Before And After: A Look Back At South Michigan Avenue

By Selena Fragassi in News on Jul 25, 2015 7:00PM

What a difference 60 years can make. Chicago History recently Tweeted this flashback photo of South Michigan Avenue, believed to be taken in the 1950s, which shows some very drastic differences in the landscape of one of Chicago's most iconic streets.

Looking north from a site near the Art Institute, the skyline is almost unrecognizable save for the old Prudential Building that has survived over time. Today the skyline has filled in considerably, as CBS points out, with the addition of the Prudential 2 and Aqua towers. Some other noticeable differences: the large center aisle planters which were constructed years later and a giant Times Square-looking Coca Cola billboard that has since been, thankfully, taken down.