The Forgotten Railways of Chicago: The Santa Fe Railyard, Chinatown Square & Ping Tom Memorial Park
The landscape of Chicago, while in a continuous state of change, has been perhaps most strikingly changed in the area east of the Chicago River. Looking from Ping Tom Memorial Park towards Downtown Chicago with the St. Charles Air Line Bridge in the foreground. As late as the 1970's, the east side of the Chicago River was almost nothing but various railyards and railroad property, easily identifiable in topo maps from the region. Englewood 1972 USGS Topo Map It's quite easy to see just from satellite imagery just how the area has changed, as areas where the rails were once king have given way to new parks , shopping centers, movie theaters and residential buildings. East of the river, large scale redevelopment and environmental cleanup has taken place, and continues to do so. Source: Google Maps This isn't just unique to Chicago, as Pittsburgh is another example of ongoing redevelopment along it's Allegheny River Waterfront. Top: Google ...