Chicago’s Navy Pier

After a long two days of brushing up on leadership skills at the National Association of Realtor’s in Chicago, I decided to get to know this beautiful city a little better by taking a Chicago River architectural tour.  In addition to being extremely informative from a historical standpoint, the tour made me realize how much Miami and Chicago have in common.

Chicago was incorporated in 1837, and though it started out as a small trading post at the mouth of the Chicago River, it has since grown to become a diverse, global city, where international trade and commerce thrive.

The City of Miami was incorporated in 1896, the same year that Julia Tuttle convinced Henry Flagler to bring his railroad down to Miami, based at the mouth of the Miami River.  It too has grown into a diverse, international city where trade and commerce thrive and continue to grow.

Chicago, like Miami, is going through a building boom and each city has a building that will be the new tallest.

In Chicago, One Grant Park, at 800+ feet, this 76-story building will be the tallest skyscraper in the city.  It is a 792 rental apartment project owned by Crescent Heights, a Florida based company.

Panorama Tower, at 865 feet, this 85-story building is the tallest skyscraper in Miami, actually the tallest building south of NYC.  It is a mixed-use building with 821 apartments and 100,000 square feet of amenities including restaurants, pools and lounges.

Although I really enjoy visiting Chicago in the summer, I am glad I live in Miami where we don’t have those brutal winters!