Gah.. it was hard enough to step on the glass floor at the CN tower in toronto.. the first step goes against all your natural instincts
Dave
· 4 months ago
Yeah, but what a great place to get laid !
Butch1
· 4 months ago
My partner used to work on the 80th floor of the Sears Tower and on a windy day, you never filled your coffee cup to full. Sometimes the doors would swing a little with the wind. It's said that the building sways about twenty feet from side to side on a windy day. It is designed to move like that. It's a weird feeling to watch a Cessna fly by at about the same height as you. Of course this was over 18 years ago before 9/11. I imagine there are different flight rules for small planes now.
Jophus
· 4 months ago
It's like wonder woman's jet.
Butch1
· 4 months ago
What is?
Jophus
· 4 months ago
I just realized how extremely gay I really am off this random post about the Sears Tower. Wonder Womans jet was see-thru. You were talking about Cessna's flying by at that height. OF course my mind went directly to wonder woman.
Thanks for connecting the dots for me, I had completely forgotten about that.
Jophus
· 4 months ago
When I was a little boy in the late 80's, I used to kneel backwards on our sofa and stare out the window with fascination at the blinking lights on top of the antennae. I've lived here pretty much my whole life except a 2 year stint in Miami, but I have never been inside. Weird huh? I think the city looks better when you aren't a part of skyline (unless you're on the river).
Butch1
· 4 months ago
We moved from Detroit to Chicago in the early 80s and bought a house in the Logan Square district of Chicago. We lived across from the Lake before finding a house we liked. On July 4th, we would go with thousands of others to Grant park to watch the fire works, but there were times we would go to the Sears Tower where my partner worked and watch the festivities from the 80th floor as well. It was strange seeing it from an higher elevation and leaving afterwards was a wee bit easier not having to fight the crowds leaving the park.
Driving into Chicago from the south, it was always a pleasure to see those lights on the Sears Tower and the Hancock Building, one knew they were almost home. After ten years in Chicago, we moved to the Northwest and have been here ever since ( 18 + years ) I love it here.
Jophus
· 4 months ago
Funny. After I finnish my degree I want to move to Portland. I'll be watching the fireworks from 80 stories is awesome.
Butch1
· 4 months ago
I wonder if the Sears Tower will allow people to go to the observation deck on the 103rd floor to see the fire works or does one have to be rich with connections?
Portland, Oregon is a great city. We are about 1hr and a half north of it in Olympia, Wa. You'll like Portland.
Jophus
· 4 months ago
No thanks. I'll pass on that thing at the Grand Canyon too. Why would this cross someone's mind to build?
An_American_Karol
· 4 months ago
Don't compare the Grand Canyon with this insanity. The GC is one of the most magnificent sights in the world.
Jophus
· 4 months ago
I agree actually. The grand canyon might be one of the most beautiful places I've ever been, other than the white party. I'm talking about this madness:
Wow, I have never seen that, but I would totally do it!!! The glass ledge on the Sears Tower, not so much. lol
Jophus
· 4 months ago
You're crazy. That is 3 times as high! Over rocks! With no hospital near by! Not that you'd need one if you fell.
Seriously though, if anyone reading this ever has the chance go to the Grand Canyon at sunset on a partly cloudy day. There seriously isn't a word in English to describe it. The shadows of the clouds on the sides of the canyon and the rock glowing 100 different shades of intense orange in the setting sun.. It is better than drugs + a climax + a billion dollars.
An_American_Karol
· 4 months ago
I am old; I can think of worse ways to go..
Jophus
· 4 months ago
That would definitely be a sensational way to go... I amended that post after you responded somehow. I meant to include this with it, but my editing privilege went away.
Wow! This panorama is breathtaking. Thanks for posting the link to it.
Jophus
· 4 months ago
Funny thing is, I've never seen a photograph capture it. This is like 5% of the beauty. You should go if you can. It is life changing. Just stay off the skywalk thing, for me. :-)
HelenRainier
· 4 months ago
Jophus -- actually did go to the GC a few years ago when I went to Vegas. Used it as a base to check out the Strip, and Hoover Dam. Tried to take a "back route" to the NW rim of the GC but the roads were simply too "washboardy" for the rental car we had. From there swung over into NW Arizona and drive down to Kingman then head west towards Bullhead City. Also took a trek to Mt Charleson (beautiful, too), the Valley of Fire, and part of the Nevada Test Site facility. Oh yes, and also Death Valley. It's a very beautiful area. On the way back as we flew back we overflew both the GC and the Rockies. Simply amazing. I now live here in the Puget Sound and have amazing views of Rainier, St Helens and the Olympics. This is also a beautiful area, too. If you ever have a chance you should check it out. Oops, meant to post this in response to your post below mine. You're right there is nothing can fully capture the beauty of it in simply one photo.
Jophus
· 4 months ago
Here is a high res photo from the side... I'd rather take drugs and watch Discovery channel to get my thrills. :-)
What fun. And a sign that America is getting over 9/11. I'll be in Chicago in September. Think I'll go for a look. Would be a lot of fun in a snowstorm.
Nylund
· 4 months ago
Here too re: the CN Tower's glass floor. I saw lots of people actually get down on their hand's and knees and crawl onto the glass floor, and many only lay down on the glass (like the girl in the picture). Somehow its not so bad if many parts of your body can touch the floor and confirm that there is something there to hold you up. After you get used to it, walking on and off is ok, but boy, that first step...you'll see many a tough person get a little shaky.
You are really just telling your brain to ignore millions of years worth of instincts and it let's you know it doesn't like that.
Nick
· 4 months ago
I did the CN years ago and it is quite strange ... you dip a toe, then a foot ... after a while you get the nerve. Interesting how you KNOW it's safe, but still ...
Jhyder
· 4 months ago
No way in hell....I'd rather eat 15 hits of the best lsd 25 ever developed and hallucinate I did something so crazy,.... I could handle the acid; I would piss my pants even looking from the elevator of that floor.
An_American_Karol
· 4 months ago
lol
Jhyder
· 4 months ago
I'm glad someone found that funny...... ;)
Indigo
· 4 months ago
John will have some great photos of it after his next visit to Chicago. It's fascinating! Scary, of course, but no more so than the average thrill ride, roller coaster, jungle rope bridge.
okojo
· 4 months ago
The CN tower in Toronto has something like this that appears the Sears Tower in Chicago copied.
Don't worry, how they designed the structure, the glass and supports are pretty bombproof....
Patrick
· 4 months ago
Great idea. Next comes the pitch black room filled with spider and snake holograms and surround sound!
HelenRainier
· 4 months ago
Used to love flying until I had a panic attack at 20,000 nearly 30 years ago. I have only flown twice since then -- once to DFW for an Army Reserve Annual Training at Ft. Hood and a few years ago to Las Vegas. I also hate bridges and high rises. Years before the bridge collapsed in the Twin Cities, there was an elevated interstate bypass in Milwaukee, WI that buckled in the wintertime.
I can't even drive across high-rise bridges. I fully intend to keep my feet firmly planted on terra firma until the day I die.
These glass balconies are as scary as the roller coaster on top of that casino on the Strip in Vegas.
domino
· 4 months ago
I would die in less than five minutes. There is nowhere to hide! I could not go to a corner and close my eyes.
combustibleturnip
· 4 months ago
Yeah--"glass floors to clean..."--and who is the first cleaning woman (or man) to have to go out there and do it?
pablo
· 4 months ago
I've been meaning to go to Chicago(though I hear Boystown isn't what it used to be)for a long time. This may finally prompt me to go.
All Comments
http://cache.io9.com/assets/images/io9/2008/06/...
Driving into Chicago from the south, it was always a pleasure to see those lights on the Sears Tower and the Hancock Building, one knew they were almost home. After ten years in Chicago, we moved to the Northwest and have been here ever since ( 18 + years ) I love it here.
Portland, Oregon is a great city. We are about 1hr and a half north of it in Olympia, Wa. You'll like Portland.
http://www.gearfuse.com/first-visitors-file-on-...
The glass ledge on the Sears Tower, not so much. lol
Seriously though, if anyone reading this ever has the chance go to the Grand Canyon at sunset on a partly cloudy day. There seriously isn't a word in English to describe it. The shadows of the clouds on the sides of the canyon and the rock glowing 100 different shades of intense orange in the setting sun.. It is better than drugs + a climax + a billion dollars.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/adelmann/276537509...
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a...
You are really just telling your brain to ignore millions of years worth of instincts and it let's you know it doesn't like that.
Don't worry, how they designed the structure, the glass and supports are pretty bombproof....
I can't even drive across high-rise bridges. I fully intend to keep my feet firmly planted on terra firma until the day I die.
These glass balconies are as scary as the roller coaster on top of that casino on the Strip in Vegas.