Opening up Chicago

The city of Chicago is known for many famous sites, which represent a substantial cross section of American architecture.  And the general public was given a great opportunity to visit 150 of these places across the city, many of which are not normally open to the public, on Open House Chicago (OHC) weekend, October 18-19.  After having missed out on the event before, I was eager to dive in for this year's event and make the rounds seeing places.

(Before I go further, I have a couple of notes: The first link given for each site goes to a website for that place, while the second link goes to the information on the OHC website for that particular place.  Also, because of an issue that arose with my camera, I have no pictures of the Ukrainian Village churches I saw, but there are plenty of pictures for the other sites.)

So on Saturday morning, I made my way on the Blue Line and then the #50 Damen bus to Ukrainian Village to visit the four churches there open for tours.  I had an appointment in that area way back in January, and I took note of two spectacular churches there.  But they weren't open, leaving me only opportunity to see the exteriors, and looking forward to the chance to go inside, which came with OHC.

Additionally, I have a growing fascination with sacred spaces.  Whenever I enter into a church for the first time, I always take note of the physical features of the space, and how it fits in with the history and culture of the congregation, as well as to how it speaks to the religious/spiritual practices of the people who gather there.

The first church I saw was Saints Volodymyr and Olha Ukrainian Catholic Church.  The church's interior seemed a bit smaller than I had expected from the sizable exterior.  But walking inside the sanctuary was a big "wow" moment:  It seemed every square inch of space was covered with religious artwork, depicting stories from the Bible, especially Jesus and the prophets, and the saints since the time of the Bible, all in the style of Eastern Christian iconography.  (And I'm pretty sure this was the first time I had set foot in an Eastern Catholic Church.)

Next up was St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral, a short walk north on Oakley Boulevard.  The church's interior seemed a bit smaller in comparison to the grand exterior with its towers and domes, and while it didn't seem as if the inside was as fully decorated as at Sts. Volodymyr and Olha, it was still pretty amazing.  Unlike at the other Ukrainian Village churches I visited this day, I could get a clear view of the altar through the screen, which wasn't covered by a curtain, and was designed to provide a less obstructed view.  The people at the church were actively handing out literature about their church, especially materials discussing how the Ukrainian Catholic Church fits into the structure of the Catholic Church, and its relationship with the Roman Catholic Church, which got me into the start of some discussions about the practice of the Roman Catholic versus Eastern Catholic churches.

I then took a walk a few blocks north to St. Volodymyr Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral, which, as far as I know, is the first time I've ever entered an Orthodox church.  Notably, the building once was used for a Lutheran congregation, as many of the features of its physical appearance show, like the Gothic arches, and dark wooden pews.  But it is now outfitted for the Orthodox congregation that currently uses it, including the screen in front of the altar, and the iconography.

The final church I saw was Holy Trinity Russian Orthodox Cathedral on Leavitt.  This church was the smallest of the four.  Louis Sullivan designed it around 1900, modeling it after churches typically found in the Russian countryside.  The typical Eastern iconography was present throughout.  Notably, there are no fixed pews inside the sanctuary.  Instead, the congregation uses chairs that can be easily moved.

I also got into some more in-depth theological discussions with the people there, including .  A man there was explaining the screen, saying that in the Eastern churches, the screen is not intended to cut people off from God's presence, but to represent how the people strive from worshiping God in this life to fully entering His presence through the death and Resurrection of Christ.  I thought back to the Eastern churches' emphasis on the Resurrection that I learned about at St. Nicholas, and asked the man about that.  Not being entirely sure how to answer me, he took me to the the Dean, Archpriest John Adamcio, who explained to me that the emphasis on the Resurrection is because Jesus proved He is God by rising from the dead.  Also, the church services, the Divine Liturgies, are intended to simulate Heaven.

With that, it was time to head downtown, which I did via the #70 Division bus to Milwaukee Avenue and then the Blue Line.  The first place I saw downtown was the Chicago Temple, First United Methodist Church.  The congregation dates back to before Chicago was officially incorporated as a city in 1837, and had several buildings before constructing its present building on Washington between Dearborn and Clark in the 1920s.  The prominent feature of this church was the Sky Chapel, but there was a line for it.  However, the woman checking people in, sensing my hesitancy to wait, told me it was worth it--and she was right!

After waiting about 15 minutes or so for my ticket number to be called--they had a very efficient system to get people moving through by giving out a set quantity of tickets with the same number to stagger the flow of visitors in groups--I got on an elevator to go up more than 20 floors, and then walked up more than 100 stairs to the Sky Chapel (see picture directly below).

It is a small, intimate space, plainly adorned.  The stained glass windows had images and were grouped according to different themes, from Old Testament stories to the Church in the United States.  I took a peak through two of the open windows for some amazing views of the city, over 400 feet above street level (see picture directly below).  (By the way, Monday through Saturday, at 2 PM, the church gives tours of the Sky Chapel to the public, as well as on Sunday after church services.)

On my way down, I stopped by the pastor's private patio, open specially for OHC, which had some great views.  (It was also nice at this point that the rain had stopped for the first time since I had first headed out in the morning.)

After a quick lunch, I went to the Tribune Tower, but decided to ditch a tour there since there was such a long line, and head over to Lake Point Tower by Navy Pier.  (On my walk there, I stepped inside a town house that was having an open house for prospective buyers, just for the "thrills" of seeing the inside.)

Lake Point Tower represented for me the essence of OHC is all about, an opportunity to see inside a building that is a familiar site, beyond what we can usually see, even a spectacle unto itself.  The first of two areas open for OHC I saw was the outdoor area, about three stories above street level.  This area had a large grassy lawn area on the east side, with playground equipment in one corner (see directly below).

On the west side, within full view of Lake Shore Drive, is a spectacularly landscaped garden area (see directly below), with a pond, waterfall, stone path, seating area for dining, and some kind of grill.  I kept going "wow" as I walked around and took pictures--to think something this incredible is right there.

As if that wasn't great enough, it only got better when I headed up to the Cite restaurant on floor 70, for amazing 360 degree views of the city, and Lake Michigan.  While this pricey restaurant is open to the public, I was so glad to have the chance to move around and take in the views, which I feel are the best in the city, because Lake Point Tower is right by the lakefront, and offers unobstructed views of the Lake and lakefront areas.

This picture looks east out into Lake Michigan, with Navy Pier appearing toward the right, and the Jardine Water Filtration Plant appearing toward the left.

Here's a view toward the southwest, with the skyscrapers of downtown Chicago, including the Sears Tower far back

Thanks to the woman who kindly obliged my request to get a photo of me.  The view out the windows is to the south, with Lake Michigan and the lakefront areas that include Grant Park.

That was a wrap for Saturday.  But I was back at it on Sunday.

I headed downtown, and then picked up the #6 Jackson Park Express bus, which takes a great drive along Lake Shore Drive, nonstop from Roosevelt Road to 47th Street.  I got off near Lake Park Avenue and Hyde Park Boulevard, and headed due west to the KAM Isaiah Israel Synagogue at Greenwood Avenue (see directly below).  As I neared the synagogue, there were lots of barricades present and signs noting the area is under the surveillance of the United States Secret Service because of the owners of the home across the street from the synagogue are none other than Barack and Michelle Obama.  (The security was tighter this day because the Obamas were coming home later that day to attend a fundraiser in town.  I was told about an hour before I showed up there were bomb-sniffing dogs all over.)

The synagogue has a Byzantine design, which is supposed to evoke the Eastern origins of Judaism.  The chimney is even designed like a minaret, which I thought was more typical for a mosque than a Jewish synagogue.

It was very meaningful for me to step inside the synagogue for a visit, because of the impact the Jewish people have had in my life.  When I first came into contact with large numbers of Jews upon starting middle school, their openness about their religion led me to a great appreciation of my own faith, especially recognizing that they practiced faith in the one true God for centuries before Christ came and started the Church.  I couldn't help but think about this especially as I was talking with a woman there while waiting to enter the sanctuary, and she pointed out the Cross I was wearing, or as she put it, "I see you're wearing a sign of your faith."  I hadn't even taken much thought to the idea of my walking into a synagogue wearing a Cross around my neck, but then again, that's the appreciation for faith I carry everywhere, which I owe in part to my interactions with Jewish people.

A woman from the synagogue took us a group of us inside the main sanctuary (see picture directly above), which is not often used by the congregation, and gave us a brief talk about the history of the congregation, and explained the space of the sanctuary, including the adornments and the doors of the ark, which appears in the bottom middle part of the picture, behind the podium on the stage.  I was particularly drawn to images of Isaiah and Moses, as well as Scripture verses in the stained glass windows, which very much speak to my own Christian tradition.  The congregation's name KAM, is an acronym for the Hebrew phrase "Kehilath Anshe Ma'arav", which means "Congregation of Men of the West", referring to its being in what was once the western part of the United States.  It started in downtown Chicago in the 19th Century as part of the reform Judaism movement, and eventually migrated to its present location as the members moved further from downtown, and merged with the Isaiah Israel congregation.

As I left, the woman pointed out the synagogue community's sukkot, still up from the recent celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles, in the garden area by the synagogue's school.

The sukkot is the wooden structure that appears in this photo.

Given the security along Hyde Park Boulevard, I decided to head north on Greenwood, and then back east along 50th Street, passing by some very swanky Kenwood homes.

I boarded the #6 bus to get back downtown, and disembarked at Michigan and Balbo to see the two hotels there that had special suites open for public viewing.  I had not originally planned to see them, but decided to add them in because the circumstances fell into place.

The Chicago Hilton and Towers Hotel had its north Imperial Suite open for OHC, over 20 floors up.  The suite has two bedrooms, each with its own bathroom, as well as a living room space, with incredible views of the lakefront areas, and a small kitchen.  I heard someone ask a hotel staffperson the price, which is $7000 per night.

Thanks kindly to the person who got this photo of me taking it easy at the large dining table in the Imperial Suite.

This photo shows the living room area.

A view to the northeast from the Imperial Suite.

Right across Balbo Drive to the north, the Blackstone Renaissance Hotel opened up its Presidential Suite for OHC.  Several US presidents stayed there, including John F. Kennedy.  The bedroom in the suite is actually modeled after the Kennedy Bedroom in the White House (see picture directly below).

Interestingly, there is also a room with red walls in the suite, just like the Red Room in the White House.  (Thanks kindly to the woman who took this picture of me lounging in the red room.)

 There's also another room with a couch and a dining table, and a bathroom.  (This suite is clearly smaller than the Imperial Suite, and costs a few hundred dollars a night.)

Oh, and there were great views from this suite, too:

This photo looks south-southeast from the President Suite toward the southern part of Grant Park, the Museum Campus,and Soldier Field.  To the right in the foreground is the Chicago Hilton and Towers Hotel.

I felt that the tours of these two hotel suites also spoke to the essence of what OHC is all about.  While only the wealthy may be able to use them as intended, this weekend was democratic in the sense that any person could come in and see them.

What a fantastic weekend it was going out and about in Chicago.  I got to venture into some areas I don't go into often, like Hyde Park/Kenwood and Ukrainian Village, and used the public transportation system in different ways in so doing.  I had the amazing opportunity to see sites that are away from public eye, and are quite a treasure.  I fostered my interest in sacred spaces, too, and came to know more about the traditions these spaces represent, adding news ideas to my own sense of religion, which was especially meaningful for me as I celebrated the 9th anniversary of my Confirmation, which came a few days before this weekend.

I am deeply appreciative of those who made it possible for these sites to be open, especially those normally off-limits to the general public, so that everyone could experience them.  I am grateful to the religious congregations for opening their doors in welcoming people in to experience the places where they worship and experience God--which itself was a great opportunity for people to mingle with those of different religious traditions.  In the end, it is these individual places, and the people who are part of them, that together make Chicago the great city it is.  And what an opportunity OHC provided on this weekend, all by opening up 150 different pieces of Chicago.