climbing the last crane in town seemed like a nice way to say goodbye to Chicago. we got damn lucky with parking and walked down a nearby alley toward our last climb. there was no evidence of a guard or any security other than a floppy chain link fence, so in we went. climbing the ladder would be the easiest way up since it wasn’t very far to the top.
we had been walking for hours. nothing had worked out right all night. apparently Chicago takes its fire escape security very seriously. there were cameras lining every alley, watching us search in vain for something unguarded to climb. finally our patience ran out. the scaffolding covering the Monroe Building was just too tempting. camera be damned – into the alleyway and up the metal we climbed, banking on the assumption that most cameras aren’t actively watched.
the Randolph stood out like a beacon among the towering stories of metal and glass surrounding us. it was my first time in Chicago, and this was the perfect greeting. built in 1929, it was one of the last Gothic revival skyscrapers built before the Great Depression. when it was built it was one of the taller buildings in the city, but at only 45 stories it is obviously dwarfed today. currently the building is in limbo after the latest renovation attempt fell through. sadly this is often the case when developers attempt to convert one of these old buildings into residential space.
