# Chicago Union Station



## Cho Cho Charlie (Oct 26, 2012)

http://www.greatamericanstations.com/station-news/historic-chicago-union-station-named-a-201ctop-10-great-public-space201d-for-2012


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## lthanlon (Oct 26, 2012)

Chicago Union Station might qualify as a "great public space" if actually were welcoming to the public. Do they even put benches out anymore?


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## Trogdor (Oct 26, 2012)

The benches are put out and stowed away every few days. When there is an event in the Great Hall, the benches are put away. When the event is over and nothing else is planned to occur, the benches are put back out.


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## Bob Dylan (Oct 26, 2012)

Same question about the Large American Flag that used to Hang Upstairs @ One End! Did they quit hanging it, I haven't seeen it the last Three Times Ive been @ Union Station?? :unsure:


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## Cho Cho Charlie (Oct 26, 2012)

Trogdor said:


> The benches are put out and stowed away every few days. When there is an event in the Great Hall, the benches are put away. When the event is over and nothing else is planned to occur, the benches are put back out.


I think that is the point. The station can be, and is, used for public events.


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## lthanlon (Oct 26, 2012)

Cho Cho Charlie said:


> I think that is the point. The station can be, and is, used for public events.


Yep, folks can hold wedding receptions, product rollouts and stuff there. Somebody makes money on these rentals, of course. On more than a few occasions, however, I've been waiting for a train and wanted to sit in the Great Hall, but the benches were gone and no event was in sight. And when I returned from California on the Texas Eagle last month, the Great Hall was in use for some Saturday night musical event whose participants often left the hall to compete with travelers for restrooms. All this under the watchful eye of security personnel who ensured that the traveling rabble were told to move along if they wondered what was going on in the hall.

Chicago Union Station can be an extremely non-public, non-welcoming place.

(Edited to clarify some observations about the benches and to make myself sound slightly less petulant.  )


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## MrFSS (Oct 26, 2012)

I was passing through a few years ago and they were doing a wedding shoot. I was able to grab a picture of the bride and groom.


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## Swadian Hardcore (Oct 26, 2012)

The headhouse may be grand, but the train shed was demolished and the boarding area is now much worse. At least it's better than BHM, though.



lthanlon said:


> Chicago Union Station might qualify as a "great public space" if actually were welcoming to the public. Do they even put benches out anymore?


Yes, the benches were there when I passed through a few months ago.



jimhudson said:


> Same question about the Large American Flag that used to Hang Upstairs @ One End! Did they quit hanging it, I haven't seeen it the last Three Times Ive been @ Union Station?? :unsure:


They still have that, too.


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## lthanlon (Oct 26, 2012)

MrFSS said:


> I was passing through a few years ago and they were doing a wedding shoot. I was able to grab a picture of the bride and groom.


Nice photo!


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## cirdan (Oct 29, 2012)

I've never actually seen Chicago Union Station without the flag. So I assumed it doesn't get taken down. If it is gone, I expect that's just a temporary thing.

On my last visit I did notice some of the plaster /stucco was cracked and some bits had fallen. I hope they put that right soon. It is such a magnificent space.

I agree that the rest of Union Station doesn't match the magnificence of the great hall. I hope that next time it is renovated they get some good architects who can restore some of what was lost.

I've always been impressed by the police/security there who really keep their eyes open for anything suspicious while at the same time remaining friendly and amenable to the rest of us.


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## MrFSS (Oct 29, 2012)

cirdan said:


> I've never actually seen Chicago Union Station without the flag. So I assumed it doesn't get taken down. If it is gone, I expect that's
> 
> I agree that the rest of Union Station doesn't match the magnificence of the great hall. I hope that next time it is renovated they get some good architects who can restore some of what was lost.


Be kinda hard to restore the train side of the complex. It use to look like this and there is now a high rise building built over it.


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## cirdan (Oct 29, 2012)

MrFSS said:


> cirdan said:
> 
> 
> > I've never actually seen Chicago Union Station without the flag. So I assumed it doesn't get taken down. If it is gone, I expect that's
> ...


what a tragedy it is to lose a place like that.

However, I guess the new place needn't be an exact or even an approximate replica. I'm sure some creative architect could improve on the present experience, maybe working in some stylistic elements that carry forth the grandeur, even if it won't be what it was before.


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## MrFSS (Oct 29, 2012)

cirdan said:


> MrFSS said:
> 
> 
> > cirdan said:
> ...


I don't disagree, but where would you put it. The space where it was is a new building and all the Amtrak area is below ground.


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## Devil's Advocate (Oct 29, 2012)

cirdan said:


> It is such a magnificent space.


Most of CUS looks like a untilitarian dungeon for trains.



cirdan said:


> I agree that the rest of Union Station doesn't match the magnificence of the great hall. I hope that next time it is renovated they get some good architects who can restore some of what was lost.


You can't renovate what has long since been demolished and hauled away.



cirdan said:


> I've always been impressed by the police/security there who really keep their eyes open for anything suspicious while at the same time remaining friendly and amenable to the rest of us.


I've always been impressed by how quickly they can find and stop me in my tracks the moment I attempt to take any train photographs while at the same time making me feel like some sort of criminal element for even attempting it.


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## Swadian Hardcore (Nov 1, 2012)

cirdan said:


> I've always been impressed by the police/security there who really keep their eyes open for anything suspicious while at the same time remaining friendly and amenable to the rest of us.


Their security isn't that good, one time I was there some sauspicious guy was walking around harassing females.



Texas Sunset said:


> cirdan said:
> 
> 
> > I've always been impressed by the police/security there who really keep their eyes open for anything suspicious while at the same time remaining friendly and amenable to the rest of us.
> ...


I don't know what happened with you, but I have been able to take pics with ease.


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## cirdan (Nov 2, 2012)

MrFSS said:


> I was passing through a few years ago and they were doing a wedding shoot. I was able to grab a picture of the bride and groom.


that's a very nice picture


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