Simultaneously, because the building is located so close to the lake, anchors had to be placed 190 feet into the ground in order to hit bedrock. The building was also created to withstand the famous Chicago winds. In fact, during construction, special “creeper cranes” - usually reserved for bridge construction - had to be used, as opposed to more traditional building cranes. In many ways, this design is comparable to steel bridge spans. Not only are they visually striking, but they also enabled the building to be raised without inner support columns, allowing the interior to be more open than in other buildings of its size. Most distinctive are the buildings x-crossing beams. Luckily, the John Hancock company was able to save construction.Īnd good thing they did, because in spite of these setbacks, the design of the building has been applauded, winning the architects numerous design awards. The process bankrupted the initial financiers. Structural engineering and soil settlement issues forced architects to rethink the design. John Hancock Center Historyīefore we jump into our reviews of some of the best places to eat around the John Hancock Center, we want to offer you a short history of this defining Chicago structure.Īlthough the building was completed in 1969, construction was interrupted two years earlier. If you are planning a visit to the John Hancock Center, don’t forget to leave space in your schedule for a stop by one of these restaurants. This iconic building is surrounded by a number of remarkable and excellent eateries offering a wide range of culinary styles. So, for today, we’re going to focus on the best places to eat around the John Hancock Center. As one of Chicago’s defining restaurants - Giordano’s - we are especially interested in the best places to get a bite to eat in the districts dominated by these architectural wonders. In fact, as reported by World Atlas, Chicago is home to four of the tallest 10 buildings in the United States, with the Willis Tower only being surpassed as the nation’s tallest with the completion of the new One World Trade Center two years ago.īut while these skyscrapers may be the first thing to catch your eye, there are many treasures that can be found a little closer to the ground. Home to some of the nation’s tallest buildings, the Willis Tower, the Aon Center and the John Hancock Center all rise into the clouds seemingly straight out of the waters of Lake Michigan. As with these kind of attractions, it’s a factory line, with the usual overpriced cheesy photos & tat shop.In many ways, Chicago is defined by its skyline. l did, & it was petrifying, but blessedly short. I figured after the syrupy cocktail I might psyche myself up to do‘Tilt’, the touristy add on which involves being tipped at an angle via a moveable glass & steel platform, over the side of the building, enabling sick bucket inducing, downward facing views of the city streets 1000ft below. I opted for the View & Sip ticket, which encompassed entry & a syrupy cocktail in the naff Cloudbar. Goes without saying, the views are incredible. It was a clear but quiet day, so a seamless, no queue experience for me. It’s one of those Chicago tick box attractions I guess, & I did enjoy my visit. Once inside it looks and feels different which scared him. We had looked out the windows seeing the city below and then watched thru the tilt window of the people on the tilt before I bought the tickets as he kept asking to go. Do not be surprised if a child is afraid of getting on the tilt. Recommendation: In hindsight, I should have bought the city pass as it allows you to access the VIP wait lines that are much shorter and/or I also recommend saving 20% by buying online in advance. Very Glad I did not wait to go to the top of the Willis Tower as we would not have seen anything. We could not see the top of the Willis Tower and Trump tower. We could see everything very clearly below the cloud level as the clouds were just above us. Apparently the clouds lowered significantly during our wait in line. Great views, the windows are floor to ceiling and easy to see in all directions. The wait was 50 minutes and they were accurate. Pros: I asked the staff the wait time is to get to the top and they told me an hour. They do not let a child be in the same tilt platform with the adult and he was next to me which made holding on to him a major problem. I had to force him to get on it and hold onto him during the tilt which was not easy. There was no line, but when I bought the tickets and took him to the tilt window wall, he got scared and would not get near it. Concerns: I took my grandson who was 6 and insisted on going on the tilt.
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