ML - Michigan Avenue

2014 - Issue 3 - May/June

Michigan Avenue - Niche Media - Michigan Avenue magazine is a luxury lifestyle magazine centered around Chicago’s finest people, events, fashion, health & beauty, fine dining & more!

Issue link: http://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/297393

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 71 of 179

These downtown spots connect Michael Edwards to the city. EXCHEQUER RESTAURANT & PUB 226 S. Wabash Ave., 312-939-5633; exchequerpub.com "The food is good, and there's lots of it." THE GAGE 24 S. Michigan Ave., 312-372-4243; thegagechicago.com "It's full of vitality." SANDMEYER'S BOOKSTOR E 714 S. Dearborn St., 312-922-2104; sandmeyersbookstore.com "I can never walk out of there without buying something." THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO 111 S. Michigan Ave., 312-443-3600; artic.edu "I'm a fan of the Impressionist collection." CHICAGO ARCHITECTUR E FOUNDATION R IVER CRUISE Board at southeast corner of Michigan Avenue bridge, 312-922-3432; architecture.org/cruise "It gave me an appreciation for everything along the river." IWAN R IES & CO. 19 S. Wabash Ave., 312-372-1306; iwanries.com "A comfortable, dark place to smoke." MILLENNIUM PAR K 201 E. Randolph St., 312-742-1168; millenniumpark.org "I love to see people interact with the Crown Fountain." LIFE IN THE LOOP ABOVE: Edwards relishes the vitality of the city's downtown eateries. TOP RIGHT: A crowd settles in for a free concert in Millennium Park's Pritzker Pavilion. RIGHT: A vacant storefront becomes a temporary art gallery thanks to Chicago Loop Alliance's Pop-Up Art Loop program. fun—it's a microcosm of what cities are really good at, which is bringing people together t o exchange ideas and make connections that create social and economic development. That's why we have cities. "There are a lot of bookstores in the Loop, but my favorite is Sandmeyer's, just outside the Loop on Printer's Row. It's locally owned, and I can never walk out of there without buying something. I'm reading a lot about Chicago these days, and they have a lot of Chicago books, as well as books on urban planning and how we live in cities; being in a first-tier city, this is my first experience with that. When I was in Spokane or Pittsburgh, the energy felt like 'Well, those things happen over there, in Chicago and LA.' Now I'm in the middle of it all. "I'm also a fan of the Impressionist collection at the Art Institute, particularly Monet and Degas. I was just there with my daughter and she wanted to see some of Degas's dancers, so we walked by and there they were. I also took the Chicago Architecture Foundation River Cruise with my daughter, which gave me an appreciation for everything along the river. I was amazed at how engaged people were, the oohs and aahs. I think it's one of the best ways for people to really understand what's going on in Chicago. "I'm a once-a-month cigar guy, and my go-to cigar bar is Iwan Ries & Co., which has been around since 1857. The cigar store is open all day long, and in the evenings you can bring your own liquor. It's a nice, comfortable, dark place just to smoke, and it's on the second f loor, so the trains are going by outside the window and you're connected to the whole Chicago experience. "The architecture of the Loop is incredible, particularly the Reliance Building. The glass, the terra-cotta glazing… it's a beautifully done building at a great corner with a great use in the Atwood restaurant. It's everything a building should be, in my estimation. And Millennium Park has been a real game-changer for the area as well. My favorite part of it is the Crown Fountain. I love to see people's interaction with it and the changing faces and the water. It's terrific. "It's such a convenience to live in this area; everything is right at your fingertips. There's nothing you can't do in the Loop. And living here, I feel like I'm really part of something that matters. Here you're actually in meetings with people who are making a difference worldwide. That's an exciting feeling to have." MA continued from page 68 70 MICHIGANAVEMAG.COM NATIVE 068-070_MA_SP_Native_May/June_14.indd 70 4/14/14 9:41 AM

Articles in this issue

Links on this page

Archives of this issue

view archives of ML - Michigan Avenue - 2014 - Issue 3 - May/June