Use Any Old Phone For A DIY Architecture Tour

There are any number of applications that will help you explore Chicago with the help of your fancy shmancy smart phone.  Heck, we even have a web app of our own coming out soon (Shhh!  Point your iPhone at Towrs.com).  But you don't need the latest high-tech gadget to take an architectural tour of the Tribune Tower (435 North Michigan Avenue).

The Tribune Company now has a phone number you can call from your regular cell phone to get a tour of its magnificent building.  It's 312/222-TOUR.

WGN Radio talk show host John Williams narrates four different tours of the historic building -- one about the various stones embedded in its facade, one about the building's grotesques (the correct name for its gargoyles), one about the lobby and a fourth that is an overview of the entire building.

It's a clever way to promote the building to tourists and passers-by and since Tribune owns most of the 312-222 prefix, all it costs the company is the price of a fancy answering machine while generating valuable goodwill.

And don't feel like you have to stand around and gawk at the building with all the tourists.  The audio tours are just as interesting listening from the comfort of your office phone.

Chicago's Seven Storefront Studios

The banners promise that Loyola University's new $400,000 streetfront television studio in The Clare at Water Tower (55 East Pearson Street) will open in autumn 2009, but I think we can safely say that isn't going to happen.  Especially considering that Loyola only got its permit to build the studio on October 2nd.

Loyola's will be the seventh streetfront studio in Chicago.  WGN radio was the modern pioneer with this in Chicago (though it's been done in other cities since the 50's).  720 was quickly followed by WMAQ, WLS-TV and eventually WBBM-TV.   I always thought WFLD had a great opportunity to open one when the Bennigans at Michigan Plaza closed, but that opportunity was missed.

Of course, WGN-TV (2501 West Bradley Place) and WTTW are half-way to the suburbs, so there's no point in them even trying.

Sometimes these are called "storefront" studios instead of "streetfront."  In that case, WLUP and WKQX are actually the leaders, since they have had a storefront presence in the Merchandise Mart (222 Mart Plaza) for years.

Storefront studios in Chicago:

• Loyola University: The Clare at Water Tower (55 East Pearson Street)
• WBBM-TV (2): Block 37 (22 West Washington Street)
• WGN (720): Tribune Tower (435 North Michigan Avenue)
• WKQX (101.1): Second floor, Merchandise Mart (222 Merchandise Mart Plaza)
• WLS-TV (7): 190 North State Street
• WLUP (97.9): Second floor, Merchandise Mart (222 Merchandise Mart Plaza)
• WMAQ (5): 401 North Michigan Avenue

WLUP's storefront at the Merchandise Mart

WKQX's storefront at the Merchandise Mart