CAF: Open House Chicago – 2014

Edgewater Beach Apartments
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Last Saturday Julie and I took advantage of the Chicago Architecture Foundation‘s Open House Chicago and made it to six locations. Once again the weather was pretty rough but we had a mapped out plan and kept moving.

We started at the Edgewater Beach Apartments on the far Northside of the city. The building was completed in 1928 as part of the Edgewater Beach Hotel. The building has been well maintained and has many of the original features including the indoor pool.

Polish General Consulate
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We had to make an appointment for our next stop at the Polish General Consulate Chicago. The Consulate is housed in one of the seven remaining Lake Shore Drive mansions.

The Allerton Hotel’s Tip Top Tap
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The Allerton Hotel’s Tip Top Tap room was probably the only disappointment of the day. The Tip Top Tap used to be a lounge but is currently just an event space. The views aren’t that good because of how the windows are situated and other than that, it’s simply an empty room.

The Blackstone Hotel
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The Blackstone Hotel had opened their Presidential Suite which has actually been used by many a President over the years.

Hilton Chicago (Formerly the Stevens Hotel)
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The Hilton Chicago Hotel, which was originally the Stevens Hotel, opened one of their two Imperial Suites for the tour. The suite is located on the top of the Hotel with views of Lake Michigan and Grant Park.

Cliff Dwellers Club
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The Cliff Dwellers Club is located on the top of the Borg Warner Building on Michigan Avenue. The club has a roof deck patio that looks out over Grant Park.

Side Notes:
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*  With Julie’s CAF Membership we were able to access the Member’s Only sites as well as skip all of the lines at any sites.  This is really key if you’re trying to make a day of Open House Chicago.
** Julie’s photographs are here.