Chicago From Above: Stunning Views Of Iconic Cityscapes

By John Dodge

CHICAGO (CBS) -- For more than 100 years, the flat-landers of Chicago have manufactured their own scenic views.

First, it was the great Ferris Wheel at the 1893 World's Fair, which soared to heights never before experienced by so many.

Marina City became the tallest residential building in the world in the early 1960s.

While the Sears Tower lost its tallest-in-the-world status long ago, engineers created that glass box to allow people to feel what it is like to be suspended more than 1,000 feet above ground.

Photographer Nick Ulivieri likes to create the same feeling with his pictures.

Recently, he took flight with Rotorzen Helicopters and soared above the city with stunning results.

His aerial photos of the ongoing construction at Wrigley Field, have appeared on CBS Chicago and several other outlets.

"The past 20 hours or so have been crazy," Ulivieri wrote in an email. "I can't believe how many outlets have been sharing my Wrigley shots."

Ulivieri didn't limit his flight time to just Wrigley.

Consider this shot of Millennium Park, where a viewer is especially struck by the elliptical symmetry between the crowd-magnet sculpture called Cloudgate and the Pritzker Pavilion just above it.

Critics loved the Trump Tower before The Donald placed two black marks on it--the huge TRUMP sign facing the Chicago River and the pudgy antenna on the top. Ulivieri's shot directly above the tower will cause people to fall in love all over again, admiring its beautiful curves as it gently touches the Chicago River's bend.

Ulivieri talks more about his Wrigley photos on his blog.