Chicago

Chicago is a great city. I was there last week for an overnight visit, and as many times as I've been there, I never tire of it.

When I arrived downtown on Thursday, the first thing I noticed was a very attractive, very tall building that was under construction. I made my way to the hotel (Hyatt Regency on East Wacker) from where I had a good view of the Wrigley Building and the new building.


The Wrigley Building is one of the most eye-pleasing buildings in the world. It does not look particularly tall, but in fact rises 425 feet above the street. In Columbus, Ohio, it would be the 10th tallest building, but in Chicago it does not stand out for its height.

As it turns out, the new building is the Trump Tower, a 92 story hotel that will be the second tallest building in the United States when completed. The tallest, the Sears Tower, is just down the street on South Wacker.

In the second picture, you can see the difference in size of the two buildings. The Wrigley Building is dwarfed by the new Trump Tower, which I'm guessing is pleasing to Donald Trump.

Say what you will about his hair and his ego, but Donald Trump knows how to get things done. About 30 years ago, my Dad gave me a copy of Trump's book, "The Art of the Deal," and I can't say that it inspired me much. Not long after I read the book, Trump was bankrupt. So much for the art of the deal, I thought. But he came back, and I have new respect for the man. Getting kicked to the ground can happen to anyone, but it takes some character to get back up.

Having arrived mid-day, I needed to eat, so I trekked up Michigan Avenue to the Billy Goat Tavern. This is the place that was made famous on Saturday Night Live -- "Cheezeborger, cheezeborger, Pepsi, no Coke!" This was my third visit to the Billy Goat, and I'm really not sure why I keep going back. The cheeseburgers are not good at all -- the buns are stale, and the choice of condiments leaves something to be desired. If you sit at the bar, the bartender will not serve a cheeseburger, you have to walk over to the counter to order it. And the price is steep, at least by my standards. I paid $4.95 for a "double" cheeseburger that had probably 5 ounces of meat on it. The good news is that, even though they have no Coke, they did have a cold Bud Light.