| 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. | |||||
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| 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 | |||||
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| More school buses at Wredling Middle School in Charles, IL (left) as the 777 continues on finals for O'Hare (right) - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow | |||||
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| International Terminal at Chicago O'Hare (left); the airport ATS people-mover train system (right) serves all terminals - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow | |||||
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| 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 | |||||
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| 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 | |||||
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| 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 | |||||
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| South of the Loop: an inbound Orange Line train (left) and rooftop study (right) - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow | |||||
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| South Clark Street (left); The Sears Tower (which became the Willis Tower on 20 March 2009) dominates the skyline (right) - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow | |||||
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| The MCC (Metropolitan Correction Center) in the shadow of the Willis Tower operates its own bus fleet - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow | |||||
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| South Clark at West Van Buren - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow | |||||
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| The Chicago Board of Trade in the cavernous area known as the Canyon - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow | |||||
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| Under the L at Wabash Avenue with the streets deserted on Labor Day, 2009 - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow | |||||
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| Chicago, Labor Day 2009 - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow | |||||
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| Deserted East Congress Parkway - morning of Labor Day 2009 - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow | |||||
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| Morning deserted street (left) contrasts with early evening and children skateboarding by the Picasso Statue (right) - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow | |||||
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| Deserted James R Thomson Center - Labor Day 2009 - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow | |||||
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| Chicago River with the twin towers of Marina City in the background - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow | |||||
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| Chicago Vietnam Memorial by the Chicago River - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow | |||||
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| East Wacker Drive (left) Marshall Field's clock at North State and East Randolph (right) - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow | |||||
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| South Michigan Avenue looking north - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow | |||||
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| South Michigan Avenue looking south - the Hilton Hotel is in the center of the picture on the right - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow | |||||
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| The Equestrian Indian statues at Van Buren and East Congress Parkway - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow | |||||
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| Paris style Metra sign (above) at Van Buren (right) - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow | |||||
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| Van Buren South Shore Train (above) and double deck Metra train (right) | - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow | ||||
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| Sleeping rough at the start of Historic Route 66 - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow | |||||
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| Field Museum (left) and cityscape (right) by South Lake Shore Drive - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow | |||||
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| Tourist boat leaving Chicago Harbor although the mist engulfs the skyscrapers - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow | |||||
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| Buckingham Fountain between Lake Shore and South Michigan - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow | |||||
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| Looking south over the yachts in Chicago Harbor (left); sun reflecting through the mist (right) - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow | |||||
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| Navy Pier in the mist - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow | |||||
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| Nothing to be seen from the tethered balloon at Navy Pier Park (left); approaching State and Lake on the L (above) - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow | |||||
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| North State Street from State and Lake (left); looking towards the disused Framklin Street Bridge from the L - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow | |||||
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| L crossing West Lake Street Bridge (above) and approaching Clinton (right) - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow | |||||
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| Metra Trains at North Canal Street - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow | |||||
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| The Merchandise Mart - the world's largest commercial building - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow | |||||
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| Chicago River viewed from outside the Merchandise Mart - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow | |||||
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| Chicago River by West Wacker Drive (left) and West Washington Street (right) - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow | |||||
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| Union Station - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow | |||||
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| Night views: Adams (above); Chicago River (right) - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow | |||||
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| Chicago Theatre - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow | |||||
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| Flat Iron Building at Damen - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow | |||||
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| Under the L at Damen - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow | |||||
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| North Damen Avenue from the L - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow | |||||
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| Damen - Blue Line train heading for the Loop (left); Green Line train for Harlem arriving at Ashland (right) - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow | |||||
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| City skyline from Ashland - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow | |||||
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| City skyline from Ashland: the way downtown (left); Hancock Tower (center); Willis Tower (right) - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow | |||||
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| Conservatory (above) for Garfield Park Botanic Gardens (right) - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow | |||||
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| Garfield Park Botanic Gardens - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow | |||||
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| Metra train running alongside the Green Line (left). The last station before the Harlem terminus is Oak Park (above) - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow | |||||
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| Oak Park is a leafy suburb where Ernest Hemingway was born in 1899 - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow | |||||
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| The Continental Divide by the Hemingway Museum (left); the house at 1850 N Clark Street where Hemingway was born (right) - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow | |||||
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| The original porch of the house was replaced in the early 21st Century - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow | |||||
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| 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 | |||||
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| Damen on the Pink Line for Pilsen which is on the Lower West Side of the city - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow | |||||
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| 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 | |||||
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| Raised main entrances in Pilsen and an eco-friendly way of getting rid of unwanted household items.- PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow | |||||
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| Contrasting architecture in West Cullerton Street, Pilsen - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow | |||||
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| Pilsen - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow | |||||
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| Hot afternoon in Pilsen - September 2009 - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow | |||||
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| South Wolcott Avenue, Pilsen - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow | |||||
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| West Lawrence Avenue in Kimball at the end of the Brown Line - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow | |||||
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| Bargains galore - this thrift store in Kimball is on a grand scale - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow | |||||
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| Kimball L terminal with a train about to depart for the Loop (left); houses come right up to the line (right) - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow | |||||
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| North of the Loop (all above) - contrasting styles of architecture seen from the train - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow | |||||
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| 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 | |||||
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| South of 47th Street and nearing Cottage Grove - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow | |||||
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| End of the [Green] Line at East 63rd and Cottage Grove - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow | |||||
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| Heading back to the Loop - departing Cottage Grove (left); passing 47th (right) - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow | |||||
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| Lion outside the Art Institute of Chicago (left); Chinatown (right) - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow | |||||
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| Canadian National at South Grove Avenue West Cermack, Chinatown - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow | |||||
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| The Museum of Transport and Industry - Pioneer Zephyr (left); Ju87B (right) - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow | |||||
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| The Museum of Transport and Industry's U-boat - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow | |||||
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| The Museum of Transport and Industry's extensive model railroad depicts East Wacker Drive - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow | |||||
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| The model railroad mine (above); a BNSF lash-up heads a train of autoracks through a mid-west town (right) | |||||
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| Heading out on the Orange Line for Midway (left); Midway Depot (right) - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow | |||||
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| Dove in Midway Terminal Building composed of model aircraft - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow | |||||
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| Concorde and a plethora of other airplanes (above). Departing Midway out over the Green Line (right) - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow | |||||
| USA | |||||
