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Chioma (Chi) Njoku | TalkingSUP(@talkingsup)'s profile avatar HD Profile

Chioma (Chi) Njoku | TalkingSUP

@talkingsup

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I explore places from a stand-up paddleboard 🌊
Sharing history, infrastructure & hidden stories from the water
📍 Chicago
I'm also @mindfullychioma
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The Obama Presidential Center A brief pause for some non-SUP content. The Obama Presidential Center and surroundings are outstanding! These photos are just a taste of how amazing this place truly is. The views go way beyond the building. What amazes me is how inviting all of it was. There was an unspoken permission and encouragement to be there and stay a while. So…I did. Even though getting access to the museum is in high demand, there is still so much to see. Please check it out when you can. It is super accessible and there really is something for everyone. #chicagoarchitecture #theobamapresidentialcenter #thingstodoinchicago #chicagogram #getoutside taken in Obama presidential center by @talkingsup
3
a month ago
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Kinzie Street Railroad Bridge Taking it back to the railroads. Once owned by the Chicago & North Western Railway (C&NW), on this bridge is the railroad that served the upper Midwest - Chicago to Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, and the Dakotas. This bridge contributed to the growth of the neighborhoods north of Chicago such as Evanston, Wilmette, Winnetka, and Lake Forest. And for its final use, it helped supply information to the city. The Chicago Sun-Times used to be located where the Trump Tower current stands. Its printing plant used the bridge to carry newspapers across the river until 1999. Since 1999, the Kinzie Street Railroad Bridge has been locked upright. It was declared a Chicago landmark in 2007. Today the bridge is owned by Union Pacific (since 1995). It is lowered once a year for inspection and to maintain its status as “active”. Paddling is teaching me so much about this amazing city. I’m all for it! #standuppaddle #chicagoriver #chicagoarchitecture #chicagohistory #paddleboarding taken in Kinzie Street railroad bridge by @talkingsup
0
2 months ago
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This is Wolf Point. It’s where the North, South, and Main Branches of the Chicago River meet. It is where Chicago had many firsts. The first 3 taverns. The first hotel, ferry, church, and drugstore. The first bridges crossing the river (Kinzie Bridge). It is where the Potawatomi had their last dance before moving to a reservation. It is also where Abraham Lincoln received his presidential nomination. Today 3 beautiful buildings stand tall on Wolf Point. This video features two of them. The one on the left is the Salesforce Tower. On the right is Wolf Point East. The glass exterior of both buildings were inspired by the sails of the trading ships that once moved past Wolf Point. Both buildings were also designed to protect the river and skyline views of the surrounding buildings. Finally, 2.3 acres of public park space lies at the base of the Salesforce Tower. The development of Wolf Point for sure does its part to beautify the Chicago Riverfront. No longer is the river a place to avoid. It continues to grow into a place where people want to be. #standuppaddle #chicagoriver #chicagoarchitecture #supexplore #getoutside taken in Wolf Point, Chicago by @talkingsup
2
2 months ago
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St. Regis Chicago Beautiful. Stunning. And built with so much intention. St. Regis Chicago is the 3rd largest building in the Chicago skyline and was designed by architect Jeanne Gang. The curves you see do not exist. They are optical illusions. Every floor is a geometric shape called frustum (a pyramid or cone with the top cut off) stacked upside down and right side up, over 101 stories high at the tallest of the three stems. The beautiful color palette was chosen to mirror the environment the building inhabits. There’s the blue-green of Lake Michigan, grey-blue of the Chicago River’s main branch, and blue varietal produced by the sky. There’s a blow through floor on the 88th level to accommodate for Chicago’s windy nature. Near the top of the building are tanks holding 90,000 gallons of water to counter the building’s sway. Finally, the structures are bird friendly. The glass geometry of the three stems serve as a visual signal to birds to prevent them from flying into it. I wish I could share every detail about this building. But I guess that is what my future substack is for (spoilers!). #standuppaddle #chicagoriver #chicagoarchitecture #paddleboarding #getoutside taken in The St. Regis Chicago by @talkingsup
0
2 months ago
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River City II Or simply, River City When I first paddled by this place, I thought it looked similar to the two ‘corn cob’ buildings - Marina City - on the Main branch of the Chicago River. It turned out I was kind of right. River City and Marina City (corn cob towers) were both designed by Bertrand Goldberg. River City was to have three circular towers, each 72 stories high. All three buildings would connect to each other. Within the “city” would have been schools, post offices, and shops - essentially everything the resident would have needed in one location. Unfortunately (or fortunately - depending on your point of view), River City never fully materialized due to political pressure and zoning issues. What you see today is a fraction of what was intended. According to Goldberg, it is to look like the three sky scraper buildings lying on their sides. The original concept is River City. River City II what you see today. #standuppaddle #chicagoriver #chicagoarchitecture #supexplore #getoutside taken in River City Apartments by @talkingsup
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2 months ago
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Route 66 Mural - located on the south branch of the Chicago River U.S. Route 66 itself - to/from Chicago, Illinois through Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona ending/beginning in Santa Monica, California. Today a tourist attraction. During the 1930’s, a literal path of hope. Celebrating 100 years. #standuppaddle #chicagoriver #chicagoarchitecture #route66 #supexplore taken in Chicago River by @talkingsup
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2 months ago
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Marina City - aka the “Corn Cob” buildings. I never saw a corn cob until someone referred to them as one. 😅 Here’s what I learned about them - these buildings are one of the most photographed buildings in Chicago. And, at the time of their completion, they were the tallest apartment buildings in the world. Marina City was designed by native Chicagoan Bertrand Goldberg and financed by the Janitor’s Union (led by its president and developer William McFetridge). It opened in the early 1960’s with the intent of drawing middle class Chicagoans from the suburbs back to the city. This was about making it attractive to live in the city again. The thing is, the riverfront was not a desirable place for the middle class or even the wealthy to live at that time. It was for the poor and desperate. That’s because the river was a dumping ground and an open sewer. It smelled. In fact it was once called “The Stinking River”. Goldberg looked beyond the conditions of the river. He saw value and possibility. Thanks to his vision, he was able to change what the river meant. And the river has been changing for the better ever since. Also much respect to the union janitors and elevator operators that funded these landmark buildings! #standuppaddle #chicagoriver #chicagoarchitecture #supadventure #explorechicago taken in Marina City by @talkingsup
0
3 months ago
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The Wild Mile I usually launch from the Wild Mile dock when I paddle the Chicago River. In fact, I’ve been doing that since the winter of 2024. Only recently did I learn that this dock is part of the world’s first floating eco-park. The Wild Mile is located on the North Branch of the Chicago River along the east side of Goose Island - also behind the Lincoln Park REI store. It has various species of plants that pull heavy metals and pollutants out of the water. Underneath are mussels that filter the water. Why this is significant - there was a time when the river was pretty much a sewer. Along the North Branch, the distilleries and breweries were the main causes of pollution as leftovers from making liquor and beer were dumped directly into the river. Where the Wild Mile is located was fenced off in the 1970’s because the river was so polluted. It’s so hard to imagine that given what the river is today. From fenced off to a floating public park with wildlife habitats and a water filtration system - all in one. People like me get to enjoy the river by paddle. Oh and just downstream, people swam in the river last September 2025 for the first time in nearly 100 years. Every inch of this river has a story, and I want to do my part to share it. I’m beyond proud to live in Chicago. #standuppaddle #chicagoriver #wildmile #explorechicago #paddleboarding taken in The Wild Mile by @talkingsup
7
3 months ago
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Happy 250th to the USA 🇺🇸 #standuppaddle #chicagogram #chicagothingstodo #paddleboarding #july4th taken in Chicago, IL by @talkingsup
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3 months ago
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Canal Street Railroad Bridge Let’s revisit this one as this bridge is part of Chicago’s railroad history. The first time I paddled to this structure I saw 2 massive steel, rusted yet strong, industrial looking towers - one on each side of the river with chains highlighting its mechanical ability. The bridge itself moves up and down like an elevator, which is really cool to witness. Unlike the other bridges discussed on this page, this Chicago Landmark is still active, and has been since 1915. #standuppaddle #chicagoriver #chicagoarchitecture #explorechicago #paddleadventures taken in Canal Street railroad bridge by @talkingsup
0
3 months ago
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St. Charles Airline and Baltimore & Ohio Chicago Terminal (B&OCT) Bridges More than bridges, they are part of Chicago’s railroad history. The one that points to the sky is the B&OCT bridge. It was built in 1930 to carry (Baltimore and Ohio Railroad) trains into Chicago’s Grand Central Station (which was demolished in 1971). The bridge has mostly remained in its upright position since 1986. The one that is horizontal is the St. Charles Airline Bridge. This bridge has quite a history. For starters it used to be in a different location because the Chicago river once flowed differently towards downtown. Also the bridge used to be a little longer. It was moved to its current location (and also shortened) when that part of the river was straightened. Fun Fact: The St. Charles Airline bridge was featured in Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Dark Knight’ as the entrance to Batman’s bat cave. #standuppaddle #chicagoriver #chicagoarchitecture #urbanpaddling #chicagohistory taken in Chicago River by @talkingsup
2
4 months ago
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Ping Tom Pagoda Today one sees a beautiful, bright orange landmark located next to the river’s edge, designed to reflect the culture of the community. It sits western the boundary of the Ping Tom Memorial Park. However, less than 40 years ago, looking in the same direction, one would have seen a railroad yard - train tracks, trains, smoke, and all. Fascinating. The Ping Tom Pagoda is more than simply a cultural landmark. It’s a beautiful evolution of Chicago’s railroad past and community growth. #standuppaddle #chicagoriver #chicagoarchitecture #pingtommemorialpark #getoutside taken in Ping Tom Park, Chinatown by @talkingsup
2
4 months ago
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