Top Ten Attractions
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The Sears Tower
Until 1997, the tallest building in the world. The elevator takes about 70 seconds to reach the 103rd floor observatory for a spectacular panorama of the city. http://www.theskydeck.com
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The John Hancock Observatory
Another alternative for skyline viewing. http://www.hancock-observatory.com
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The Magnificent Mile
The northern part of Michigan Avenue between the Chicago River and Lake Shore Drive is Chicago’s version of Paris’s Champs Elysees. A grand boulevard with exclusive shops, museums, restaurants and ritzy hotels. http://www.themagnificentmile.com
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Wrigley Field
One of America’s smallest, oldest and best-loved ballparks, home to the Chicago Cubs. Ivy-clad walls, a boisterous crowd, hot dogs and beer. http://www.cubs.mlb.com
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Navy Pier
50 acres of parks, gardens, shops, restaurants and a 150-foot Ferris Wheel.
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Oak Street Beach
A glamorous and unexpected summertime playground, right off the Magnificent Mile. http://www.chicagotraveler.com/attractions/oak-...
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The Work of Frank Lloyd Wright
The great American architect introduced his ‘Prairie style’ in Chicago and left a collection of eye-catching designs. http://www.wrightplus.org
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Shedd Aquarium
In the Grant Park Museum Complex, with about 70 species, including sharks and stingrays. http://www.sheddaquarium.org
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Chicago’s Lakefront
Walk, jog or rent a bike and explore the spectacular shores of Lake Michigan. http://www.great-lakes.net/lakes/michigan
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Marina City
Two cylindrical towers near the Chicago River. Known to locals as ‘the corn cobs’ because of their unique shape. http://www.marina-city.com
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Boat Tour
The Chicago River, which snakes through the city centre, is best experienced on a boat tour. http://www.architecture.org/tours
Eating and Drinking
If there’s something Chicago does with style, it’s food. Dining out is a big part of the city’s culture. It’s more relaxed and down-to-earth than in other major US cities and that’s reflected in the proliferation of good, reasonably-priced restaurants. That’s not to say that there aren’t plenty of world-class establishments to give New York a run for its money, where you could easily spend 100 dollars a head. At the other extreme, some of the things that Chicago does best – such as pizza and hot dogs – can be had for a mere $5. The city built itself around a century ago as the focal point for the distribution and packaging of foodstuffs – possibly the reason why portions locally tend to be not just sizeable but extreme. Servers at many Italian restaurants will make sure to ask you, “Did you want the full portion or just the half?” Steaks are particularly gargantuan and the deep-pan pizzas can easily defeat even the most dedicated trencherman. Italian beef sandwiches are a speciality in these parts, piled high and slopping out all over the place. It’s a rare Chicago diner who didn’t think he got his money’s worth. Ethnic tastes are well catered for here, too. Close to the city centre, pretty much everything is available. Most visitors stay in the River North/Magnificent Mile area, where a great number of restaurants are located, such as the Frontera Grill (reckoned by many to have the finest Mexican food in the whole US www.fronterakitchens.com) Gino’s East Pizzeria (www.ginoseast.com) and the Chicago Chop House (www.chicagochophouse.com).
Chicago has been defined by its boisterous drinking scene since at least the early 1900s when Schlitz, a major local brewery, owned more land than anyone else in town bar the Catholic Church. The city’s hard-drinking reputation was cemented during the Prohibition era of the 1920s and 30s when the need for beer and bathtub gin consumed Chicago in the gangland violence that some still associate with the city eighty years on. These days, drinking is still a serious business, if usually less dangerous. There are more sports bars here than in New York and LA combined and. beer gardens are popular watering-holes in the summer months. There are also plenty of regular bars, a few English-type pubs and some ritzy cocktail establishments. Drink prices are fairly reasonable compared with other major US cities, except in the most upscale bars. Local favourites among the beers include Old Style, a mass-produced lager brewed in Milwaukee and the many varieties of Goose Island, a robust Chicago beer from a brewery that runs a few of its own bars in the city.
Shopping
Chicago ranks right up there near New York for the variety and experience of its shopping. There are classy department stores nestling in historic buildings, especially in the area of the Loop and Near North. You’ll be able to shop even in the dead of winter thanks to the abundance of huge indoor malls. Shopping is concentrated in a few areas of the city:
The Loop – major department stores such as Marshall Field’s and Carson Pirie Scott are in State Street. All El trains stop in the Loop.
The Magnificent Mile – Chicago’s most famous shopping destination is lined with malls and stores from big-name designers to local establishments. Take the Red Line to Grand.
Gold Coast and the Old Town – boutique shopping at its priciest happens along Oak Street, close to the north end of Mag Mile. The Gold Coast is reachable on the Red Line (Clark/Division) while the Brown Line stops at Sedgwick in Old Town.
Lincoln Park – the centre of the shopping scene her is the intersection of Armitage Avenue and Halsted Street. Old–established shops make this area a favourite for many Chicagoeans. Take the Brown Line to Armitage.
Night Life
Chicago has one of the best music scenes in the US, often reflecting the changing musical landscape of the country as a whole. Although Louis Armstrong and scores of other top musicians brought jazz from New Orleans more than 75 years ago, Chicago’s modern musical identity is rooted in the blues; indeed, Chicago is considered by many the capital of modern electric blues. Try the Blues bar www.chicagobluesbar.com. There’s also a burgeoning alternative rock scene that came of age in the 1990s, while as far as dance music goes, house and techno are the staple in the clubs. For jazz lovers, a visit to the Green Mill club is a must. www.greenmilljazz.com. Lincoln Park, Near North and Lakeview have the highest concentration of blues and dance clubs; Bucktown and Wicker Park cater for alternative and indie rockers, while rock ‘n roll can be heard just about anywhere there’s a stage. For current music listings, pick up the excellent free weekly Chicago Reader – copies come out on Thursday afternoon and are usually all gone by Saturday. Other good sources include the weekly New City and the gay and lesbian Windy City Times. Full listings also appear in the Friday issues of the Chicago Sun-Times and the Chicago Tribune.
