The downtown area of Chicago is known as the Loop, roughly bounded by the river and lake on the north, east, and west sides, and either Congress or Harrison streets to the south. The vast majority of Chicago's most famous buildings are located in this area.

I'll start with the Sears Tower since it is one of the most popular and I happen to have an office there. As you might expect, the view from the top of the Skydeck is extremely good. Unfortunately, they charge an exorbitant $9.50 a ticket! It's not that good! Plus, as I can attest from my 87^th floor perch, there are many days when clouds can block the view from up there.

Fortunately, I have some tips. First off, if you are really set on seeing the view from the top of the tallest building in the States, you can very often get discount coupons. Check out the tourist information places. The most economical view in Sears is from the 67^th floor Skydeck. Above that is private offices, but you can get a very good free look from 67. I know it may seem silly to only go a bit more than halfway up, but believe me, the Skydeck is almost too high to really see things. It's often no better than the view you can get from an airplane coming into town.

Another good tip is the bar in the Hancock Building. I know this is "only" the third highest building in Chicago, but again, it is plenty high enough. Skip the Hancock Observatory and visit the bar, which is just a floor or two below. The price of a drink here is comparable to the Observatory fee, plus you get to sit down and have a drink.

Chicago is justly famous for its architecture. The Chicago Architecture Foundation runs a large number of tours. I've taken many of them and have usually found them to be excellent. Their River Cruise is very popular so you should probably book that one ahead of time. The other tours should be open to walk-ins.

The CTA runs a Loop train tour. While I haven't taken this myself, just riding around the loop on the El can be worthwhile. The Brown and Yellow Lines run above ground and give a good vantage point for examining building detail. Tickets for the CTA tour can be picked up at the Cultural Center. While you're in this building (which was the library when I was a kid) walk up the stairs on the north side of the building and check out the magnificent dome in the Grand Army of the Republic room. There are many other wonderful features in this building, but that is definitely a highlight.

Volumes have been written about the famous downtown buildings. I'll simply give you a brief list of the one's I would particularly recommend. The Rookery is perhaps my favorite. If you closely examine the beams in the atrium you'll find one with an opening to reveal the pre-Frank Lloyd Wright renovation. Same with underneath the stairway -- looked better before Wright covered it, didn't it? You can also see a bit of the original tile in the corner where a newsstand preserved it. The rest of the floor was renovated by copying this small chunk. The cool Deco elevators, decorated with bats, are a remnant of yet another renovation. When I was young, the Rookery was a dark, dreary place because they tarred over the glass roof when it leaked. An 80's renovation, blasted off the tar (with walnuts, I believe) and added a better, clear roof above it.

While you're on LaSalle Street, check out the Art Deco lobbies of the Field Building (135 S. LaSalle) and the Board of Trade (south termination of street). Don't miss the 12^th floor atrium of the Board of Trade where you can appreciate how the modern annex was tacked on to the back of the original building. Another gem that is usually missed by tourists is the Columbian Exposition mosaics on the second floor of the Bank of America Building (231 S. LaSalle).

Over on Dearborn, the Marquette Building is a classic -- don't miss the Indian mosaics in the lobby. Just South of this (ignoring the ugly, modern Federal Center that replaced our beautiful old City Hall Building) is the massive old Monadnock Building. Further south on Dearborn there is a whole row of interesting, late 19^th century buildings on the east side of the street: Fisher, Old Colony, Manhattan, etc.

On State Street, the two grand old department stores, Marshall Fields and Carson Pirie Scott are worth exploring both inside and out. Do not miss the Tiffany ceiling in the Marshall Field Building -- check out their maps inside to locate it. If it is near Christmas, then Marshall Fields is a must-see stop, especially for the mechanical window displays and the huge indoor Christmas tree. The nearby Reliance Building has recently been renovated.

Almost all of the downtown buildings on Michigan Avenue are worth a look. Some of my favorites include: Carbide and Carbon (love this one), Fine Arts, Monroe Building, Britannica Center (that's supposed to be a beehive up there at the top), and Willoughby Tower. While not technically in the Loop, the Wrigley Building and the Tribune Tower, both just north of the river, are two of the finest buildings in town.

For modern buildings, I think the library (400 S. State), 333 N. Wacker, 190 S. LaSalle, the Bank One Building (don't miss the Chagall Mosaic above the fountain in their plaza), and the State of Illinois building (100 W. Randolf) are exceptional. Many would disagree with the last choice however. Don't forget about the Picasso in the Daly Plaza.

I would strongly recommend walking around the Loop by the river. The city is trying to rediscover its river and plans have been made to improve the "river walk". For now, the best stretch is along the north end of the river between Wells and Michigan. The bridges do go up in the summer to let boats out into the lake, and yes, they really do dye the water green for St. Patrick's Day (although I've seen them throw the dye in and it starts out orange).

Tourists are caught in a quandary in deciding on the best time to view Loop architecture. Weekends are far less crowded, but some of the interesting lobbies will not be open. I think you need at least two days to do justice to the buildings, so pick a day of each.

As for eating in the Loop -- good luck because there is a lot of the bad and the overpriced. Many of my favorites are gone, so ask around for current conditions. Four places I really like are Tokyo Lunchbox (Van Buren and Wells), Heaven on Seven (111 N. Wabash), and the cafeterias in the basements of the Board of Trade and the Field Building. Some decent chains include Burrito Buggy, Rice Fields, and Taco Fresco. Avoid all Chinese Restaurants in the Loop. I used to know of a few decent ones but they are gone. If anyone knows otherwise, I would be very happy to hear about it.

mdonath@yahoo.com

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