If you love downtown Chicago and you love parks, there’s good news waiting for you on the west bank of the Chicago River. Loop Spy Chris dunked a couple of dozen photos into our tip line showing the newly completed park in front of River Point (444 West Lake Street).
It’s hard to believe that just a couple of short years ago, this area was covered in gravel, smelled like diesel exhaust, and punctuated by the shrieks of passing Amtrak trains. Now, thanks to Pickard Chilton Architects, Hines and Ivanhoé Cambridge, it’s covered in grass, smells like chocolate, and is punctuated by the occasional chirping of birds. Imagine how good it will look when it’s no longer the dead of winter.
The waterside park at River Point is one of two blocks recently added to the western Chicago riverwalk. It helps complete a pedestrian path from Fulton Street down to Jackson Boulevard that offers some of the city’s best skyscraper gawking opportunities.
Location: 444 West Lake Street, Fulton River District