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By Brent Hoffmann, Class of 2005

“This tour’s a real adventure for tourees who’ve never been on the ‘L,’ or on any other kind of public transit,” said Howard Sachs about his two-hour Elevated Architecture: Downtown ‘L’ Train tour.  “So, they get a bonus 15-minute train ride as well as great views of architecture and art when on the station platforms.  And being 20 feet off the ground, I can show them details that are missed by people at street level.”

The tour begins at the Wabash-Washington ‘L’ station.  Howard leads his tourees onto a Pink Line train enroute to the Harold Washington stop, where they leave the train and stand on the platform.  “The tour focuses on three main points,” he explained. “The first is the unique perspectives of the buildings as seen above street level.  The second focus is on the distinctive areas in the Loop, such as retail, education, and cultural attractions.  And third is the history of the ‘L.’  The points are tied together with details about the buildings, architects and Chicago history.

“The tour makes one complete circulation of the Loop,” continues Howard.  “We exit at several stations, including a stop at the Clinton station across the river before we return to Washington-Wabash for completion and a summing up of the tour.

Wabash Murals

“We skip the ride to Clinton when the Lake Street bridge is up for boats coming from and going into the lake.  We take an alternate route along the Wabash Arts Corridor south to the Roosevelt Road station.  That enables us to see numerous, lovely murals coordinated by Columbia College students in the past 10 years.  Then we catch an Orange Line train back to the Harold Washington station where the tour continues as usual.”

Left – En route south along Wabash Street, ‘L’ tourees see this three-story high “We Own the Future” mural by famous street artist Shepard Fairey. (Brent Hoffmann photo)

Right – Returning north along the Wabash Arts Corridor, tourees enjoy meeting a moose chewing bubble gum.  It was created by Jacob Watts, a former Columbia College student. (Brent Hoffmann photo)

Delivered Newspapers

Howard’s been riding the ‘L’ for most of his life, starting with the Red Line near his childhood home in Chicago’s Rogers Park, bordering Evanston.  “But it was my bike that I used when I was boy delivering newspapers,” he explained.  “I earned one cent per delivery of weekday papers and two cents for the Sunday edition.  The toughest part was collecting money from the subscribers.

“At age 13, I got a better job. I became the private caddy and assistant to Chick Evans, the great amateur golfer.  I’d go to his apartment at 5am to help him get ready to play, including cleaning his golf shoes.  I’d go with Chick and carry his clubs when he played at the Edgewater Golf Club in West Rogers Park.  Then I’d go home, clean up and go to school.”  Evans, in his long career, competed in 50 U.S. Amateur tournaments, and was elected a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame.  He also founded the Evans Scholars Foundation, which provides college scholars for qualified caddies.

Shirtsleeve Engineer

“Then I worked part-time at the Rogers Park branch library, followed by an ushering job in the Loop at the Shubert Theatre — now the Bank of America Theater — while I was in high school,” continued Howard.  He won a scholarship to the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and graduated with a degree in chemical engineering.  “After that, I spent 30 years as a chemical engineer at Abbott Laboratories in North Chicago.  I was a ‘shirtsleeve’ engineer, who spent a lot of time in the factory.  I helped develop medicines, including the first drug for HIV, and traveled internationally for my job.”  In 1992, Howard was named Abbott’s scientist of the year.

“Before I retired in 2006, I often took fellow employees, including from other countries, around Chicago — like a self-taught tour guide,” he said. “I liked the Chicago Architecture Foundation’s historic tour, so it was logical that I enlist in the docent class of 2007.”  In addition to the elevated tour, Howard now leads our Historic Skyscrapers, Historic Treasures, Must-See Chicago, and Student Loop tours.

“On one of my elevated tours,” said Howard, “I had three suburban ladies who’d never been on the ‘L’.  They were so impressed with the buildings that they took out memberships to CAF.  On another tour, I had 10 young Germans who admired modern architecture so much that we ended at Berghoff’s to discuss Mies van der Rohe and the Bauhaus movement.”

Distributes Food

In addition to his docent duties, Howard’s been a long-time volunteer with the Evanston Produce Mobile.  He said, “On the second Tuesday of every month the Greater Chicago Food Depository sends a truck to the Robert Crown Center in Evanston.  We unload it in the morning, then pass out the food to about 250 needy households.”

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