Shopping on line can be easy, simple and save you lots of money. It can also take a lot of your time, frustrate you, and result in unwanted purchases. Now the same can be said for regular high street shopping, but with the vast opportunity presented by the Internet it will pay you to spend a few minutes reading this and understanding how to better optimize your Navy Pier shopping experience:
1. Compare - without doubt the biggest advantage that the Navy Pier offers shoppers today is the ability to compare thousands of Navy Pier at a time. This is a great thing, but not necessarily all the time! Too much can be daunting at times so take advantage of the great comparison sites and where possible let them do the hard work for you.
2. Research - if it has been said it will be on the internet. Ignorance is no longer a justifiable reason for buying the wrong thing. Take the time to research in detail everything that you could possible want to know about
3. Testimonials - don't know anybody that has bought a Navy Pier? Wrong! If the Navy Pier is good the internet will let you know. Use the Internet as a friend and get testimonials before you buy.
4. Questions - Got a question about Navy Pier then search the Forums, FAQ's, Blogs etc. Don't be afraid to ask .....
5. Reputation - Never heard of the company selling Navy Pier? Don't worry, no reason why you should know every company in the world, but you know someone that does! Use the internet to find out what people are saying about Navy Pier and build up a picture of their reputation for sales, returns, customer service, delivery etc.
6. Returns - still worried that even after all of the above your Navy Pier wont be what you want? Check out the returns policy. There is so much competition now that someone, somewhere is bound to offer the terms that you are comfortable with.
7. Feedback - happy with your Navy Pier then let people know, after all you are depending on others people input in your buying decision, so why not give a little back.
8. Security - check for the yellow padlock on the Navy Pier site before you buy, and the s after http:/ /i.e. https:// = a secure site
9. Contact - got a question about Navy Pier, or want to leave a comment then check out the sites contact page. Reputable companies have them and respond.
10. Payment - ready to pay for your Navy Pier, then use your credit card or PayPal! Be aware of companies that don't accept them, there may be genuine reasons but given the huge amount of choice you have when buying online there is no reason at all not to buy via credit card or PayPal.
Navy Pier is a long
pier on the
Chicago shoreline of Lake Michigan. The pier was built in 1916 at a cost of $4.5 million; it was a part of the
Plan of Chicago developed by architect and city planner Daniel Burnham and his associates. As
Municipal Pier #2 (Municipal Pier #1 was never built), Navy Pier was planned and built to serve as a mixed-purpose piece of public infrastructure. Its primary purpose was as a cargo facility for
lake freighters, and
warehouses were built up and down the pier. However, the pier was also designed to provide docking space for passenger excursion steamers, and in the pre-
air conditioning era parts of the pier, especially its outermost tip, were designed to serve as cool places for public gathering and entertainment. The pier even had its own
streetcar.
First use: as a pier
Even as Chicago Municipal Pier was being built, the invention of mass-produced cars and
trucks was beginning to wreak havoc on the package freight and passenger steamboat industries of Lake Michigan. The pier proved to be much more successful as a public gathering place. During the 1950s, it is estimated that an average of 3.2 million visitors frequented the pier annually, with peak attendance for the "Pageant of Progress." This decade is sometimes called the pier's "Golden Age."
The use of the pier for serious marine purposes reached a temporary peak during
World War II, when the city leased the pier to the United States Navy. The Navy's air group training arm made the pier a quay for a pair of converted flattops, the USS Wolverine (IX-64) and the USS Sable (IX-81), which were used as freshwater trainee
aircraft carriers. At this time, 60,000 sailors as well as 15,000 pilots including
George H. W. Bush, used this area for training. In honor of this service, Chicago Municipal Pier's name was changed to Navy Pier.
Second use: as a college classroom
With the war over, Navy Pier went to the University of Illinois system, which used the facility beginning in 1946 for a two-year undergraduate program to educate returning veterans . During its University of Illinois days, Navy Pier was also the site of a string of public events. The International Exhibitions of the early 1960s drew attractions from around the world, including circus and folkloric dance acts, arts and crafts, and international cuisine. In 1965, the University moved to the University of Illinois at Chicago campus, and the pier again fell into disuse.
==Third use: as a public gathering place==From 1965-1989, Navy Pier was considered an underutilized eyesore. No government agency in or around Chicago wanted to invest money in it. Many advocates, inspired by the Plan of Chicago and the pier's successful use as a public gathering place in the 1920s, called for its reconstruction.
In 1976, Navy Pier began its third life as an area for public exhibits, when the East Buildings (furthest into Lake Michigan) were opened as exhibition halls. Special events including music and arts festivals began to draw crowds to the pier despite its aging infrastructure.
From 1979 to 2004 a submarine, the USS Silversides (SS-236), was docked at Navy Pier.
In 1989, the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority took control over the pier. Major renovation and construction followed in the 1990s at a cost of $200 million (USD). As rebuilt in the 1990s, the pier's current layout includes fast-food kiosks, shops, a ballroom, a concert stage, and convention exhibition halls.
Centerpiece attractions include a -tall
Ferris wheel, an
IMAX theater, the Chicago Shakespeare Theater, the Chicago Children's Museum, the
Smith Museum of Stained Glass Windows, and at the entrance to Navy Pier is a statue of Oak Park, Illinois comedian Bob Newhart, sponsored by TV Land.
The pier now features a large front lawn showcasing numerous larger-than-life public art sculptures and an interactive dancing fountain. It continues to be used as an embarkation point for tour and excursion boats. One of its most popular yearly attraction is the
tall ships Venetian Night festival.
The pier and its grounds encompass more than 50 acres of parks, gardens, shops, restaurants and other entertainment. Navy Pier contains 170,000 total square feet of exhibition space, of reception space and of meeting room space.
Possible fourth use: as a waterpark?
On January 13, 2006, the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority, the government agency which runs Navy Pier, released plans for a major renovation of the pier which would include a monorail, a spokeless Ferris wheel, a
roller coaster, floating hotel, and an water park with a
Great Lakes theme. The plan would include nearly double the current parking and a replacement theater with a greater capacity. At the time of the announcement, a price tag of 2 billion u.s. dollar was announced.Rummana Hussain More flash proposed for Navy Pier Chicago Sun TimesJanuary 142006 Forrec Ltd. press release detailing proposed expansion.
Gallery
Image:Navy Pier.jpg|Navy Pier as seen from the shoreImage:Downtown Chicago Illinois Nov05 img 2612.jpg|Navy Pier as seen from the John Hancock CenterImage:NavyPierFerrisWheelAug2004.jpg|The Ferris wheel at Navy PierImage:P9080128.JPG|Image taken from Ferris wheelImage:Navy Pier 2.jpg|Navy Pier as seen from a sight-seeing boatImage:Navy_Pier_as_seen_from_Aon_Building.jpg|Navy Pier as seen from the Aon BuildingImage:Navy Pier (USGS).png|Navy Pier from aboveImage:Chicago navy pier lake guardian.jpg|Navy Pier from the
Lake GuardianImage:DigitalUrbanFlag1280sm.jpg|Panorama image of Navy PierImage:Navypierfromsouth.JPG|Navy Pier as seen from the convergence of the Chicago River and Lake MichiganImage:Navypierwalkingeast.JPG|A view walking in an easterly direction on the south side of Navy pierImage:Giant_Wheel_Navy_Pier_Chicago.jpg| Giant Wheel of Navy PierImage:Navy_Pier_Carousel.jpg| Carousel, one of many amusement options at Navy Pier
External links
- Navy Pier official site
- Chicago Children's Museum on Navy Pier
- Chicago Shakespeare Theater on Navy Pier
- IMAX Theater on Navy Pier
- Photos of Navy Pier at Night
- 3D Google Earth Model
References
Navy Pier is a long
pier on the Chicago shoreline of
Lake Michigan. The pier was built in 1916 at a cost of $4.5 million; it was a part of the Plan of Chicago developed by architect and city planner
Daniel Burnham and his associates. As
Municipal Pier #2 (Municipal Pier #1 was never built), Navy Pier was planned and built to serve as a mixed-purpose piece of public infrastructure. Its primary purpose was as a cargo facility for lake freighters, and warehouses were built up and down the pier. However, the pier was also designed to provide docking space for passenger excursion steamers, and in the pre-
air conditioning era parts of the pier, especially its outermost tip, were designed to serve as cool places for public gathering and entertainment. The pier even had its own
streetcar.
First use: as a pier
Even as Chicago Municipal Pier was being built, the invention of mass-produced cars and trucks was beginning to wreak havoc on the package freight and passenger steamboat industries of Lake Michigan. The pier proved to be much more successful as a public gathering place. During the 1950s, it is estimated that an average of 3.2 million visitors frequented the pier annually, with peak attendance for the "Pageant of Progress." This decade is sometimes called the pier's "Golden Age."
The use of the pier for serious marine purposes reached a temporary peak during
World War II, when the city leased the pier to the
United States Navy. The Navy's air group training arm made the pier a quay for a pair of converted flattops, the
USS Wolverine (IX-64) and the
USS Sable (IX-81), which were used as freshwater trainee
aircraft carriers. At this time, 60,000 sailors as well as 15,000 pilots including George H. W. Bush, used this area for training. In honor of this service, Chicago Municipal Pier's name was changed to Navy Pier.
Second use: as a college classroom
With the war over, Navy Pier went to the
University of Illinois system, which used the facility beginning in 1946 for a two-year undergraduate program to educate returning veterans . During its University of Illinois days, Navy Pier was also the site of a string of public events. The International Exhibitions of the early 1960s drew attractions from around the world, including circus and folkloric dance acts, arts and crafts, and international cuisine. In 1965, the University moved to the
University of Illinois at Chicago campus, and the pier again fell into disuse.
==Third use: as a public gathering place==From 1965-1989, Navy Pier was considered an underutilized eyesore. No government agency in or around Chicago wanted to invest money in it. Many advocates, inspired by the Plan of Chicago and the pier's successful use as a public gathering place in the 1920s, called for its reconstruction.
In 1976, Navy Pier began its third life as an area for public exhibits, when the East Buildings (furthest into Lake Michigan) were opened as exhibition halls. Special events including music and arts festivals began to draw crowds to the pier despite its aging infrastructure.
From 1979 to 2004 a submarine, the
USS Silversides (SS-236), was docked at Navy Pier.
In 1989, the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority took control over the pier. Major renovation and construction followed in the 1990s at a cost of $200 million (USD). As rebuilt in the 1990s, the pier's current layout includes fast-food kiosks, shops, a ballroom, a concert stage, and convention exhibition halls.
Centerpiece attractions include a -tall
Ferris wheel, an
IMAX theater, the
Chicago Shakespeare Theater, the Chicago Children's Museum, the
Smith Museum of Stained Glass Windows, and at the entrance to Navy Pier is a statue of
Oak Park, Illinois comedian Bob Newhart, sponsored by TV Land.
The pier now features a large front lawn showcasing numerous larger-than-life public art sculptures and an interactive dancing fountain. It continues to be used as an embarkation point for tour and excursion boats. One of its most popular yearly attraction is the
tall ships Venetian Night festival.
The pier and its grounds encompass more than 50 acres of parks, gardens, shops, restaurants and other entertainment. Navy Pier contains 170,000 total square feet of exhibition space, of reception space and of meeting room space.
Possible fourth use: as a waterpark?
On January 13, 2006, the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority, the government agency which runs Navy Pier, released plans for a major renovation of the pier which would include a
monorail, a spokeless Ferris wheel, a roller coaster, floating hotel, and an water park with a Great Lakes theme. The plan would include nearly double the current parking and a replacement theater with a greater capacity. At the time of the announcement, a price tag of 2 billion u.s. dollar was announced.Rummana Hussain More flash proposed for Navy Pier
Chicago Sun TimesJanuary 142006 Forrec Ltd. press release detailing proposed expansion.
Gallery
Image:Navy Pier.jpg|Navy Pier as seen from the shoreImage:Downtown Chicago Illinois Nov05 img 2612.jpg|Navy Pier as seen from the John Hancock CenterImage:NavyPierFerrisWheelAug2004.jpg|The Ferris wheel at Navy PierImage:P9080128.JPG|Image taken from Ferris wheelImage:Navy Pier 2.jpg|Navy Pier as seen from a sight-seeing boatImage:Navy_Pier_as_seen_from_Aon_Building.jpg|Navy Pier as seen from the Aon BuildingImage:Navy Pier (USGS).png|Navy Pier from aboveImage:Chicago navy pier lake guardian.jpg|Navy Pier from the
Lake GuardianImage:DigitalUrbanFlag1280sm.jpg|Panorama image of Navy PierImage:Navypierfromsouth.JPG|Navy Pier as seen from the convergence of the Chicago River and Lake MichiganImage:Navypierwalkingeast.JPG|A view walking in an easterly direction on the south side of Navy pierImage:Giant_Wheel_Navy_Pier_Chicago.jpg| Giant Wheel of Navy PierImage:Navy_Pier_Carousel.jpg| Carousel, one of many amusement options at Navy Pier
External links
- Navy Pier official site
- Chicago Children's Museum on Navy Pier
- Chicago Shakespeare Theater on Navy Pier
- IMAX Theater on Navy Pier
- Photos of Navy Pier at Night
- 3D Google Earth Model
References
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Navy Pier - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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