Often called the ‘Second City', Chicago is number one when it comes to culture, fine dining, shopping and commerce. Situated on Lake Michigan, incomparable architecture erupts from its western shores. 

The Downtown area is known as the ‘Loop' since the raised metropolitan railway (known as the ‘El' or ‘L') circles the central business and shopping district. Just east of it is Michigan Avenue, an upscale shopping area a few blocks from the lake.

Over 50 languages are spoken in this culturally and religiously diverse metropolis. Chicagoans are friendly, hard-working and serious sports fans. 

History
Though Chicago got its nickname, ‘The Windy City', from long-winded politicians, the original American Indians named it ‘Checaugou' meaning ‘strong' or ‘great'. Modern-day Chicago certainly lives up to this heritage. A hub for roads, canals, railways and aeroplanes, this mere village of 350 people in 1830 is now the nation's third largest city (behind New York and Los Angeles).

The Great Fire of 1871 levelled most of it. But the 1893 World's Columbia Exposition attracted 26 million visitors and made it famous. In the 1920s and 30s, Prohibition gangsters like Al Capone and police adversaries like Eliot Ness made it infamous.

Culture and architecture
Festivals, theatre, dance, art, music, including a world-class symphony and great jazz, make Chicago a city of culture. An extensive French Impressionist collection puts Art Institute on the world map. Famous architects, such as Louis Sullivan, Mies van der Rohe and Frank Lloyd Wright and his Prairie School of Architecture thrived here. Chicago is home to the Reliance Building (now Hotel Burnham), the first steel-framed skyscraper as well as the Willis Tower (formerly known as Sears Tower), one of the world's tallest buildings. A newer addition, Millennium Park is the setting for the works of Frank Gehry, Jaume Plensa and Anish Kapoor.

When to go
Be forewarned. Winters can be brutal. Opt instead for its delightful spring and autumn or its sometimes steamy summers.