"City of Big Shoulders," was the way Carl Sandburg described his beloved Chicago. His immortal words hardly tell the whole story of this remarkable series of communities linked together as "The Windy City." From the Gold Coast on upper Lakeshore Drive, to the Miracle Mile on Michigan Avenue, to The Loop of the "Elevated," from the skyscrapers along the Lake; Hancock Tower, Standard Oil Tower, McCormick Place and the Sears Tower, to the eclectic Northside Old Town, Chicago is a city of contrasts.
Great Hotels and wonderful restaurants abound.
What can be said about the Drake Hotel that hasn't been said before. . . aged opulence, great service and food. The Hyatt by the Water Tower . . . a modern version of the same.
The heady aroma of roasting lamb emanating from Halstead Street; Diane's Grocery Store, The Parthenon and other Greek eateries line the narrow lane, each with wares displayed in the windows. A whole lamb on a rotisserie, crisp and golden brown, fila pasteries covered with powdered sugar, baklava in diamond shaped offerings dripping with honey.
Chicago Pizza. Deep-dish, filled with assorted meats, cheeses and vegetables, delicious and filling.
The great delicatessens along Wacker Drive, rye bread piled high with corned beef or pastrami, micro-breweries with good pub-food, upscale French and Continental eateries, paella Valenciana . . . mouth-watering delights at every turn.
Chicago, The Windy City, City of Big Shoulders, is a must-see, must-visit.
Don't forget the Field Museum, either.
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Chicago, known as the "Second City", the "Windy City", and "Chi-town", is the third-largest city in terms of population in the United States, following New York City and Los Angeles. Chicago is located in the Midwestern state of Illinois along the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan.
When combined with its suburbs and nine surrounding counties in Illinois, Wisconsin, and Indiana, the greater metropolitan area known as Chicagoland encompasses a population of nearly 10 million people. The city takes its name from the indigenous Potawatomi tribe, who called the marshes on which Chicago was later built "Checagou", which translates to "wild onion" or "garlic".
Growing from its 1833 founding as a frontier town of the Old Northwest into one of the world's premier cities, Chicago is ranked as one of 10 "Alpha" (most influential) world cities by the Globalization and World Cities Study Group & Network. Chicago was the site of the world's first skyscraper, and today is the financial, transportation, and cultural capital of the Midwest.
Chicago also leads the country in the number of conventions hosted annually.
The city has long been known around the world as a financial, industrial, and transportation center and for its ethnic diversity. Chicago's skyscrapers, local cuisine, political traditions, and sports teams are some of its most recognized symbols. A variety of colloquial nicknames reflect Chicago's unique character.
A resident of Chicago is referred to as a Chicagoan. There is some ambiguity regarding the suburbs - some residents call themselves "Chicagoans" and identify with the central city, while others rarely deal with or visit the central city. Typically, residents of Chicago will identify themselves with one of the many neighborhoods of Chicago.
About one-third of central-city Chicagoans are Caucasian, another third African American, around a quarter Hispanic and one-tenth Asian, with small amounts of other groups filling in the remainder. Chicago also has several dozen distinct neighborhoods to match its ethnic diversity; the city is divided into 77 official community areas.
In 1998, the City of Chicago officially opened the Museum Campus, a 10 acre lakefront park surrounding three of the city's main museums, the Field Museum of Natural History, the Shedd Aquarium and the Adler Planetarium. The Museum Campus was constructed on the southern section of Grant Park. The construction project involved re-routing Lakeshore Drive to make room for the new park. Grant Park is also home to Chicago's other major downtown museum, the Art Institute of Chicago.
Some other major museums and galleries of the Chicago area include:
Adler Planetarium and Astronomy Museum, 1300 S. Lake Shore Dr.
Art Institute of Chicago, 111 S. Michigan Ave.
One of the premier art museums in the United States. Famous pieces include American Gothic by Grant Wood, and A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte by Georges Seurat. The Museum is partnered with The School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
Chicago Cultural Center, 78 E. Washington St. Built in 1897 as Chicago's first public library, the building now houses the city's Visitor Information Center, galleries, and exhibit halls. The ceiling of Preston Bradley Hall includes a 38-foot Tiffany glass dome.
Chicago History Museum
DuSable Museum of African-American History, 740 East 56th Place. Displays many artifacts of many well known African-Americans and rich history.
Field Museum of Natural History, 1400 S. Lake Shore Dr., Chicago's natural history museum. Highlights include Sue, the largest Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton in the world as well as a great, kids-friendly Egyptian exhibit.
Freedom Museum
Mexican Fine Arts Center Museum, 1852 West 19th St., a museum dedicated to Mexican, Latino and Chicano art and culture.
Museum of Contemporary Art, 220 E. Chicago Ave. Art of all types from around the world made since 1945.
Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago, 5700 S. Lake Shore Dr. Highlights include the U-505 submarine and working coal mine.
Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, 2430 N. Cannon Drive. Museum dedicated to ecology. It is noted for it's butterfly exibit.
Oriental Institute, part of the University of Chicago, one of the best collections of ancient Egyptian and Near Eastern archeology in the world.
Shedd Aquarium, 1200 S. Lake Shore Dr. Located on the Museum Campus, the Shedd Aquarium is home to a large collection of marine life from throughout the world.
The Pacific Northwest–themed Oceanarium features dolphins, whales, and other animals from the region, as well as a panoramic view of Lake Michigan.
This aquarium was the largest indoor aquarium in the world until the Georgia Aquarium opened in November 2005.
