The Biography of Chicago’s Marina City
From Marina City
May 1964
(Above) At a wine tasting party at Marina City Drugs & Liquors in mid-1965, a replica of Marina City has been fashioned from cream puffs. Left to right: E. Leonard Solomon, co-owner of the pharmacy, Mrs. William Lyon, William Wasserman, and Mrs. Ronald Meyers.
In May 1964, Marina City Management launched a newsletter, From Marina City.
“Living in Marina City is unlike living anywhere else in the word,” reported the first issue. “Those who live and work in this ‘city-within-a-city’ are participating in an experiment in urban living which attracts world-wide attention and interest.”
The first issue included an article about scenes filmed at Marina City for Mickey One, which was released the following year by Columbia Pictures. According to the newsletter, scenes were filmed inside a residence, at the skating rink, and nearby on the Chicago River.
The second issue, published in June 1964, covered marina operations, which could launch a boat in five minutes. A typical story was about the grocery store, owned by Chalmer Herold (1923-1999).
Marina City Finer Foods was located on the concourse level in space now occupied by a Smith & Wollensky restaurant. It was open every day, selling meat, produce, groceries, baked goods, prepared foods, and sundries. There was a free delivery service – either to your apartment if you lived at Marina City or to your car if you worked there.
A pharmacy, Marina City Drugs & Liquors, was co-owned by E. Leonard Solomon (1921-2002), a wine consultant. He was also the brother-in-law of Chicago Sun-Times columnist Irv Kupcinet and a friend of comedian Lenny Bruce. He had a wife, Sofia Solomon, and two daughters, Jerilyn and Kiki. An original resident at Marina City remembers him as “a nice guy, a wonderful story-teller, and he was never without a cigar.”
The issue also described a “communications center” located in the package room in the northeast corner of the concourse level. The center contained a switchboard for the entire complex, television monitors, and controls for exterior floodlights. Today, this room is a package room only and security has its own office on the plaza level.
A.J. Robinson, a receiving room attendant, started working at Marina City in 1972 as a security officer. He says there were eight to ten monitors against a wall that now has a sliding glass window. The monitors watched different areas of the complex and an intercom system allowed security personnel to speak to people in each area.
In April 1965, a “census” of residents showed a population of 1,279. Adult residents were evenly divided into three categories – married couples, single men, and single women. Four percent of residents were younger than 21 years old. Three percent were over 65. Most residents were 26 to 50 years old and earned more than $10,000 (equal to $75,508 in 2014).
The statistics were compiled by Morris H. Swibel (1920-1998), Vice President of Marina Management Corporation, seen at left with John Kolpack, a tailor for Marina City Valet Service.In 2000, the U.S. Census counted 1,068 people living at Marina City, including 22 who were younger than 18. By 2010, the population had shrunk to 929, with 26 residents younger than 18.
Of course, the big news in July 1965 was the visit from actor Gary Lockwood. At the time, Lockwood was a minor star of television and stage. A more visible career in television and film was still ahead of him. But he seemed to make a big impression at Marina City.
(Click on an image to view the newsletter as an Adobe Acrobat Document.)
May 1964
July 1964
April 1965
July 1965
| Updated 29-Sep-14 |