Looking southwest from the shores of Streeterville, it is mind-boggling to see what this area – the “Near North Side” – looked like in the mid-late 1960s. How much has changed since this postcard image was taken!
Streeterville is completely transformed today with condo towers and continuously sprouting Northwestern structures. The Chicago River is no longer vaguely industrial, and has seen tremendous development in the past half-century, transforming it to a coveted place to live and play. South of the river is no longer a vast sea of train yards and parking lots, but now the site of Millennium Park and the burgeoning New East Side; in fact, a clear view to South Michigan Avenue, as in this image, would be impossible today with all of the buildings that now exist.
Daley Center (then called the Civic Center), seen in the top-center of this image, loomed tallest in the city from 1965 until Hancock soared above it four years later.
Roughly the same area, via Google Earth:
Featured postcard image courtesy of John Chuckman, who generously shares his amazing collection online: chuckmanchicagonostalgia.wordpress.com
4 Comments
Wendy ~ I love your posts! Such interesting information!
Still want to do (at least) one of your tours . . . but will wait
for better weather! Carrie
Thank you, Carrie! Can’t wait to see you. Spring is just around the corner!
Ditto – really great site; will do a lot of digging around here before my next visit.
Thanks for following on Twitter, btw, looking forward to connecting.
Thanks so much, Bob!