in 1995, adding to the lobby travertine , black granite, and textured limestone surfaces. The elliptical-shaped plaza outside the building serves as
5015-513: The neighborhoods. For example, the Pilsen and Back of the Yards neighborhoods are much better known than their respective community areas Lower West Side and New City . In the case of New City this was a deliberate choice; Burgess opted for the less common "New City" to name the area as "Back of the Yards" carried a stigma after the publication of Upton Sinclair 's The Jungle (1904), which made
5100-405: The observation deck, the company extensively renovated the space in 2014. The observatory boasts more floor space than its direct competitor, Skydeck at the Willis Tower. The observation deck currently includes a cocktail lounge named the "CloudBar". After the closure of the building's 96th floor cocktail lounge, 360 CHICAGO has advertised it as being the highest cocktail lounge in the city. It
5185-469: The park started in early 1904 and finished late in 1905. The fieldhouse, only modestly upgraded, retains much of its original charm. The Bessemer Park Nature and Wildlife Garden is among Chicago's 23 noted natural "preserves" of native fauna and wildlife habitat. Bessemer Park and Russell Square Park on the corner of Bond Avenue and East 83rd Street (*the Bush), are among their last commissions, Bessemer Park
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#17327718212455270-405: The parking garage to extricate the passengers, none of whom suffered injuries. Elevators to the 95th/96th floor were closed thereafter pending investigation. Subsequent investigation documented only a controlled descent from the 20th floor to the 11th floor. A piece of cladding fell from the building on January 5, 2022. One of the most famous buildings of the structural expressionist style,
5355-558: The plaza is at street level, while the lower level is sunken below the street level. Current tenants include The Cheesecake Factory and The North Face . Past tenants have included Best Buy . The plaza was originally rectangular in shape. Per the Chicago Tribune , the plaza was modeled after the plaza at New York City's Rockefeller Center . The plaza's design featured a fountain pool that would be turned into an ice rink in colder weather. In 1988, plans were unveiled by
5440-411: The plaza was renovated, with the sunken portion transforming from its previous rectangular shape to an elliptical shape. In 1999, Chicago Tribune architecture critic Blair Kamin wrote that this renovation had made the plaza a more "welcoming" space. This renovation came after the more dramatic late-1980s renovation plans were abandoned. A further $ 10 million renovation for the plaza was considered by
5525-570: The purpose of calling attention to the inability to rescue people trapped in the upper floors of skyscrapers, successfully climbed the building's exterior wall. Wearing a wetsuit and using a climbing device that enabled him to ascend the I-beams on the building's side, Goodwin battled repeated attempts by the Chicago Fire Department to knock him off. Fire Commissioner William Blair ordered Chicago firemen to stop Goodwin by directing
5610-509: The restaurant and bar were listed for sale. In September 2023, the Signature Room abruptly ceased operations, with ownership citing "severe economic hardship" that they attributed to the impact of the earlier COVID-19 pandemic . In June 2024, 360 CHICAGO (operators of the building's observation deck) acquired the 95th and 96th floors, announcing that while their plans for the floors were not yet finalized they do not intend to operate
5695-412: The skyscraper's distinctive X-braced exterior shows that the structure's skin is part of its " tubular system ". This is one of the engineering techniques which the designers used to achieve a record height; the tubular system is the structure that keeps the building upright during wind and earthquake loads. This X-bracing allows for both higher performance from tall structures and the ability to open up
5780-470: The some of the areas' urban landscapes, such as the construction of expressways. During the 19th century wards were used by the Census Bureau for data at the level below cities. This was problematic as wards were political subdivisions and thus changed after each census, limiting their utility for comparisons over time. Census tracts were first used in Chicago in the 1910 Census . However, by
5865-413: The stage swung back-and-forth in the gusts repeatedly slamming against the building, damaging cladding panels, breaking windows, and sending pieces onto the street below. On November 21, 2015, a fire broke out in an apartment on the 50th floor of the building. The Chicago Fire Department was able to extinguish the fire after an hour and a half; five people suffered minor injuries. On February 11, 2018,
5950-489: The street-level below. The entrance can be found on the concourse level of 875 North Michigan Avenue, accessible from the Michigan Avenue side of the building. The observatorywas previously named "John Hancock Observatory". It has been independently owned and operated since 2014 as an subsidiary of the Paris , France -based observation deck company Magnicity (formerly known as the "Montparnasse 56 Group"). After its acquisition of
6035-491: The tower and eliminated the striped paint scheme, as striped paint is not required if structures are topped by such lights. A sizable number of television and radio stations utilize the antenna towers. Many stations maintain broadcast equipment on both the John Hancock Center and the Willis Tower's antenna structures in order to have both a primary and backup broadcasting point. In November 2012, Boston-based American Tower Corp affiliate paid $ 70 million to acquire ownership of
6120-514: The vigorous advancement of the steel industry and 20th-century development. The four communities of Ainsworth; the Bush, Millgate Cheltenham/South Chicago and Calumet quickly developed into one village referred to collectively as South Chicago during the wave of annexation in 1883. The predominantly woodframed architecture of the Bush, Millgate and eastern Cheltenham are a lesson in Victoriana with
6205-420: The western antenna tower was reduced to a height of 285 feet (87 metres). For a long time, the antenna towers utilized incandescent red lights and a red and white paint scheme to provide a visibility to aviation in compliance with federal regulations. However, in order to forgo the expense and effort of annually reapplying striped paint to the antenna towers, the tower instead installed red strobe lights atop
6290-537: Was Ray Heckla, the original building engineer, responsible for the residential floors from 44 to 92. Heckla moved his family in April 1969, before the building was completed. The 1988 film Poltergeist III was set at the John Hancock Center and was filmed in early 1987. On December 10, 2006, the non-residential portion of the building was sold by San Francisco –based Shorenstein Properties for $ 385 million and
6375-624: Was St. Patrick, which was founded by Irish Catholics . Much of the business and shopping is done along Commercial Avenue. Several privately owned businesses such as clothing stores, furniture and retail, and beauty salons, can be found along Commercial Avenue. Restaurants from Nigerian to Italian cuisine are found in South Chicago. Despite the slow economy, more "Mom and Pop" stores flourish throughout South Chicago's residential areas, than in any other neighborhood. East 83rd Street, East 87th Street and south along Commercial Avenue to East 95th Street have attracted corporations, businesses and new banks into
6460-533: Was approved by the city in September 2010, for the former site of the huge steel mill, which operated along the neighborhood's shoreline from 1880 to 1992. The site has undergone extensive demolition and environmental remediation since 1992. The plan called for extension of Lake Shore Drive , with site construction and was to begin in 2012. South Chicago is a stronghold for the Democratic Party . In
6545-442: Was conceived and owned by Jerry Wolman in late 1964. The project was financed by John Hancock Mutual Life Insurance Company. Construction of the tower was interrupted in 1967 due to a flaw in an innovative engineering method used to pour concrete in stages, that was discovered when the building was 20 stories high. The engineers were getting the same soil settlements for the 20 stories that had been built as what they had expected for
6630-442: Was developed after WWII and contain mostly brick homes, but under the ordinance brick homes began being built throughout the newly annexed neighborhood after 1883. South Chicago was bustling with waves of immigrants as the popularity of the World's Columbian Exposition of 1893. The steel mill became U.S. Steel South Works in 1901, continuing to attract immigrants from Ireland , Eastern Europe , Scandinavia and Italy . During
6715-528: Was formerly named "BAR 94". In the summer of 2014, 360 Chicago added its TILT attraction. TILT, which requires an additional fee to experience, features a series of floor-to-ceiling windows that slowly tilt outside the building to 30°. The observation deck also features an open-air "skydeck" area. For several years in the 2010s, during its winter season, the observation deck would feature the "world's highest skating rink", with an artificial ice rink being seasonally installed. At one point, observation deck had
6800-473: Was led by sociologists Robert E. Park and Ernest Burgess , who believed that physical contingencies created areas that would inevitably form a common identity. Except for the addition of two areas ( O'Hare from land annexed by the city in 1956 and Edgewater 's separation from Uptown in 1980) and peripheral expansions due to minor annexations, the areas' boundaries have never been revised to reflect change but instead have been kept stable. The areas have become
6885-455: Was named "Images". From 1993 until 2023, the 95th floor was home to a restaurant named the "Signature Room", with the accompanying cocktail lounge on the 96th floor being named the "Signature Lounge". The name alluded to the famous signature of early American figure John Hancock . The restaurant was an upscale establishment that offered patrons scenic views. It enforced a dress code for patrons. It received numerous awards. In April 2023,
6970-652: Was purchased by a joint venture of Chicago-based Golub & Company and the Whitehall Street Real Estate Funds. Shorenstein Properties had bought the building in 1998 for $ 220 million. Golub defaulted on its debt and the building was acquired in 2012 by Deutsche Bank , who subsequently carved up the building. The venture of Deutsche Bank and New York–based NorthStar Realty Finance paid an estimated $ 325 million for debt on 875 North Michigan Avenue in 2012 after Shorenstein Properties defaulted on $ 400 million in loans. The observation deck
7055-433: Was recognized by USA Today Travel magazine, as one of AIA Illinois' selections for Illinois 25 Must See Places. The building is only partially protected by a fire sprinkler system, as the residential floors do not have sprinklers. Including its antennas, the building has a height of 1,500 feet (457 m), making it the thirty-third tallest building in the world when measured to pinnacle height. The 44th level skylobby
7140-570: Was sold to Paris-based Montparnasse 56 Group for between $ 35 million and $ 45 million in July 2012. That same month, Prudential Real Estate Investors acquired the retail and restaurant space for almost $ 142 million. In November 2012, Boston-based American Tower Corp affiliate paid $ 70 million for the antennas. In June 2013, a venture of Chicago-based real estate investment firm Hearn Co., New York–based investment firm Mount Kellett Capital Management L.P. and San Antonio–based developer Lynd Co. closed on
7225-623: Was the first such parade in Chicago also celebrated with a carnival of rides and booths. While South Chicago has a sizable African American population, existing ethnic groups continue to have strong community ties in the area. Our Lady of Guadalupe is the oldest parish founded by Mexicans in the City of Chicago. Immaculate Conception , St. Michael's , two churches built in the ' Polish Cathedral style ' and later Saint Bronislava have served South Chicago's Polish residents for over 80 years and now have significant sized Latino populations as well. The first Catholic parish established in South Chicago
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