I have asked my friend about five times how to say the name of the street that runs over today’s bridge and I cannot for the life of me remember it. WAY-bawsh? WAW-besh? Wah-BOSH? Who cares, really. Maybe I should just refer to it as Irv Kupcinet Bridge, its other name that it takes from a famous Chicago journalist.

Wabash Avenue Bridge, Chicago, US

The picture is taken from Michigan Avenue in sight of many of the famous architectural marvels of Chicago downtown. Although I was in a way taken by the skyscrapers from the beginning, I am honestly ambivalent about their „beauty“. Are they really beautiful? Or are they just – stunning? impressive? awe-inducing? I don’t think one could speak for all of them in general. I absolutely adore the Jewelers Building, the pretty one on the left in the picture with its tower rising out of the base and its pretty cupola. It reminds me weirdly of the Palace of Culture in Warsaw – Stalin’s gift to the Polish people. Strang seeing a building reminiscent of socialist architecture in the United States!

The bridge almost disappears inmidst the canyons of skyscrapers, but I hope it has not escaped your attention that it is on there, crossing the Chicago River. Because the river branches out, it looks like the letter Y on the map (with a lot of good will, admittedly) – and the Y is an important symbol of the city that shows up on public buildings, street lanterns, and gully covers. In a city so appreciative of its river, bridges must play a role, too. And I think they make a wonderful counterbalance to the architecture that is reaching for the skies. They ground the city.

If you have read My Mission statement, you know why I love bridges. To me they are the most universal symbol of connection, of bringing people together and overcoming anything that may seperate us. I want to present to you pictures of bridges that I really love in places that I really love on my blog every Sunday. If you have a picture of a bridge that you would like to share with my readers as a guest post, feel free to contact me!