Bel Harbour Pool

Chicagoans first started pouring into Lakeview in the 19th century, when it was still an agricultural region and, more importantly, was America’s celery capital. It gained that inspiring status thanks to a visionary farmer who discovered that the soil and climate were ideal for growing next-level celery—which sprouted taller, crispier, and with more flavor than anywhere else’s crop of the crunchy veg. 

The farms turned into a suburb, and Lakeview was incorporated as a city in 1887. But the glory of their stalks couldn’t make the city run on its own, so after two years the residents voted to join Chicago. 

The 30-story Bel-Harbour, just a quick stroll from the lakefront, was one of the first of Lakeview’s major projects and a means of enticing a fresh young population. It opened as a residential building in the late sixties, then was converted into condos, and was recently remodeled as luxury apartments under a new name: The Wave. 

This new title seems a no-brainer, considering that 95% of celery’s crunchy goodness is composed of H2O. However, the name was more likely assigned to the building due to this top-floor attraction of a large indoor pool, in addition to its surrounding views of Lake Michigan and Belmont Harbor, where one can observe the surges and splash of daily boat traffic. Please note these are best seen with your head above the water.