Chicago is undoubtedly back
The British publication The Economist called Chicago a success story today, stating that “this is a city buzzing with life, humming with prosperity, sparkling with new buildings, new sculptures, new parks, and generally exuding vitality.”
It goes on to say that Chicago has recovered from the painful 1980s, in which the political machine was “creaking,” unlike cities such as Detroit, Cleveland and Pittsburgh.
Chicago’s population is growing again, after a steady decline since the 1950s; companies are settling in Chicago again, The Economist cites the example of Boeing; and new buildings are indeed popping up like mushrooms, most famously the Trump Tower in progress.
Millennium Park signifies this change most of all, with the Jay Pritzker Pavilion and the Harris Theater for Music and Dance. The Chicago Opera Theater recently moved to the Harris Theater, demonstrating cultural growth in Chicago. In 1991, the Chicago Opera Theater faced a $600,000 deficit and the Chicago Tribune wrote:
“What happened to the Chicago Opera Theater is not unique. Arts organizations in Chicago and throughout the country are facing harsher financial realities than ever before as funding from the government, private foundations and individual donors drops off in the face of a sour economy.”
Looking at Chicago Opera Theater now, Chicago is undoubtedly back.
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