Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Lindsay Knight on August 1, 2010 at 4:24pm

I would normally agree with the Pershing suggestion, but just as a heads up -- the city has ripped tons of the road this summer starting at King Dr. and going west (and then apparently stopped all construction...cause why would anyone want a functioning street???), and it's damn near un-bikable.

If you're interested in a South Side tour however, King Dr. is pretty great. Lots of huge old houses/trees/etc. and there's also a well maintained bike lane.



Chris Hainey said:

Give Pershing or 35th is great for this as well:

i second this...esp if you like the industrial side of urbanism. railways, factories, graffitti, hookers, vacant lots, natural reclamation from vacant buildings, debris and refuse, barbed wire, feral animals, and usually a pretty awesome view of downtown

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Permalink Reply by Juan 2-3 or more mi. on August 2, 2010 at 1:08pm

Go to Canal and Kinzie, In between Fulton House condos and The new curved condo, there is a river walk. Take that all the way south along a gravel road as you stay to your left to go down a small paved utility road that takes you all the way down along the river and under some tunnels along the metra rail tracks. You will exit out of the belly of downtown and pass Roosevelt with the option of climbimg up the utility ramp or continuing all the way to Lumber and Canal. There you will find unique bridge structures. Careful in crossing the tracks and utility vehicles. You might need a headlamp, for some of the tunnels are not very well lit.

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Permalink Reply by Chuck a Muck on August 3, 2010 at 2:34am

The old concrete factory at S. Damen and the south branch of the river is always fun. Be warned they cut out the platforms in the stairway! You can still climb to the top, ya just have to be bit more sober to do it.

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Permalink Reply by Ricardo Cervantes on August 3, 2010 at 12:57pm

I found Lumber street using google maps. Is this a street I can freely ride on, or do I have to go stealth and avoid the boys in blue?

H3N3 said:

The cool bridges north and west of Chinatown . . . the impossibly high-stacked container city on 47th west of Halsted; the Illinois Manufacturing District (former stockyards) -- Morgan or Racine from 35th down to 43rd or so . . . anything along the Canal corridor . . . Lumber street as it "secretly" comes off of the Roosevelt bridge . . .

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Permalink Reply by Ricardo Cervantes on August 3, 2010 at 1:05pm

This sounds fascinating. Can you give me a few more details on how to get through this "route"? I tried looking at this area with Google earth, but I wasn't sure if I was following the right path. Are there actual tunnels here? Can I make this trip during the daytime, or is it a nighttime undercover type of thing? Thanks for this tip!

Juan Dominguez said:

Go to Canal and Kinzie, In between Fulton House condos and The new curved condo, there is a river walk. Take that all the way south along a gravel road as you stay to your left to go down a small paved utility road that takes you all the way down along the river and under some tunnels along the metra rail tracks. You will exit out of the belly of downtown and pass Roosevelt with the option of climbimg up the utility ramp or continuing all the way to Lumber and Canal. There you will find unique bridge structures. Careful in crossing the tracks and utility vehicles. You might need a headlamp, for some of the tunnels are not very well lit.

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Permalink Reply by Ricardo Cervantes on August 4, 2010 at 3:29am

Sorry guys, just wanted to bump this to hopefully get some info. I'd like to venture out here tomorrow.

Ricardo Cervantes said:

This sounds fascinating. Can you give me a few more details on how to get through this "route"? I tried looking at this area with Google earth, but I wasn't sure if I was following the right path. Are there actual tunnels here? Can I make this trip during the daytime, or is it a nighttime undercover type of thing? Thanks for this tip!

Juan Dominguez said:

Go to Canal and Kinzie, In between Fulton House condos and The new curved condo, there is a river walk. Take that all the way south along a gravel road as you stay to your left to go down a small paved utility road that takes you all the way down along the river and under some tunnels along the metra rail tracks. You will exit out of the belly of downtown and pass Roosevelt with the option of climbimg up the utility ramp or continuing all the way to Lumber and Canal. There you will find unique bridge structures. Careful in crossing the tracks and utility vehicles. You might need a headlamp, for some of the tunnels are not very well lit.

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Permalink Reply by Juan 2-3 or more mi. on August 4, 2010 at 4:41am

I have never done this at night. These are not really tunnels per se, more like passages underneath the western most part of the loop along the south branch of the river, exiting out from underneath the labyrynth of the old post office building. It would be difficult to excactly find it on google earth.

I stumbled across this because I used to work at this location AKA Fulton House. So after work I would just go exploring around everywhere.

I think the directions I gave should be sufficient to start you out properly with a little poking around, I am sure you can find it at the southern most end of the new curved faced condo building.

Ricardo Cervantes said:

Sorry guys, just wanted to bump this to hopefully get some info. I'd like to venture out here tomorrow.

Ricardo Cervantes said:

This sounds fascinating. Can you give me a few more details on how to get through this "route"? I tried looking at this area with Google earth, but I wasn't sure if I was following the right path. Are there actual tunnels here? Can I make this trip during the daytime, or is it a nighttime undercover type of thing? Thanks for this tip!

Juan Dominguez said:

Go to Canal and Kinzie, In between Fulton House condos and The new curved condo, there is a river walk. Take that all the way south along a gravel road as you stay to your left to go down a small paved utility road that takes you all the way down along the river and under some tunnels along the metra rail tracks. You will exit out of the belly of downtown and pass Roosevelt with the option of climbimg up the utility ramp or continuing all the way to Lumber and Canal. There you will find unique bridge structures. Careful in crossing the tracks and utility vehicles. You might need a headlamp, for some of the tunnels are not very well lit.

• ▶ Reply

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