Maybe Rockford Could “Swing It” Like Amsterdam Does
Maybe you read the name Amsterdam in the headline, along with the words swing it, and thought that this has got to be a piece on legalized marijuana. Nope. It's about a swing. A really, really high-up-in-the-air swing. A swing that I think might be pretty cool in downtown Rockford.
With all the fantastic focus on reinvigorating Rockford's downtown and River District areas being done by our outstanding Rockford Area Convention and Visitors Bureau (RACVB), Rockford River District, and their many partners and contributors, it just seems like a natural to look to do something big.
In Amsterdam, they've gone big with some swings. Not your everyday, backyard kind of swings, but swings set atop a 30-story building with 360 degree views of the city--swings that hang you out over 300 feet above the pavement below.
Take a look at the video below, and tell me it wouldn't be cool to find yourself atop the Faust Landmark (186 feet), the Luther Center (178 feet), or the Talcott Building (163 feet), with your feet swinging out over downtown Rockford (being afraid of heights myself, I'll have to take your word for it):
Now, if only northern Illinois had mountains, we could do something like this to boost tourism. However, if the thought of swinging off a tall building gives you the willies--you'll want no part of the Nevis Arc Swing because you start 525 feet above the ground: