When I was in New York, working as a musician, my only knowledge of the Chicago river was that it had the dubious distinction of being a dumping ground for the Dave Matthews tour bus. I’ve also learned of how it’s turned green for St. Patrick’s Day, and that a huge engineering feat transpired long ago to reverse the flow, from the lake and into the Mississippi (for sewage reasons). If one can look past these substantial traits, the river is a beautiful, integral, and special part of this city.
The river cuts due west into downtown and splits a half mile inland with one leg (North Branch) shooting NW and the other meandering SW to become the Ship Canal. My experiences with the river exist in the loop and the North Branch, primarily when traveling downtown or to other neighborhoods NE from me. Many parks and condos have been springing up as the industrial corridor gentrifies and becomes more cosmopolitan. Taking one of the 38 bridges over the river usually gives me a beautiful view of the skyline, of other bridges, wildlife, boaters, and in general, a dynamic reserved for only a handful of great metropolitan areas (e.g. Paris, Boston, etc.)