Around the South Loop

Enjoy these images from around the neighborhood. We're sure you'll notice a lot of familiar places and spaces.

"Around the South Loop"

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Around the South Loop and Chicago: Happy Thanksgiving!

South Loop Connection would like to wish everyone a "Happy Thanksgiving." We hope you enjoy some of the shots around Chicago and the South Loop. Most of the photographs were taken this week. How many locations can you recognize?

Rainy days and Mondays: This past Monday wasn't the best day to walk to work.

The new Old St. Mary's school is going up fast.

2nd Ward Alderman Bob Fioretti and 3rd Ward Alderman Pat Dowell at the "State of the South Loop"

Fall colors morph into winter sparkle at the Blackstone Hotel.

Workers insulate the wall of a building on S. Michigan Ave. just south of Johnson Publishing

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas: sprucing up (pun intended) S. Michigan Ave.

The clock inside the Chicago Hilton and Towers lobby

Commuters cross Wacker Dr. with the Merchandise Mart in the background

The view of Trump Tower from Lake St. and Wabash Ave.

Flirting with Flirty Cupcakes on Lake St. between Clark and Dearborn

The Boeing building and points south

Picketers in front of the Congress Hotel

The Glessner House Museum porte ccohere is lighted for an evening event

Around the South Loop

To those visiting Chicago for the first time, it's a revelation. Those of us who live and work in the city, sometimes forget how beautiful it really is. The mild fall we've had has brought forth some vivid leaf colors all around town. And because we live in a "living" city, things are constantly changing: old buildings come down, new ones go up; old businesses close, new ones open to take their place.

Below are just a few recent shots of Chicago and the South Loop.

Did you notice these beautiful trees along Michigan Ave. just south of Randolph St.?

Construction of the new school at Old St. Mary's

A look at Museum Park in the early morning

Johnson Publishing celebrating Ebony Magazine's birthday

The grand staircase at the Sante Fe Building

Planter showing beautiful fall colors in front of the Blackstone Hotel

Around the South Loop

Road work continues on S. Indiana Ave.

The tree of life arch above the front door of the Glessner House is a work of art.

Marcel Florist & Gardens at 1471 S. Michigan Ave. is selling Fraser fir Christmas tress.

South Loop landmark White Palace Grill on Roosevelt and Canal

Around the South Loop: The Day After the Big Wind

The empty building just south of Trevi Square is boarded up after high winds knocked out the windows yesterday

Close-up of workman boarding up the empty building

I'm glad I wasn't in a Smart car yesterday.

A street light on the ground at 1601 S. Michigan

Construction continues on the new school foundation at Old St. Mary's

Around the South Loop

The Best Fall Ever
For many of us in Chicago, this is the best fall we've experienced in a long, long time. To see flowers still in bloom, with some still vibrant and healthy, this late in October is an unusual sight. But a welcome one, indeed. Below are some recent shots around the South Loop showing off the neighborhood and the city.

A beautiful view of the Chicago skyline from the Adler Planetarium

The rocks make an interesting photo composition.

A lone Canada goose perches on a rock by the Lake Michigan shore

The bike path heading toward Soldier Field from the Shedd Aquarium

Native plants and wild flowers are in full bloom by Soldier Field.

Freight train parked by 18th St.

Around the South Loop

Yoga in Grant Park: Taking advantage of yesterday's great weather

The warm fall weather has kept the flowers blooming.

Vines are still green and growing.

Fall foliage along S. Plymouth Ct.

A gardener tends to the flowers at Second Presbyterian Church.

Looking north on S. Prairie Ave.

Part of the downtown skyline looking south from Clark and Roosevelt

The refurbished front door at the Glessner House Museum

2010 Chicago Marathon: The Wrap-Up

The 2010 Chicago Marathon is over, but for many, the memories will live on. Check out some of the highlights from the perspective of the South Loop Connection.

The 2010 Chicago Marathon begins!

South Loopers get ready to greet runners along S. Michigan Ave.

The wheelchair competitors come through first.

The front runners are about to pass by.

The size of the crowd matches the number of runners by around 12:45 p.m.

You never know what you're going to see on Marathon Sunday.

A lot of water was served today.

A happy South Loop resident celebrates completing her first marathon.