jawbrep blog

“Nor is it out of character that Chicago’s grandest achievement-a largely manmade arc of lakefront parks and beaches - began as a mistake, from waste thrown into Lake Michigan - a 75-year-old
dump.” - - - Pat Colander

As a Chicagoan (not by birth, but by choice), I choose to take
the above quote as a sign of a characteristic to make the best
out of a bad situation. (Consider the beloved Cubs: hey, if they don’t win, at least we’ll make a party out of it.)

Grant Park, Chicago’s “front yard”, owes its current glory to two very different reasons. The first is the fact that it was a
landfill. After the Chicago Fire of 1871, ashes and rubble were
pushed into the park and expanded its boundaries into Lake
Michigan. In the years after its dedication as a public space
Grant Park was quickly losing ground due to erosion. The erection of two breakwaters and the “waste not, want not” use of the city’s rubble increased the area to the size it is now.

The second is to Aaron Montgomery Ward’s dedication to keeping the lakefront “free and clear”. In 1835 and 1836 the area was deeded as a public square. When Daniel Burnham created his much-heralded Plan of Chicago he laid out drafts for a formal landscape with civic buildings. Mr. Ward took umbrage with that design. The original deed said that the area was to “Remain Forever Open, Clear and Free of Any Buildings, or Other Obstructions Whatever,” and he was determined to keep it that way. After almost 20 years in court he got his wish.

Burnham wasn’t entirely defeated, however. And thank goodness.
If he were there would be no Field Museum, Shedd Aquarium, or
Adler Planetarium. These were all built on landfill portions of
the park’s southern border. So we get our cake and can eat it,
too. Mr. Burnham gave us these cultural outlets, Soldier Field,
and a city designed around the lake front, and Mr. Ward’s efforts left us with this grand space that allows the city to hold its frequent summer festivals.

There’s one more player who is responsible for the park as it is today. Kate Buckingham, a frequent visitor to Europe, commissioned the Clarence Buckingham fountain to honor her late brother. The fountain is a landmark, a point of reference, and a centerpiece.

The area north of Grant Park and the Art Institute used to be an unsightly rail yard. It just didn’t seem right to have an eyesore so close to the vast expanses of green in the heart of the city, so in 2001 Millennium Park was built. This park is much more structured with buildings, sculptures, a permanent outdoor theater, and a bridge designed by Frank Gehry. Methinks Mr. Burnham and Mr. Ward would be proud.

Theresa Carter is creator and publisher of TheLocalTourist.com, an online guide to Chicago. Restaurants, bars, events, shopping, attractions, things to do and more.

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Would you like to spend nights at the most beautiful, most exciting and most unforgettable places?

Would you like to constantly receive TOP Insider Tips from natives, whose are really well versed - and this totally free of charge?

Would you like to save 50 to 80% of your usual overnight expenses?

If you answered one or all above questions with “YES”, read on ; -)

Did you know that the youth hostels were “invented” in the year 1909 by Richard Schirrmann, Germany?

Did you further know that ever more adult and “smart” people firmly build hostels into their travel planning to get hold of the benefit from advantages which they would not receive with usual hotels?

The hostels in Germany offer far more to you than a low-priced accommodation.

Getting to know each other and intercultural meetings are motivating again and again not only grades, groups of children and young people, but also families, seminar organizers and many interested single travellers to consciously experience their spare time in a youth hostel.

Tolerance towards the other one, the helpfulness, open dialogue, and a strong environmental awareness make the hostels in Germany for its guests an unusual and experience-rich destination.

Beside small cosy old buildings or the experience in castles and residences you also find many houses in scenic delightful environments as well as in large cities.

At first sight it has even the appearance at some, that it would be a 5-star luxury hotel. But after all if you ask for the conditions you experience that you have been landed in a fantastically beautiful youth hostel and will feel at ease in the time of your stay.

Whatever you are looking for - whether conference atmosphere, sport possibilities, school experiences without classroom, or a particularly for families co-ordinated equipment - with the hostels in Germany you’ll find the fitting for you.

By the way, between youth hostels and schools exists a long active tradition. You find more about this on my page about the actual developed history of youth hostels at www.smart-travel-germany.com/youth-hostels.html.

Anyhow, it is important for them that they do not only offer touristic attractions. The youth hostels above all attach also importance to obtain conscious travel. The social, economic and ecological consequences of a blind mass tourism are very conscious to them. Therefore, you will still get expert consultation and insider knowledge, and all this free of charge. Fits somehow to my website concept ;-)

Good. Most hostels in Germany are located at places, from which you can discover a lot of beautiful things. Whether it is on a mountain from which you have a fantastic view, or in the country, where you can get to know the very German life, or in the middle of a city, where you can admire the attractive and historical points of interest.

There are even youth hostels with extensive wellness supply! By some I am inclined to call them Secret Resorts. (More about Secret Resorts and how to find them in my specific 4-part article or on my website)

If you however attach great importance to comfort, you should better book your accommodation in a hotel. In the youth hostels often no or little service is offered. Service you usually get in hotels.

Moreover, in Bavaria are lodgings which offer overnight stays only for humans up to 26 years. That is, they proverbially concentrate on the youth. You will find however sufficient others in which is also offered a cosy bed to adults.

Today we have youth hostels in the whole world (I even had the time of my life in the hostel of New York City!). You will however see, feel, and smell that the origin of hostels was developed in Germany.

Now still a few numbers of Germany Hostels: world-wide there are more than 4,000 youth hostels in 65 countries, whereby more than 600 alone in Germany. You need a membership card in order to be able to stay overnight there, which costs only 20 EUR per year and is world-wide valid! More than half of the 1.7 million members in Germany are adults. The average cost per night is somehow between 10 and 25 EUR. So you save a lot of money, don’t you?

You find more details on the official website of the German Youth Hostel Association.

However, I wish you a lot of fun on your journeys!

Marcus Hochstadt

Marcus Hochstadt travels extensively to countries, continents and Germany itself as a sales manager and entrepreneur since more than 14 years. He knows in almost each German city the points of real interest. In his free monthly Special Report at http://www.smart-travel-germany.com/smart-travel-guide.html he reveales more valuable insider tips and travel secrets.

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