Chilling out in Chicago
Buckingham Fountain
Deep in America’s heartland, on the western shores of Lake Michigan, ‘The Windy City’ has a number of surprising attractions.
In just over 75 years, Chicago has come from a gangster town to a sophisticated business metropolis. Now regarded as ‘meetings capital of the world’, hosting an estimated 40,000 conferences, trade shows and corporate meetings a year, the city not only boasts the second largest convention centre in North America, but is also home to one of the biggest commodities futures and options exchange, and the city has the world’s 6th busiest airport.
Tribune building
Willis Tower (centre)
Calder’s ‘Flamingo’
But the past is ever present, and there are few visitors who don’t want to visit the site of the infamous St.Valentine's Day Massacre or see the spot at the Biograph Movie Theatre where federal agents finally caught up with ‘Public Enemy Number One’, John Dillinger.
Aside from its murky history and modern business panache, Chicago is best known for its stunning architecture. Until 1998, the world’s tallest building, the Willis Tower (formerly Sears building), is its most famous landmark.
Seen from the ground, it seem to go upwards for miles. When craning your neck looking up at its 110 floors gets too much, a high-speed elevator will whisk you up to the rooftops of Chicago’s sprawling skyline is just as awe-inspiring. You won’t need to look up that high at The Tribune Tower, once home of the newspaper The Tribune, is a timely reminder of the 1920’s architecture. And at a modest 36 storeys, it was considered a skyscraper of that era. Today, it’s modernised and converted into luxury apartments.
The views of ‘The Windy City’ are even better from the John Hancock Observatory. It may not be quite as tall as the Willis Tower, but it does have the world’s fastest commercial lift which takes you from ground level to the 94th floor in 39 seconds! As any first time visitor soon realises, this city is no ‘shrinking violet’. Big and bold are its watch words. Buildings are massive, streets are wide and hotels - like the luxurious Hotel Westin River North (formally Nikko) with its magnificent lobby lounge and Japanese Gardens - do everything on a grand scale.
John Hancock Tower and observatory
Even the world of art is not immune to the city’s ‘the bigger-the-better’ philosophy. More than 200 gigantic outdoor sculptures, statues and murals grace Chicago’s streets, many of them are the work of such distinguished artists as Pablo Picasso, Marc Chagall and Alexander Calder. Calder’s 16m high Flamingo sculpture located on Dearborn Street is probably the best known.
The downtown area is very walkable, However, one way to view the city’s architecture without walking, is to take one of several river cruises. And as the commentary will point out dozens of famous buildings and its history, and you may not be able to take it all in, it’s a pleasant and relaxing way to spend 90 minutes seeing the city from a different perspective.
View from John Hancock Tower
Chicago River cruising
Chicago is one of few inland cities which can boast of having a downtown beach. At lunch time, it is not unusual to catch business-suited executives mingling with the sun-worshippers while taking a break from the office.
The soft sandy shores of Lake Michigan is also the practice area for two of the city’s current favourite pastimes - cycling and volleyball. For those inclined to indulge in culture, a huge selection of museums and art galleries - the Museum of Contemporary Art, the Field Museum of Natural History and the spectacular Shedd Aquarium, provide sufficient stimulation for even the most energetic visitor. The indoor aquarium (one of the world’s largest) houses a specially constructed coral reef, and is home to more than 350 types of Caribbean fish. In addition, an Oceanarium houses Beluga whales and dolphins.
Downtown beach
Grant Park
Downtown beach
North Chicago beach, night view
Dancing at Jazz & Blues Festival
Shopping is the city’s main passion, and Michigan Avenue (also known as the Magnificent Mile) is Chicago’s answer to Los Angeles’ Rodeo Drive, where the chic boutiques rub shoulders with big name stores like Bloomingdales and Saks of Fifth Avenue. For those who prefer to shop in air-conditioned comfort, there are vast multi-floored shopping malls like the biggest Water Tower Place to Chicago Place. Many have garden food-courts, complete with exotic palm trees - providing an ideal refuelling stop.
With its long tradition of welcoming newcomers, Chicago’s population is enriched by more than 70 various ethnic communities. The Irish make up the largest non-American group (giving ‘Chi-Town’ the dubious privilege of being the first city to dye its river green in honour of St. Patrick's Day), but the city can also claim the biggest population of Poles in the world outside Warsaw, Poland. Chinatown of Chicago’s south side is small, but it is less crowded than the Chinatowns of New York City and San Francisco.
And the abundance of Hispanic restaurants and sidewalk markets can be visited on the city’s south east side. As a result of this cultural mix, it’s hardly surprising that eating out is like taking a trip round the globe. Once you’ve had your fill of Lithuanian, Guatemalan and Ukrainian specialities, don’t forget to try a slice of what has been described as Chicago’s most important contribution to the 20th century - deep pan pizza!
Grant Park, summer festival time
Best of all is the music. And although the city is most famous for its jazz and blues clubs, you’ll also find everything from rap to Rachmaninove. The Chicago Theatre is a historic building, built in 1921, and is a famous performance arts venue for plays and music shows. Chicago may be a respected business centre - some people refer to it as ‘The City that works’, but the city also plays hard. Summer is by far the best time to visit. If you can, time your stay to coincide with one of the superb annual open-air festivals at Grant Park.
In the centre of Grant Park is also the beautiful Buckingham Fountain. Best viewed at night, with its colourfully lit water cascades and the city skyline in the background, is an unforgettable view of Chicago.
Jazz & Blues Festival
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