usdenick

This is a gorgeous, 1-screen older movie theater in Santa Monica that has obviously been well preserved. They always play great movies and are affiliated with the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood… check them out if you love movies and are ever in Santa Monica.

This is the very new, very modern main branch of the Santa Monica Public Library. It is not as big as some of the massive main branches of other city libraries, but the splendid architecture makes it an amazing library nonetheless. It’s two floors and includes a nice outside courtyard area with a good Cafe. Plenty of seating areas inside and outside and helpful staff. There is also a “Friends of the Library” bookstore that sells very inexpensive used books.

I put “worth it” only because it’s one of those places you “have to go.” But, honestly, this was the least exciting of all of the things I did in Chicago. I think you get a much better overview (especially of downtown) by going to one of the lakefront parks and taking in the skyline that way. While Sears Tower is really tall and cool I would describe the overall experience as “lackluster,” since you can’t see a lot of downtown itself from the Skydeck due to its height and the fact that it is in the center of downtown.

Chicago seems to me a city better enjoyed from below, a lot of the little charms (like the amazing statues in downtown) and architectural details that make Chicago are lost on you staring down from on high.