See Chicago by CTA - September 2009
The Chicago Transport Authority (CTA) operates an extensive bus and light rail system which is an efficient and very effective way of seeing the city.  All-day 24 hour tickets are available and can be used on both buses and trains, but buying one on a public holiday may be all but impossible as these tickets are not available at L stations and normal outlets may be closed or sold out as was the case on Labor Day 2009.
Arriving from London the British Airways Boeing 777 flew on westward as it extended downwind before turning long finals for O'Hare's Runway 10.   It is late afternoon and the end of the school day;  school buses are clearly visible at Taft High School at Norwood Park, IL (left).  A water tower and industrial complex (right) - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow
More school buses at Wredling Middle School in Charles, IL (left) as the 777 continues on finals for O'Hare (right) - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow
International Terminal at Chicago O'Hare (left);  the airport ATS people-mover train system (right) serves all terminals - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow
Perhaps the quickest, and certainly the cheapest way of getting to downtown Chicago is on the L - Chicago's eLevated railway.  O'Hare is at the northern end of the Blue Line and 3-day passes can be bought at the CTA ticket machines at the L station - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow
After the Blue Line emerges from O'Hare initially it runs at ground level along the median strip of the interstate before it joins the original elevated line leading to downtown - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow
North of the Loop the L runs underground and a Blue Line train is seen arriving at Grand (left).  The continuous platform between Madison and Adams is 3,500ft long and is designated the world's longest platform in the Guiness Book of Records (left)- PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow
South of the Loop:  an inbound Orange Line train (left) and rooftop study (right)  - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow
South Clark Street (left); The Sears Tower (which became the Willis Tower on 20 March 2009) dominates the skyline (right) - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow
The MCC (Metropolitan Correction Center) in the shadow of the Willis Tower operates its own bus fleet - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow
South Clark at West Van Buren - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow
The Chicago Board of Trade in the cavernous area known as the Canyon - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow
Under the L at Wabash Avenue with the streets deserted on Labor Day, 2009 - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow
Chicago, Labor Day 2009 - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow
Deserted East Congress Parkway - morning of Labor Day 2009 - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow
Morning deserted street (left) contrasts with early evening and children skateboarding by the Picasso Statue (right) - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow
Deserted James R Thomson Center - Labor Day 2009 - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow
Chicago River with the twin towers of Marina City in the background - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow
Chicago Vietnam Memorial by the Chicago River - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow
East Wacker Drive (left) Marshall Field's clock at North State and East Randolph (right) - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow
South Michigan Avenue looking north - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow
South Michigan Avenue looking south - the Hilton Hotel is in the center of the picture on the right - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow
The Equestrian Indian statues at Van Buren and East Congress Parkway - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow
Paris style Metra sign (above) at Van Buren (right) - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow
Van Buren South Shore Train (above) and double deck Metra train (right)  - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow
Sleeping rough at the start of Historic Route 66 - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow
Field Museum (left) and cityscape (right) by South Lake Shore Drive - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow
Tourist boat leaving Chicago Harbor although the mist engulfs the skyscrapers - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow
Buckingham Fountain between Lake Shore and South Michigan - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow
Looking south over the yachts in Chicago Harbor (left);  sun reflecting through the mist (right) - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow
Navy Pier in the mist - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow
Nothing to be seen from the tethered balloon at Navy Pier Park (left);  approaching State and Lake on the L (above) - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow
North State Street from State and Lake (left);  looking towards the disused Framklin Street Bridge from the L - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow
L crossing West Lake Street Bridge (above) and approaching Clinton (right) - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow
Metra Trains at North Canal Street - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow
The Merchandise Mart - the world's largest commercial building - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow
Chicago River viewed from outside the Merchandise Mart - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow
Chicago River by West Wacker Drive (left) and West Washington Street (right)  - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow
Union Station - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow  
Night views:  Adams (above);  Chicago River (right) - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow
Chicago Theatre - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow  
Flat Iron Building at Damen - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow  
Under the L at Damen - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow  
North Damen Avenue from the L - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow  
Damen - Blue Line train heading for the Loop (left);  Green Line train for Harlem arriving at Ashland (right) - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow
City skyline from Ashland - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow
City skyline from Ashland:  the way downtown (left);  Hancock Tower (center);  Willis Tower (right) - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow
Conservatory (above) for Garfield Park Botanic Gardens (right) - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow
Garfield Park Botanic Gardens - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow  
Metra train running alongside the Green Line (left).  The last station before the Harlem terminus is Oak Park (above)  - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow
Oak Park is a leafy suburb where Ernest Hemingway was born in 1899 - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow
The Continental Divide by the Hemingway Museum (left);  the house at 1850 N Clark Street where Hemingway was born (right) - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow
The original porch of the house was replaced in the early 21st Century - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow
Harlem - at the western terminus of the Green Line with a UP manifest train on the parallel tracks also used by Metra - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow
Damen on the Pink Line for Pilsen which is on the Lower West Side of the city - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow
When a new sewage system was installed above road level houses that were not raised were modified to have their main entrance on the second floor - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow

Raised main entrances in Pilsen and an eco-friendly way of getting rid of unwanted household items.- PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow
Contrasting architecture in West Cullerton Street, Pilsen - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow

Pilsen  - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow  
Hot afternoon in Pilsen - September 2009  - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow
South Wolcott Avenue, Pilsen - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow  
West Lawrence Avenue in Kimball at the end of the Brown Line - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow
Bargains galore - this thrift store in Kimball is on a grand scale - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow
Kimball L terminal with a train about to depart for the Loop (left);  houses come right up to the line (right) - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow
North of the Loop (all above) - contrasting styles of architecture seen from the train  - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow

 

South of the Loop (above) heading for Cottage Grove on the Green Line and crossing over the Institute of Technology Building (right)  - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow
South of 47th Street and nearing Cottage Grove - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow

End of the [Green] Line at East 63rd and Cottage Grove - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow
Heading back to the Loop - departing Cottage Grove (left);  passing 47th (right) - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow
Lion outside the Art Institute of Chicago (left);  Chinatown (right) - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow
Canadian National at South Grove Avenue West Cermack, Chinatown - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow
The Museum of Transport and Industry - Pioneer Zephyr (left);  Ju87B (right) - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow
The Museum of Transport and Industry's U-boat - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow
The Museum of Transport and Industry's extensive model railroad depicts East Wacker Drive - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow

The model railroad mine (above);  a BNSF lash-up heads a train of  autoracks through a mid-west town (right)

Heading out on the Orange Line for Midway (left);  Midway Depot (right) - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow
Dove in Midway Terminal Building composed of model aircraft - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow
Concorde and a plethora of other airplanes (above).  Departing Midway out over the Green Line (right) - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow
  USA