Chicago buildings for running stairs?
January 18, 2012 7:14 AM   Subscribe

What are the best / tallest buildings in downtown Chicago to sneak into and run stairs?

There was a previous question about competitive running, but I am interested in day to day exercise on the cheap.

My goal is to find the tallest building I can walk into off the street, and for bonus points has an elevator so I don't have to run back down after going up.
posted by ztdavis to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (7 answers total) 2 users marked this as a favorite
 
Best answer: I don't know of any buildings you can walk into off the street, and I hope you're able to find one, but in light of the current state of "HIGH SECURITY ALERT OH MY GOD DO YOU HAVE A BADGE" I'm afraid that you may have a problem finding one informally.

I think a personal connection to a building is going to be your best bet. If you have a friend who works in a building and can vouch for you to security, that may go a long way.

You might try contacting one or more of the high rise management companies in Chicago to see if they have a policy of allowing exercisers. Perhaps Hines, Jones Lang LaSalle, or Tishman Speyer can help.
posted by slmorri at 7:44 AM on January 18, 2012


Problem I've encountered in both buildings I've been in recently (30+ stories) -- the stairwells are auto-locking. You cannot exit on an upper floor, only at ground level, unless the fire alarm system has been activated.

...anyway, point being, it's very likely you'll have to run back down once you find a building.
posted by aramaic at 7:55 AM on January 18, 2012


Best answer: Off hand, I can think of a handful of buildings in the Loop where you can walk in off the street and access the stairwell without showing a badge or signing in, but they are all older buildings (like 1890-1920) with stairwells that were designed as functional access to the upper floors (not emergency egress), so they're not Hancock-tall. (Also, I would know them if I were standing in front of them, but I don't know addresses). The stairwells are also right out in the open, so you will not go unnoticed.

As of two years ago (last time I was in it--so caveat stair-runner), the office building at 39 S. LaSalle has a staircase that anyone could walk in off the street and access. It's about 20 stories, maybe? and the bathrooms are in the stairwells, so you'll probably encounter lots of people as you go up and down. The stairwell at the Monadnock is open you. Both of these have elevators in the buildings. Last time I was there, 17 N. State had an accessible staircase (but it's been years since I was in 17 N. State, so this may no longer be the case).
posted by crush-onastick at 8:01 AM on January 18, 2012


No direct knowledge, but it's usually pretty easy to walk into a hotel without presenting ID. In addition, some hotels have excercise facilities that anyone can join. So if you find a hotel with a fitness facility and open stair cases, you could regularly walk in in workout clothes and depart sweaty 30 minutes later without arousing suspicion.
posted by Mr.Know-it-some at 8:29 AM on January 18, 2012 [3 favorites]


The Merchandise Mart has probably 20 floors. There's a stairwell (on the east side) that people use for general access between floors 1 and 2, so I assume access goes all the way up.
posted by Jason and Laszlo at 9:30 AM on January 18, 2012


Best answer: Your best options are: hotels (as Mr.Know-it-some suggests), which you can enter without a security pass, or any residential building with mixed retail at the bottom. I'm thinking the Mart (as Jason and Laszlo suggested) would be a good place to start, and then perhaps 900 N Michigan (condos on top of a mall) and the Water Tower Place (8 stories of retail).

Hotels with readily accessible stairwells include: Congress Hotel, The Drake, and the Palmer House Hilton. I'm pretty sure the tallest hotel you could gain access to is the Hard Rock Hotel in the Carbide and Carbon building.
posted by firstcity_thirdcoast at 10:00 AM on January 18, 2012 [1 favorite]


The Old Colony building might work. Each landing has a little closet with a urinal for all your pee needs.
posted by @homer at 12:13 PM on January 18, 2012


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