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Jul 23

Don’t Miss Out on this Exciting Opportunity – Register for NECA 2014 Chicago Today!

Join us September 27-30, for the NECA 2014 Chicago convention & trade show at the McCormick Place West, Chicago, IL. Registration is now open!

The NECA Convention is an exciting mix of opportunities for education, inspiration, networking, and fun!

The #1 trade show of it’s kind in the electrical construction industry. NECA is proud to present the largest gathering of manufacturers and distributors showcasing thousands of solutions contractors need to save time and money on the job, and grow their business.

Several Ways to Attend:

Register Now»

Jul 18

Chicago’s Must-See Sights: Part 5

Magnificent Mile

photo from www.luxurytravelmagazine.com

One of the most famous avenues in the world is north Michigan Avenue which is affectionately referred to as the “Magnificent Mile”.  Located in the heart of downtown Chicago, this 13-block stretch of road goes from the Chicago River to the south to Oak Street to the north extending a full square mile.  The stretch includes residences, retailers, boutiques, restaurants, museums, hotels, and education and medical facilities.  In 1909 local planners devised a plan to transform Michigan Avenue from an Indian trading post to a major commercial boulevard titling the plan the ‘Chicago Plan’.  The planners envisioned the ‘Chicago Plan’ as becoming similar to the Champs Elysees in Paris.  They started the process by widening the street and building the Michigan Avenue bridge across the Chicago River.  The purpose of the bridge was to connect the older south section of Michigan Avenue with the new north section.  In a plan to draw shoppers and businesses to the new district, the city helped to build the Wrigley Building right next to the bridge in 1920 and the Tribune Tower just a couple of years later.  In 1947 real estate developer Arthur Rubloff who was the leader of The Greater North Michigan Avenue Association, which had been created in 1912 to develop and promote the project, began an extensive promotional campaign to revitalize the district.  During this campaign he coined the term “The Magnificent Mile”.  The most famous building on the stretch of road is the John Hancock Building.  Opening in 1970, the building rises 100 stories which, at the time, made it the tallest building in the world.  To build the structure, the John Hancock Mutual Life Insurance Company invested $100 million in the project.

Jul 07

Chicago’s Must-See Sights: Part 4

Historic Water Tower

img src: wikimedia.org

Built in 1869, the Chicago water tower is 154 feet high.  The building was originally commissioned to hold the 138 foot tall standpipe that would help the water flow and pressure for the pumping station.  While the standpipe was removed in 1911, the pumping station is still in use.  The importance of the water tower and pumping station is that they are two of the only buildings in the city that survived the Great Chicago Fire of 1871.  The water tower’s importance is that it stands as a symbol for the rebuild of the city of Chicago which gave it the nickname “Second City”.

More “Second City” Happenings:

Join NECA for a very special lifestyle program presenting the best of the Second City, Monday September 29 at 10:00pm.

SecondCity

Celebrating 50 Years of Funny

The Second City, America’s first improvisational theater troupe, has helped launch the careers of countless stars, including Alan Arkin, Joan Rivers, Gilda Radner, John Belushi, John Candy, Catherine O’Hara, Eugene Levy, Mike Myers, Chris Farley, Tina Fey, Stephen Colbert and Steve Carell, just to name a few. This year’s Lifestyles program is a revue featuring the best sketches from their stages, along with improv games that will allow the audience to make suggestions that the performers will spin into comedy gold.