Walking On The Movie Streets @ Millennium Park, Chicago Downtown

Neeraj Shinde Tuesday, September 23, 2014 No comments
Believe me, I just happened to visit the Chicago Downtown last month with almost no idea what the place had in store for me. Thanks to my American friend who initiated this weekend outing which was a much needed break from the mundane days spent at the hotel at Schaumburg, Illinois. This is just like what we have seen in the movies, I exclaimed as our car entered the busy street near the Chicago River Walk. This was the street which was featured in several of the Hollywood Blockbusters including The Dark Knight, Transformers and Home Alone. And yes, this was where Amir Khan drove his BMW bike in the Bollywood Blockbuster DHOOM 3. I had been a close observer of these movies for quite some time now but was never bothered about the location where these movies were shot. Having it all of a sudden before my eyes and getting told by someone about it was an unparalleled feeling. Of course, Chicago Downtown was better than how it looked in the Movies unlike several other locations featured in the movies which are nothing but sets mocking the original places. 

A Street at the Chicago Downtown as seen from the Millennium Park
The Cloud Gate a.k.a. the bean was one of the most beautiful pieces of Architecture at the Millennium Park. One cannot simply miss it’s polished surface reflecting the Chicago skyline and I am sure it has been featured in several movies. It was good to know that this famous structure was designed and developed by an India-born British sculptor Anish Kapoor. This was another reason for me to believe that most great things in the United States are masterminded by geniuses having Indian roots. It was a weekend and the Millennium Park was a crowded place with people from all age groups. There were several cultural activities happening around at the Park. We enjoyed a short musical performance by some of the Japanese school students that concluded our stint at the Park.

Cloud Gate @ Millennium Park
It was a superb experience to walk along the Michigan Lake which was just a road-crossing distance from the Millennium Park. Watching a couple of geese floating together on the blue surface of the lake was a soothing experience. It was just then we heard some noises of electric guitars getting tuned across the lake – a rock band getting themselves prepared for an evening concert. Wish we could attend it but there were better things to do than indulging in a concert which were quite common at my college. Our parking meter was on and frankly, driving along the streets of the Michigan Avenue was much more cheaper than spending more than double the amount on parking. The Lake Shore Drive was one coolest experience. Many a times, we almost go ourselves lost on the crossroads and had to rely on the GPS to get out of the loop. After a long drive on the gorgeous streets, we decided to try Chicago’s famous Deep Dish Pizza at the Gino’s East. It was my first time trying the Deep Dish version of the Pizza. We ordered the large one and waited for more than a couple of hours for us to be served. Hailing from a country where Pizzas are delivered in less than 30 minutes, it was rather unusual for me to wait for this long for a Pizza. But the outcome was worth the wait. Snap, snap, snap – that is what I did before getting a bite of this beautiful dish. We enjoyed it to the fullest and almost overate. It was just then when we realized why celebrities visited Gino’s East this often. No wonder why the restaurant owner showcased a huge list of movie stars and politicians including the President himself on the walls of the restaurant.

The movie world is a fictional world but places like the Chicago Downtown was a real experience for me and being there was no less than being in a Dreamworld.

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