Why Chicago's Underground Marina was almost LOST

Why Chicago's Underground Marina was almost LOST | The History of Marina City

Рет қаралды 140,629

Күн бұрын

This video takes you on a journey to explore the unique and iconic Marina City in Chicago. Discover the history and challenges faced by this architectural masterpiece, from its innovative concept and design to its resemblance to corn cobs. Learn about the switch from apartment rentals to luxury condos and the battle for preservation during the 1980s deterioration. Find out what's inside Marina City today and take a look at what it once was, with lost amenities. Join us on this fascinating tour of Marina City and uncover its rich history and significance in Chicago's architectural landscape.
#MarinaCityChicago #CornCobBuildings #ArchitecturalLandmarks #ChicagoHistory #IconicDesign
Chapters:
00:00 - Discovering the Unique Corn Cob Buildings of Chicago: Welcome to Marina City
01:21 - From Boom to Bust: Chicago’s Struggle with Population Decline
02:09 - Meet the Visionary Architect Behind Marina City's Iconic Design
03:13 - Exploring the Innovative Concept and Design of Marina City
03:36 - Why Marina City is a Chicago Landmark That Resembles Corn Cobs
04:19 - Overcoming Adversity: Marina City's Challenging Past
08:08 - Marina City: The Switch from Apartment Rentals to Luxury Condos
08:54 - The 1980s Deterioration of Marina City: A Battle for Preservation
09:36 - From Bankruptcy to Revival: The 1993 Sale of Marina City
10:01 - Step Inside the Iconic Marina City: What's There Today?
12:20 - Marina City's Lost Amenities: A Look at What Once Was.
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IT’S HISTORY - Weekly tales of American Urban Decay as presented by your host Ryan Socash.
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» CREDIT
Scriptwriter - Bex Weinstein
Editor - Oliwia Tracz,
Host - Ryan Socash
» NOTICE
Some images may be used for illustrative purposes only - always reflecting the accurate time frame and content. Events of factual error / mispronounced word/spelling mistakes - retractions will be published in this section.

Пікірлер: 187

@solomonsaintclair22 Жыл бұрын

Been living in these towers for a few years - absolutely love it. Had no idea about the history! Great video!

@renneedwards9826 Жыл бұрын

@@user-kr6jg6qb7l 😩💅🏾🤣

@Lurch685 Жыл бұрын

I wish I could afford to!

@JStryker7 Жыл бұрын

Owning or renting? I heard about all of the cement issues and repair costs

@solomonsaintclair22 Жыл бұрын

@@JStryker7 I’m just renting currently but have considered buying. What’s held me back were the very things you mentioned - especially, the lifespan of the concrete. While what I could find only stated that the concrete issues were superficial and only involved the non-condo portions, the lifespan of steel reinforced concrete is only 60-100 years from what I’ve read :( the big issue is when the steel inside the concrete is exposed to the elements and starts to rust. I’ve read that you can run an electric current through it to prevent that from happening and I’ve noticed parts of the roof that have something that looks like it might be doing that but I don’t know. Guess you gotta trust the managers of the property…

@JStryker7 Жыл бұрын

@@solomonsaintclair22 ya they had to do work on all of the balconies a while ago and I believe it was over $20k per balcony. It wasn’t covered by the HOA.

@jbw53191 Жыл бұрын

I lived on the 50th floor of Marina City for 8 years. Absolutely loved it! Great video.

@WhereisthatmoneyP Жыл бұрын

How was it.? An how hard is it to get in top floors like those. An what are pros an cons staying that high. I want to stay high in the sky like that but I feel like financially you have to be prepared because you will not stay that high if your not paying at least 5k a month.

@jbw53191 Жыл бұрын

@@WhereisthatmoneyP actually, Marina city is quite economical. I lived there for 8 years and moved out in 2012. I had a studio apartment on the 50th floor and my rent was $1,100 a month.

@MightBeAPizza Жыл бұрын

I'm currently in Chicago for the first time. My girlfriend and I were walking along the river walk and stumbled upon these towers. She hated them, I loved them!

@MightBeAPizza Жыл бұрын

Update: went on the architecture boat tour, which was amazing, and she hated them even more.

@michaelprosperity3420 Жыл бұрын

I think there cool. The marinas under them are funky to pull a boat into.

@nedludd7622 Жыл бұрын

I agree with her.

@nutriaoso Жыл бұрын

She sounds judgey, careful with that proposal🤣

@nedludd7622 Жыл бұрын

@@nutriaoso She sounds lucid.

@SeymourBalz Жыл бұрын

It seems as though you left out the collapse ! My father was working there then. Concrete fell, as they were hurrying to finish the build. The concrete wasn't allowed to harden enough, before removing forms. My father along with other crew men manually lifted sections to remove crushed workers. I remember him coming home sick from the site of crushed bodies . He quit that day, never to return. I'll NEVER forget his story. I've searched the internet . I can't find anything on what I've said...yet IT HAPPENED. I was born in 1951. So I was like 10-12 hrs old during construction of this complex . Why is this fact eliminated from history ?? It's been quite a few years, but I'm remembering. Even back then, they changed the news. Ppl would be afraid to rent there...fears of additional collapse. They changed the "story" to scaffolds. NOW, I remember dad being angry at what we then heard on the news. Credit is still deserved to the maker of this video, as he's reporting the available history. Me? I STAND my ground !! Floor/Floors Collapsed !! As far as my dad, well men loose friends in war, sad enough. But these guys were just supporting they're families.

@floorpizza8074 Жыл бұрын

How many lives were lost? I can't imagine the trauma your Dad had to go through after seeing that. Horrible beyond words.

@SeymourBalz Жыл бұрын

@@floorpizza8074 It's long ago, I don't remember the count. I do remember the way dad looked. It was bloody he said. Idk 3-4 guys. (?)

@laverneclark8191 Жыл бұрын

It was published in The Chicago Tribune [43 STORY PLUNGE! 3 KILLED-September 16 1961 page 1]. It took place the day before (Sept 15). 3-names and pictures are on page 2.

@SeymourBalz Жыл бұрын

@@laverneclark8191 what 43 story plunge ?? I'm not speaking of elevators or whatever. I'm speaking of building collapse . Concrete forms being removed BEFORE concrete cure.

@floorpizza8074 Жыл бұрын

@@SeymourBalz Such a tragedy that lives are second to money. And you're spot on... this definitely should've been included in the video. IMO, it ranks as *the* most horrible accident of the tower's history; from breaking ground 'til present day.

@claudiamann7111 Жыл бұрын

Beautiful towers. I hope they can keep going strong. Thanks so much for another great video.

@bamccabe1 10 ай бұрын

I remember when I first became aware of the buildings -in my mind I always thought of them as the Jetson"s apartment buildings. I'm sure they must have been the inspiration for the apartment buildings in the 1960's cartoon.

@KurtE71 Жыл бұрын

Thanks Ryan! At the time I lived in downtown Chicago, I always felt they had the most unique parking garage!

@stephenmoerlein8470 Жыл бұрын

Interesting that both Bertram Goldberg and Mies van der Rohe are famous Chicago architects from the Bauhaus in Berlin, yet their styles are dramatically different. Thanks for posting this engaging history.

@NKsEntertainment Жыл бұрын

Informative! Chicago is awesome city 👍. This city was in my bucket list and recently we marked it as complete.

@mikeschroeder8356 Жыл бұрын

Love the chicago vids - keep ‘em coming!

@randygiles845 Жыл бұрын

Wilco's Yankee Hotel Foxtrot album.

@sirenloud Жыл бұрын

I delivered so many mattresses to those buildings think of your apartment like a slice of pizza 😂

@AutoReport1 Жыл бұрын

Marina City was the debtor, Edison was the creditor.

@maryellenaylward5457 Жыл бұрын

I love listening to all the fabulous history of Chicago and NYC you present on your show! Any plans to do any Boston stories????

@derrickwillie4449 Жыл бұрын

Bean town is not as great as Chicago or nyc

@hectoraleeyass3715 Жыл бұрын

Im in B.F.E. Southeast Missouri currently but N.W.I. by way of all around Lake and Porter counties for the majority of my 37 years on Earth and I am always STOKED when I see something new from 'IT'S HISTORY ' pop up on my feed. There's soo much I never knew about an area I've spent soo much time in. Your videos SMASH topics like EVERYONE SHOULD SMASH THAT LIKE BUTTON. Thank you for actually being interesting and not just regurgitating common knowledge for the sake of views. Great luck with the channel going forward. WE ALL LOVE IT!!!

@kevinfinnegan310 Жыл бұрын

SEMO

@hectoraleeyass3715 Жыл бұрын

@@kevinfinnegan310 Poplar Bluff...Missouri syphalitic cyst...u don't have to apologize...Its not ur fault...

@bruceleonard919 Жыл бұрын

Great show I learned a lot about Chicago washing you between Navy Pier and Marina City awesome thank you

@jonjohnson2844 Жыл бұрын

But how was the underground marina almost lost?

@delfrickintree775 Жыл бұрын

indeed!

@weebs2 Жыл бұрын

I think he's discussing the original planned Marina, which apparently could house around 700 boats. I'm not sure if that ever came to fruition but it's certainly not there today.

@UCFCamaroSS Жыл бұрын

Socash clickbait

@damonroberts7372 Жыл бұрын

Blink and you'll miss it, just after the nine minute mark. Access down to the marina was closed, because the complex was not being properly maintained in the 1980s.

@jonjohnson2844 Жыл бұрын

@@damonroberts7372 ah thanks, his click bait worked anyway; I probably wouldn’t have watched the video had it not been for the title. It will put me off watching future videos though.

@49shinn Жыл бұрын

Your videos are always great Ryan. Keep it up!

@redwemette5942 Жыл бұрын

In 1974 they had valet parking, I herd my tires burning rubber all the way up. When I got my car back the Police were there, I never paid for parking after that. 1974 Lincoln Mark lV 460 CI engine

@stevelibby6852 Жыл бұрын

I knew someone that had an apartment there in the 80's. I was shocked at how low the rent was at the time $500. Lincoln Park would have been double or triple that minimum.

@SeymourBalz Жыл бұрын

That complex was nearly empty for years !! Ppl were afraid of the shoddy construction.

@alexisbrown733 Жыл бұрын

Thx u 4 sharing

@thegr8winston Жыл бұрын

The timing on this episode is amazing! I just was in Chicago to study these buildings and others by Bertrand Goldberg!

@jeffzimm1320 Жыл бұрын

Yankee Hotel Foxtrot.......GREAT RECORD!

@edmund6432 Жыл бұрын

First time I remember seeing these buildings was in the movie "Three the Hard Way". Blaxploitation film from 1974. I was eleven.

@irishmike519 Жыл бұрын

I went into high school in 1969. My PE coach lived in Marina City.

@karinross66 Жыл бұрын

I learned to ice skate there as a kid when there was a skating rink there

@JustFluffyQuiltingYarnCrafts Жыл бұрын

Very cool property with great views. I enjoyed my time there.

@radicalmoderate2730 Жыл бұрын

My Aunt lived there in the 70's had a boat it was a good time to visit her lol.

@stephenmoerlein8470 Жыл бұрын

Thanks!

@EricSocash Жыл бұрын

I remember being a kid going to a bbq on the roof there. Beautiful buildings.

@danichicago9140 Жыл бұрын

I worked under there on the river level running fire alarm conduit. There are trains that still run under there. I couldn't get over how nobody ever left for work. This was almost 25 year ago before work from home.

@johniii8147 Жыл бұрын

For years it was less than half full.

@landocalrisian2014 Жыл бұрын

This was incredibly fascinating and eye-opening. Thanks for the presentation.

@barryarmstrong1130 Жыл бұрын

In 1962 our second grade WEEKLY READER magazine featured the futuristic Marina City Towers in Chicago. My fellow students and I marveled and dreamed of life at Marina City in Chicago.

@cathyt502 Жыл бұрын

I was 4 at the time, but a couple of years later, my my took my sis and I to eat in that fancy restaurant that was right above the marina. I was mesmerized sitting at a window seat and seeing the river below. Plus, they had colored sugar for one's coffee or tea.

@barryarmstrong1130 Жыл бұрын

I loved the sweeping, curving furniture in the lobby of Marina City which was reflective of the building’s cylindrical design - very 1960’s. In the 1980’s, I had a friend who had an apartment on the 48th floor of Marina City which included two large balconies who invited me to a party for drinks and dinner one night. After serving drinks, I asked “Wouldn’t it be nice to have our drinks on the balcony?” Balconies were very uncommon features in those days in Chicago. He replied that he had never been out there! I did venture out to the balcony. But, it was then that I discovered that the higher one goes, the greater the wind velocity and the less practicality of a balcony at such a high level. I was terrified by the height and the wind and struggled to get back inside without showing on my face the terror I felt within. Exciting to remember for sure!

@everkief8650 Жыл бұрын

@@barryarmstrong1130 ""I was terrified by the height and the wind and struggled to get back inside without showing on my face the terror I felt within."" jeesh, that Is scary! Are you sure that's not the plot of an Alfred Hitchcock movie you once watched?

@brandonfraley6737 Жыл бұрын

Wilco....Yankee Hotel Foxtrot love that band!!!

@Adrian-zd4cs Жыл бұрын

Love all Chicago history!

@gabexyzofficial8307 Жыл бұрын

U should do a video on Disney Quests Chicago I remember going once As a kid but I don’t really see many videos about it I love your breakdowns would love to see u dig into it

@girldaddividendinvestor Жыл бұрын

Yankee Hotel Foxtrot Baaaaaaby!!!

@jays7523 Жыл бұрын

I went in there a couple times to fix some Internet in one of the apartments and I can say that they are absolutely terrible. Chipping concrete. Poor flooring. Old glass windows that leaked like anything. They look a lot better from the outside than inside. They'll probably be demolished in 20 years.

@mocrank5314 2 ай бұрын

1970s Mercury Records center design shows the towers on the left, Hancock on the right with Water Tower in the middle.

@CharlieB.- Жыл бұрын

I had no clue this existed! So neat looking.

@SkylarsTerribleMemes Жыл бұрын

6:10 that marples quote though...

@fastbike175 Жыл бұрын

thank you so much we desperately need more Chicago videos

@DavidInMonroe318 8 ай бұрын

The album cover being Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot

@indianastan Жыл бұрын

Compared to the other buildings around the river. They are not so giant today.

@Pete.across.the.street Жыл бұрын

Great timing. I was there last night to see Finch at the House of Blues.

@erolcims6664 Жыл бұрын

In 1991-2 a studio rented for $625/month.

@freetolook3727 Жыл бұрын

If I lived there I would so live at The House of Blues!

@bryantint1339 Жыл бұрын

The Hunter!

@brianfahey2864 Жыл бұрын

My dad was a supervisor on the "L" when that movie was made. He managed all the traffic moves required for the filming of the "L" sequence. His boss was the engineer on that train.

@Terinije Жыл бұрын

Great video! Hope you guys do a River City video, too, as a former resident of that complex.

@etmccaus Жыл бұрын

I'm the man who loves that subtle Wilco shout-out.

@skisgy Ай бұрын

The hunter with steve McQueen when the car flew into the river

@garyjust.johnson1436 Жыл бұрын

I have never heard of Wilcox, nor the Yankee Hotel Foxtrot album!

@davidsmagor5077 Жыл бұрын

Yankee, Hotel Foxtrot - Wilco!

@bronxbearbud272 Жыл бұрын

Didn't Bob Newhart's sitcom character live in this building? I think I can remember it from the opening credits and scene breaks.

@jbw53191 Жыл бұрын

No, his character didn't live here. He simply walked by it in the opening credits. The building featured in The Bob Newhart show was on North Sheridan Road. It's still there.

@JohnB-we7ym 10 ай бұрын

Lived on the 37th floor of the east tower. Good times

@glennso47 Жыл бұрын

Weren’t the studios of Fox 32 at Marina City? I seem to remember that.

@JeffersonMartinSynfluent Жыл бұрын

Marriott with one 'r'? Interesting.

@abfab2517 21 күн бұрын

Edmund White had some "action" in one of its book in this buildings.

@haweater1555 Жыл бұрын

Disappointed that the towers were not on any album covers from "Chicago", the band. ("𝐼𝑓 𝑌𝑜𝑢 𝐿𝑒𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑀𝑒 𝑁𝑜𝑤", "𝑌𝑜𝑢'𝑟𝑒 𝑀𝑦 𝐼𝑛𝑠𝑝𝑖𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛" etc.)

@positively_broad_st3780 Жыл бұрын

'Yankee Hotel Foxtrot' album by the band Wilco, which is based in Chicago...

@butchkaminsky9470 Жыл бұрын

I remember when change 7 had a tower on one of its roofs. 😅

@tmsmqwx Жыл бұрын

Yes, CHANNEL 7

@basshorseman998 Жыл бұрын

I was there for the switching of the transmission broadcast antenna from Marina to Sears Tower in or around 1973, the WLS-TV antenna

@oliviawright7073 Жыл бұрын

Can you do a video about the block 37 supers station?

@jhonatanalvarez05 Жыл бұрын

So I share on Facebook a beautiful shot i took from the river on my boat and now I'm here from a YT recommendation... So much for freedom, we're all just a byproduct

@jetsons101 Жыл бұрын

Funny: I always thought the towers were designed and built in the early 70's.

@garfixit Жыл бұрын

It's sad that the dangerous condition of buildings are not enforced more

@ingo_8628 Жыл бұрын

Hard to find if you dont have it in the shelf, its Chicago 13.

@DavixDevelop Жыл бұрын

Love the architecture of the towers, but there's just one thing bothering me. Why the hell does the garage only have a low fence? Couldn't they at least put a thin netting if they wanted a view into the garage from the outside?

@NickelPlateTweety Жыл бұрын

when i was very young back in the 60s i thought they where giant cookie stacks well at least i know they were not lol

@rossmeldrum3346 Жыл бұрын

Rent now is from $1500 to $2500 per month no pets and you pay $250 a month for garage fees. For something built in the 60's

@renneedwards9826 Жыл бұрын

Yikes 😬 😮‍💨

@culcune Жыл бұрын

I don't believe stunt-persons actually drove cars off the towers. I recall a behind the scenes documentary of a film, the names of which I forget (the film's name and the documentary of the behind the scenes name), and they used a special cannon to literally shoot the car off the tower and into the river as if the car had inadvertently driven off the parking lot during a chase.

@seanbatiz6620 Жыл бұрын

Maybe either a mission impossible or a 007?

@culcune Жыл бұрын

@@seanbatiz6620 It was either late 80s or early 90s. Too early for 'Mission...' and I do not believe there was ever a Bond film that had anything to do with Chicago. Edit: It was the film 'The Hunter' filmed in 1979, Steve McQueen's final film.

@seanbatiz6620 Жыл бұрын

@@culcune Oh dang! I have that one on VHS… probably haven’t watched it since early 90’s; might pop it in & rewatch now, thx 👍🏼

@jeromevital9737 Жыл бұрын

One movie was The Hunter in 1980 starring Steve McQueen.

@carlkettler1629 Жыл бұрын

@@seanbatiz6620 I don't remember which film, but I always remembered the scene from a 007 movie with the car going over the edge.

@davegeorge7094 Жыл бұрын

What album cover, I'm curious. CTA aka Chicago band?

@elmeramuro Жыл бұрын

mang, it be that drake album cover i think, shig idk mang

@btbcc12859 Жыл бұрын

Where are those lost amenities located?

@freetolook3727 Жыл бұрын

Gotta love that flameless electric heat! 😂

@Ryansssssssssssss Жыл бұрын

My Grandpa worked on the towers and he said an air tank was ruptured and shot through several of the floors.

@delawarepro3539 Жыл бұрын

Chicago 13 (released 1979 🎶)

@Bhembca Жыл бұрын

Wilco!

@tvviewer4500 Жыл бұрын

I've always wanted to live under the marina city

@jbw53191 Жыл бұрын

I lived on the 50th floor there for eight years. The balconies were fantastic!

@rogerpenske2411 Жыл бұрын

Yes another rube Goldberg project designed by Bertrand Goldberg!

@thotfulspot Жыл бұрын

They tried to trademark it about 10 years ago so nobody could take pictures or video without paying them.

@weebs2 Жыл бұрын

2007 as far as I remember, I don't think it ended up panning out.

@thotfulspot Жыл бұрын

@@weebs2 no it didn't. They even wanted to go back and charge Wilco.

@weebs2 Жыл бұрын

@@thotfulspot That’s ridiculous, the only building I know of that has a copyright like that is the lights on the Eiffel tower

@shelleyswan535 Жыл бұрын

We were living in Highland IN when these opened.

@JohnnyArtPavlou Жыл бұрын

Goings-on

@coleweese8989 Жыл бұрын

Stewart Hicks,,, Is that you??

@positively_broad_st3780 Жыл бұрын

Yankee Hotel Foxtrot

@user-wv8yw6bf2k 11 ай бұрын

I heard that Barbara Eden had once lived there. Don't know if it's true or not.

@jsayz2365 Жыл бұрын

Could you do a video on The Empire State Plaza

@0fficialdregs Жыл бұрын

i always thought marina city was just two large parking garages lol

@davidurban6813 Жыл бұрын

Any hauntings ? Just wondering. May the fourth be with everyone 🖖

@michealklee8844 2 күн бұрын

And yes it’s union built ✊🏽🇺🇸

@johniii8147 Жыл бұрын

I looked at couple of condos in both towers but ruled it out as an option. The buildings now are very outdated and really show their age. Didn't seem a good investment.