Marina City
Marina City
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Unique architecture for a building complex as its own self-contained community.
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The area
Address
Neighborhood: Near North Side
How to get there
- State/Lake • 4 min walk
- Clark/Lake • 5 min walk
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Best nearby
Restaurants
3,489 within 3 miles
Attractions
1,034 within 6 miles
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.0
168 reviews
Excellent
57
Very good
83
Average
24
Poor
3
Terrible
1
BrakiWorldTraveler
Belgrade, Serbia20,006 contributions
Apr 2022
I see I'm in a big minority here, but this is my opinion.
Contrary to that my wife likes them.
First we saw these two corn cobs on our architecture boat tour. Guide explained these were the first self sufficient buildings in a city effort to bring people back downtown. They had everything packed in these corns from the garage on lower levels (that's definitely the ugliest thing), washing facilities and gym to residential apartments further up.
Next morning we walked the Riverwalk and I stared for some 5 min trying to like it.
No way - looking the whole picture with other buildings around they look like unfinished yet or like they ran out the funds to put the final glass facade.
Contrary to that my wife likes them.
First we saw these two corn cobs on our architecture boat tour. Guide explained these were the first self sufficient buildings in a city effort to bring people back downtown. They had everything packed in these corns from the garage on lower levels (that's definitely the ugliest thing), washing facilities and gym to residential apartments further up.
Next morning we walked the Riverwalk and I stared for some 5 min trying to like it.
No way - looking the whole picture with other buildings around they look like unfinished yet or like they ran out the funds to put the final glass facade.
Written May 23, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Noraatc
Sudbury, MA39,982 contributions
Sep 2024 • Couples
We stayed at the Chicago Downtown Hotel Autograph Collection by Marriott and our room was facing one of the “corn cob” buildings of the Marina City. The best views of this twin round towers were from the river. The design dates back to the sixties and is quite unique: several circular levels of the garages on the lower floors and then the apartments going in consecutive circles. The location is fantastic and you can embark on the Riverwalk right from the “corn cobs”.
Written October 12, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
TravelingSoccerLoon
Saint Paul, MN6,362 contributions
Apr 2023 • Friends
Unique architecture and buildings with historic importance. Built in the 1960s and located right on the Chicago River in downtown, this building complex is not only famous for its unusual design but was the first urban high-rise development that was meant to encourage people to move back into the city. It was a futuristic self-contained "city withing a city" providing all the amenities that you need in one place including a theater, gym, swimming pool, ice rink, bowling alley, stores, restaurants, and even a boat marina. It became the model for other developments in cities throughout the US. Great views by strolling along the Chicago Riverwalk or even better you can go on an architecture boat tour on the river.
Written March 11, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Irina
United States14,302 contributions
Sep 2017 • Friends
Quite spectacular views of the twin Corn Cob Towers and from those towers. We visited this unique high-rise residential complex long time ago and were shown one of the condos -- the aerial 360 degrees views of the whole city and its suburbs were fascinating. The condos, in fact, don't have right angles in them at all, but every condo has a balcony.
The 65-story concrete towers (built in 1968, architect Bertrand Goldberg) are decorating the RiverWalk part of Chicago, and they are virtually 'the city within a city', with the 19 floors of parking, high-speed elevators, a concert hall, several restaurants , and the Hotel Chicago. Marina City in all its splendor!
One can also admire these two 'Wonders of the Chicago World' when taking the Chicago River cruises.
Quite a masterpiece of modern architecture!
The 65-story concrete towers (built in 1968, architect Bertrand Goldberg) are decorating the RiverWalk part of Chicago, and they are virtually 'the city within a city', with the 19 floors of parking, high-speed elevators, a concert hall, several restaurants , and the Hotel Chicago. Marina City in all its splendor!
One can also admire these two 'Wonders of the Chicago World' when taking the Chicago River cruises.
Quite a masterpiece of modern architecture!
Written September 8, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Irina
United States14,302 contributions
Feb 2024 • Friends
Marina City was built in 1964 -- 1968 as a mixed-use, residential-commercial complex, designed in a modern, Expressionist style by an American architect and industrial designer Bertrand Goldberg (1913 -- 1997).
Two concrete 587 ft (179m) tall, 65-story Corn Cob Towers are unique in design: all condominiums and rental units don't have interior right angles, and all have semi-circular large balconies, providing spectacular views of the city. The group of buildings in Marina City is often called "the city within a city". The towers have a 19-story garage with a spiral parking ramp, on the 20th floor there's a laundry room and the gym. High-speed elevators provide a fast access to the upper floors of the towers. There's a famous House of Blues on the ground-level plaza.
There are also restaurants, hotels, retail outlets and boat slips at Marina City complex, which is located at the Chicago River bank (Near North Side neighborhood), across from Chicago Loop, and can be easily accessed from the Wabash Avenue Bridge.
It is always enjoyable to see and visit Marina City -- an architectural marvel and iconic site in Chicago. Marina City looks spectacular in the evening hours, as well, and Corn Cob Towers are considered to be the most recognizable structures in Chicago.
Marina City complex was designated Chicago Landmark in 2016.
Two concrete 587 ft (179m) tall, 65-story Corn Cob Towers are unique in design: all condominiums and rental units don't have interior right angles, and all have semi-circular large balconies, providing spectacular views of the city. The group of buildings in Marina City is often called "the city within a city". The towers have a 19-story garage with a spiral parking ramp, on the 20th floor there's a laundry room and the gym. High-speed elevators provide a fast access to the upper floors of the towers. There's a famous House of Blues on the ground-level plaza.
There are also restaurants, hotels, retail outlets and boat slips at Marina City complex, which is located at the Chicago River bank (Near North Side neighborhood), across from Chicago Loop, and can be easily accessed from the Wabash Avenue Bridge.
It is always enjoyable to see and visit Marina City -- an architectural marvel and iconic site in Chicago. Marina City looks spectacular in the evening hours, as well, and Corn Cob Towers are considered to be the most recognizable structures in Chicago.
Marina City complex was designated Chicago Landmark in 2016.
Written March 14, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Martin S
Cranford, NJ1,691 contributions
Jun 2019 • Solo
When this residential complex ( 2 60 story high rises) was built back in the 60s, it’s circular design was unique in the day. It’s look still stands out over 50 years later in this architecturally significant city.
The complex can be seen well from the south side of the river, on one of the nearby bridges or from Riverwalk.
It continues to be part of the unique architecture in the city of Chicago. It has been affectionately known as the “Corn Cobbs” which is obvious when viewed😀.
The complex can be seen well from the south side of the river, on one of the nearby bridges or from Riverwalk.
It continues to be part of the unique architecture in the city of Chicago. It has been affectionately known as the “Corn Cobbs” which is obvious when viewed😀.
Written July 12, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
conrade886
Huntington, NY237 contributions
Aug 2013 • Business
As a former resident of Marina City, there is a lot I can say about Marina City, most of all that its as spectacular as it is problem filled.
The Pros-
*Both Towers are unlike any other building one has ever seen in his pie-shaped design.
*Most any room you are in is going to have a spectacular view.
*There is an excellent security system there.
*Its proximity to everything in The Loop and The Near North Side could not be better.
*Its directly in the same complex as Hotel Sax, the House of Blues Chicago, Smith & Wollensky Steak House and Dick's Last Resort.
*Balconys are in every unit in addition to wood floors.
*There is a 20 story spiral parking garage in each tower.
*If you work in the loop, you can walk to work and on bad days there are always taxis at the house of blues and hotel on the same complex.
*The Marina at the River level is great for boats, it is the only building of its kind like that it appears.
The Cons-
*You never fully leave the loop of Chicago living there.
*Like the loop, several homeless sorts and other less desirable people can tend to congregate around Marina City.
*It is a more rigorous leasing and subletting process than most other buildings around it, if thinking you may break your lease at one point, this is not the right building to rent in.
*You get to smell the river and city full time living there.
*You get an echoing affect from the Street level all the way to the top of the Building of all the noise at ground level.
*There is one freight elevator and four regular elevators per tower.
Im very glad to have lived at Marina City but one year was more than enough time to live there. Perhaps had I not been trying to quit my job for more than half my lease, I would've felt like living there would've been more enjoyable. It is a unique building, it is defintely a great piece of Chicago's skyline, if one had the opportunity to dine or live there, I'd recommend doing so but not forever.
The Pros-
*Both Towers are unlike any other building one has ever seen in his pie-shaped design.
*Most any room you are in is going to have a spectacular view.
*There is an excellent security system there.
*Its proximity to everything in The Loop and The Near North Side could not be better.
*Its directly in the same complex as Hotel Sax, the House of Blues Chicago, Smith & Wollensky Steak House and Dick's Last Resort.
*Balconys are in every unit in addition to wood floors.
*There is a 20 story spiral parking garage in each tower.
*If you work in the loop, you can walk to work and on bad days there are always taxis at the house of blues and hotel on the same complex.
*The Marina at the River level is great for boats, it is the only building of its kind like that it appears.
The Cons-
*You never fully leave the loop of Chicago living there.
*Like the loop, several homeless sorts and other less desirable people can tend to congregate around Marina City.
*It is a more rigorous leasing and subletting process than most other buildings around it, if thinking you may break your lease at one point, this is not the right building to rent in.
*You get to smell the river and city full time living there.
*You get an echoing affect from the Street level all the way to the top of the Building of all the noise at ground level.
*There is one freight elevator and four regular elevators per tower.
Im very glad to have lived at Marina City but one year was more than enough time to live there. Perhaps had I not been trying to quit my job for more than half my lease, I would've felt like living there would've been more enjoyable. It is a unique building, it is defintely a great piece of Chicago's skyline, if one had the opportunity to dine or live there, I'd recommend doing so but not forever.
Written January 17, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
GGREMLIN
MANTEO NORTH CAROLINA2 contributions
I have lived and own properties in New York Boston Florida North Carolina's Outer banks and run THE MOORINGS in New Harbor and MONHEGAN ISLAND MAINE.There is no more exciting place to live in an urban setting than MARINA TOWERS in new and magestic downtown CHICAGO.My wife and i own an apartment on the 52nd floor and the breathtaking views of the city the Chicago river and Lake Michigan are the nonpareil.
Written May 12, 2005
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Taylor B
Chicago, IL8,480 contributions
Jan 2019 • Couples
Honestly, until I recently began researching some background information on the Marina City towers, I wasn't aware that they were referred to as the "Corn Cobs." The two 60-story residential towers were built in 1964, before I returned to Chicago, and my first experience with them was attending sports banquets at Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Lattner's restaurant on the lower level overlooking the Chicago River. The towers aren't public so locals and tourists must rely on boat tours to get an up-close-and-personal view of the twin structures. Or walk along Wacker Drive and observe the architectural wonders. Fortunately, we have friends who live in the building and we have never turned down an invitation to visit. What a marvelous view, east to west, from Lake Michigan to Wolf Point, and downtown Chicago. To no one's surprise, a student of famed architect Mies van der Rohe, Bertrand Goldberg, designed Marina City, a lively complex that includes apartments, recreation facilities, offices, restaurants, banks, a theater and 18 stories of parking space. It even includes a boat dock underneath the towers. House of Blues, one of Chicago's hottest night clubs, is located between the towers. At the time of its construction, Marina City was the biggest complex ever built in concrete and its shape was in sharp contrast with the contemporary architectural concepts of straight lines and cubical apartment buildings. The cylindrical shape was used to have less wind pressure. It may not be the most famous building in Chicago but it reinforced the image of Chicago as a city on the forefront of modern urban architecture.
Written February 3, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
farmbrough
Wisconsin Rapids, WI172 contributions
Aug 2012 • Family
We're used to skyscrapers looking a certain way, and confirming to a few recognizable patterns. An upended cuboid, a tiered art deco ziggurat, or these days, a symphony of steel and glass. But what you don't see many of is concrete cylinders. The structure is slightly more complex than that, with the cross-section resembling a flower. Architect Bertrand Goldberg was at the forefront of development in 1959 with these two towers being the first residential high-rise blocks built in Chicago since the war. His vision has since been emulated many times. One reason I love these buildings is that they are an antidote to the shiny reflectivity seen on so many skyscrapers, and have more of an organic feel than anything else in the city.
Written May 21, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I’ve read that the 1992 Kurt Russel movie Captain Ron was filmed here. Can anyone confirm? Which scenes? Thx
Written December 12, 2020
Where is a cheaper place to park around there?
Written July 30, 2016
There are so many parking garages in the area. We parked around Ohio and Wabash and paid $150 for three days, which was a better rate than what the hotel would have been.
Written August 1, 2016
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