City lights and bright lights never failed to giev a happy and lively vibe. I spent a week in Chicago last year, my first solo trip after pandemic. This was my first trip where I did not packed my schedle with itinerary. The idea is just to relax and not rush from one attraction to another.

I visited few attractions and did some activity like the Architecture Boat Tour, a visit to Millenium park to see the iconic “Bean” statue and the Crown Fountain, a walk in Navy Pier and Lincoln Park Zoo and morning run at the Lake Front Trail. It was so relax that I had time to hangout in the rooftop patio of the hotel where I stayed. Something that I was not able to do in my previous trips. It was nice … actually it was great and I am looking forward to make more trips like this.

I visit some attractions during the day, and mostly walk the downtown at night and revisiting some attractions at night as well. I love city lights and it is a must for me to explore downtown at night and some attractions too.

Facts About Chicago

• Chicago is the largest city of Illinois and third largest city of the United States after New York City and Los Angeles.
• Chicago has various nicknames including “Chi-town”, “Windy City”, “Second City,” the “City of Big Shoulders”, and “American of big cities”.
• A unique downtown Chicago feature is its multi-leveled streets, the most well-known of which is Wacker Drive. This double-decker street comprises an upper-level riverfront boulevard and a lower-level roadway for commercial and through traffic.Chicago’s downtown area is known as “The Loop,” which refers to the area encircled by the Chicago Transit Authority’s elevated (‘L’) train tracks.The CTA operates the nation’s second largest public transportation system. In an average year, the CTA provides more than 450 million bus and train rides.

Facts About River Walk

• Location: The Riverwalk is located at E Wacker Dr, Chicago, IL 60601, United States.
• Length: The award-winning, pedestrian-friendly Chicago Riverwalk stretches 1.25 miles from Lake Michigan to Lake Street.
• Features: Along the Riverwalk, visitors can explore intimate coves, breezy cafes, wineries, bars, public art, monuments, museums, and various boat excursions on the water.
• Boat Tours: A variety of boat tours are available, including elegant dinner cruises, informative architecture cruises, and unique options like Island Party Hut Charters and Chicago Cycleboats.
• Public Art: The Riverwalk showcases permanent and rotating public art by leading artists, as well as the renowned “Art on theMART,” the largest digital art projection in the world.
• Kayaking: The Riverwalk serves as an excellent starting point for kayaking adventures, with options to rent solo or tandem kayaks and take guided tours to admire the surrounding architecture.
• Nearby Museums: Visitors can conveniently access the Chicago Architecture Center and the McCormick Bridgehouse & Chicago River Museum from the Riverwalk.

For more detailed information and resources, you can visit choosechicago.com.

River Walk Day and Night

Early morning gives a very quiet and peaceful vibe, not much people, not too busy which is great if what you are hoping for is some peace and quiet to start your day. The downside of early morning walk is that almost all the cafe and restaurants are still close. There were maybe 1 or 2 cafe places for easy grab and go but nothing much if you are hoping for a nice sit down breakfast.

On the other hand, afternoon like lunch time is a bit more busy time. Most of the cafe and restaurants are open now at this time, except those that open only starting evening around 6:00PM. This is a good place to have lunch by the waterfront, either by dining in or having something to go and have a lunch seating by the bench.

River Walk at Night

Evening from 6:00PM onwards are a very busy time especially during Fri and weekend. Evening gives a different vibe to the place. The cafe and shops are more alive, people are flock in restaurants or in the bayside sitting area. Although it is quite noisy during this time, I really like the vibe of the Riverwalk at night more than anything else. The architecture when the lights are on looks even more beautiful than when you see it during the day.

Evening walk is my favourite, you can probably tell why just by looking at the vibe and feel of the place. I cannot get enough of the city lights and the unique architecture.

During my last ay in Chicago, I reserved it for .. nothing 🙂 Exactly doing nothing and just do whatever it feels like at that moment. My favorite night activity is to walk in the River Walk, it is a lovely place that I simply cannot get enough. I stayed

General Information

• Address: Riverwalk, E Wacker Dr, Chicago, IL 60601, United States

How long does it take to walk the Riverwalk in Chicago?

You can walk the riverwalk in less than 1 hour depending on your physical condition. I you like to take you time and walk slowly and stop from time to time, 1 hour would be enough.

Art on theMart – Chicago’s Best Lights Display Show

Art on theMart is a spectacular digital art display projected onto theMart building in Chicago. This iconic art installation showcases a wide range of mesmerizing visuals, from dynamic patterns to stunning animations, and serves as a captivating attraction for both locals and visitors. The combination of innovative technology and artistic expression creates a unique and immersive experience, further enriching the vibrant cultural scene of the city. The Art on theMart display represents a mesmerizing convergence of art, architecture, and technology that continues to captivate audiences with its dynamic presentations.

This light show was introduced back in 2018. Now it is a permanent part of the city and runs throughout the year. The shows and showtimes vary according to seasons. The shows starts at 7:30PM & 8:00PM, you have plenty of time to catch it.

Location

The show is projected onto the south side of theMART, a 25 stories tall building sitting next to the Chicago River. The best viewpoints are from the Chicago River Walk between Franklin and Wells Street. Alternatively, you can also position yourself on the street level next to Wacker Drive between Franklin and Wells Street.

The light show is accompanied by a music. The speakers are mounted on the wall supporting Wacker Drive and facing towards the river. Positioning yourself from the river rather than street level is a much better choice to listen to the sound.

Ok, that is all I have for this post. Until my next adventure, Bye!

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