Original Chicago

So while reading about the new CTA expansion plans, I stumbled across the mention of a Block 37 in Chicago. I wasn't sure if this was a restaurant, an actual block, or a cool developer shorthand for an area like how the condos at Randolph and Des Plaines are marketed as R+D Condos.

Anyways, a little digging turned up this super helpful map.

It shows the original plan for Chicago including 58 numbered city blocks. I typically think of city blocks as being one side of a street, say between Grand and Illinois on State. But it makes more sense when you see this type of map, that they literally are blocks, or squares.

Also, I never really stopped to think about when the cities were laid out, but always thought it was sort of cliche that every town/city has streets named after old Presidents. Well, when you're laying out a city in 1830, I suppose Jefferson, Washington, Madison makes a lot of sense.

Update: Another thing that this map explains, is why State and Madison is the center of the numbering grid system, 0 W, 0 N.

So because I like to do this sort of thing, I made a google map that shows the Original Chicago blocks in blue, along with the current Loop. I assumed there would have been more overlap. Interesting, anyways.


Also, Wacker...not an original street name.