Architecture along the Chicago River (August 2025)
The crown jewel of the Midwest, Chicago is the third-largest city in the United States. Home to over nine million people in its metropolitan area, this Illinois city is a huge industrial, financial, and transportation hub, not to forget a massive tourist attraction that draws in 55 million visitors each year. There’s no doubt that the so-called “Windy City” or “Chi-Town” has a large cultural and economic impact not only in the nation, but also the world.
Originally the land of the Potawatomi people, this region had initial contact with non-natives in the 17th century with the arrival of French explorers and fur traders who passed through to conduct trade and commerce. It wasn’t until 1790 that Jean Baptiste Point du Sable, a black freeman, became the first non-indigenous person to permanently settle in the area– today, he is considered the founder of Chicago, which is really quite extraordinary for a POC!
Following the War of 1812, Chicago grew rapidly as its location was strategic for transport connections (i.e. railroads) from the East Coast heading west, as well as access to water along the Great Lakes in the north and the nearby Mississippi River flowing south. Despite the Great Chicago Fire in 1871 that destroyed a lot of the Financial District, the city continued to flourish and gave rise to other industries like manufacturing, education, sports, and entertainment.
All of this is thanks to immigrants from all over the world who came to Chicago for better opportunities and a better life. Throughout the 1890s to 1910s, the “Windy City” saw an influx of European immigrants, especially Poles and Italians before Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, and African Americans arrived following the World Wars. The city is still extremely diverse to this day, with much of its food and culture reflected in the various communities spread throughout town.
I visited Chicago over Labor Day weekend last year; I’d been meaning to see “Chi-Town” for the longest time, and I finally had the moment to check it out. In addition, it was also my first time in the Midwest, and I was curious to see how the culture in middle America was compared to the West Coast, where I was born and raised for most of my life. Although I’m aware that Chicago, a big city, isn’t reflective of the entire Midwest region, I still got a taste of it in urban form (as well as hopping over to Wisconsin for a more Midwestern experience– more on that later)!
Right after I clocked out of work on Friday, I headed straight to the airport to catch my 22h50 flight over to Chicago. It was an overnight flight, and unfortunately, I did not sleep at all during the four-and-a-half-hour journey over. I was utterly exhausted once the plane landed in O’Hare International Airport at 4h30 local time, but regardless I pushed myself throughout the day to explore as much of the city as possible.
Since I’d arrived so early, the metro (or “the Metra,” as the locals call it) wasn’t open yet, so I waited a bit before getting the first ride out at 5h00. I took the Metra, then the bus, over to my first destination of the day: the Starbucks Reserve Roastery. There are only a few of these roasteries in the world, and Chicago’s is the largest and newest of them all, having opened in 2019 at 3300 squared meters over five floors. This isn’t your usual Starbucks, as the Reserve offers food, drinks, and merch that you can’t otherwise find at a typical Starbucks, and it’s a popular tourist attraction requiring you to arrive early to beat the crowds.
Starbucks Reserve Roastery
There were already a few people lined up outside the Reserve once I arrived, and I waited in the queue for the doors to open at 6h30. Soon enough, we were let in– at first, I’d wanted to check out the second and third floors for the dine-in café experience, but apparently, they didn’t open until 8h00. However, the first floor was already open, which offered take-away drinks and pastries. I puttered around on the first floor for the first 90 minutes, grabbing a coffee and pastry as an early breakfast while waiting for the other floors to open.
All the delicious baked goods
Chicago’s Starbucks Reserve is, indeed, massive. It has an industrial look to it, with tall copper tubes that transport coffee beans through all five floors and rotating machinery preparing pastries. There’s a sort of Willy Wonka vibe to the Reserve, and I can see why it’s so popular among tourists– it really is that eye-catching!
First floor of the Reserve
All of the bean containers
Unfortunately, even though I waited and managed to see the second and third floors once they opened at 8h00, I didn’t have much time to really take them in, as I had to leave to make it in time for the Architecture Boat Tour. I’d purchased my ticket online in advance, but I had to head to the docks to redeem it. While I didn’t have much time to explore all of the Starbucks Reserve on my first day, I ended up returning on my last day to take my time and enjoy it (more on that soon).
I headed on-foot along the Magnificent Mile to the meeting point, taking in the high rises and trendy stores along the way. Soon enough, I reached the docks to redeem my ticket, and I got in line with several dozen other passengers for the first ride out at 9h30. The boat tour lasted 90 minutes, and the guide was excellent in providing so much information about the history and different architectural styles in the buildings along the Chicago River. It was also a beautiful, somewhat blue-sky morning, which made for lovely views and photos. I shamefully admit, I fell asleep for part of the tour, as I was so sleep-deprived, but I still learned a lot and felt my money was well-spent!
Just before departure…
Chicago skyline
The Architecture Boat Tour ended around 11h00, and I continued my stroll down Magnificent Mile. I ended up deciding to have lunch at a tearoom that also served Russian cuisine during lunch hours. There are many Russians who’ve settled in Chicago, especially in the early 1920s following the aftermath of the 1917 Russian Revolution. That said (and given the fact I love Eastern European food), I tucked into a large spread of varenyky (dumplings), gołąbki (stuffed cabbage), and medovik (honey cake), all which were fabulous– I was more than satisfied.
Spinach varenyky
Gołąbki with bulgur wheat and carrots
Medovik
At the risk of this post getting too long, I’ll recap the rest of my first day in Chicago in the next post. Until then! 🙂
— Rebecca
Rebecca Goes Rendezvous 