Chicago Travel Review - History - Attractions

"My kind of town, Chicago is..." The famous Frank Sinatra song describes the city, which is exciting, vibrant and alive with great museums, restaurants, pubs, the Chicago Cubs and some of the finest architecture of any major U.S. city. With a striking downtown which borders the majestic Lake Michigan (where Gold Coast condos sell for upwards of $1.0 million) to the winding Chicago River which bisects the many ethnic neighborhoods, Chicago is voted by many people as "the best place to live and work in the Midwest".

History
Due to its position along the Great Lakes shipping routes and major railroads, Chicago became a busy port, agricultural and manufacturing city. The meatpacking business has thrived there for many decades due to the proximity to the agricultural heartland of the United States. Ranchers and farmers in Indiana, Michigan, Kansas, Iowa and many other states have shipped to and sold their goods in Chicago, for later processing, transport and distribution to a hungry America. The Chicago Fire of 1871 destroyed large portions of the city- even temporarily delaying the printing of the Chicago Tribune- but merchants and businessmen helped to rebuild, allowing the town to become the great metropolis of the Midwest and one of the most important centers for agricultural, commodities, finance, shipping and other industries. More History...

Restaurants
Due to the strong presence of Polish, German, Irish and Italian communities, Chicago has numerous restaurants for both casual and fine dining. A Tavola, Bella Notte, Bice, Di Pescara, La Strada, Osteria via Stato, Trattoria Porretta, Spiaggia, Cafe Central, Everest, Szechuan Restaurant, Papajin, House of Emperor, Cite, the Grafton Pub and Grill, O'Brien's, O'Donovan's, the Full Shilling, Tommy Nevin's Pub, Vaughan's Pub, Cape Cod Room, Capital Grille, Catch 35, Fulton's On the River, the Grill on the Alley, Lloyd's Chicago, Mike Ditka's, Morton's, Pegasus and so many more restaurants offer everything from light fare to five-star dinners- you will need a year to explore them all- and then will want to go back. More Restaurants...

Clubs and Music
Known for its signature blues, Chicago also has been home to many famous jazz, pop and other genres over the decades. For blues, Buddy Guy's Legends, Chord On Blues, Fitzgerald's, Frankie's Blue Room, Hot House, Kingston Mines, Lee's Unleaded Blues and Walter Payton's Roundhouse offer music weekly. Jazz history buffs note that many of the early (and now famous) jazz bands got their performing and recording careers started in Chicago. Jazz lovers should enjoy the Back Room, Black Orchid, Green Dolphin Street, Jazz Showcase, Jilly's Piano Bar, Morseland, Underground Wonder Bar and the Velvet Lounge. The Chicago Jazz Festival each September is a major event downtown in Grant's park and offers a huge array of mainstream jazz and blues-oriented performers. The Allstate Arena, Alpine Valley Music Theater, Aragon Ballroom, Charter One Pavilion, Metro, Paramount Theater, the Rave and the United Center also offer a variety of pop, rock and other styles of music. Classical music fans will enjoy the Chicago Cultural Center, De Paul Concert Hall, Fulton Recital Hall, Nichols Concert Hall, Mandel Hall and the Symphony Center. More Clubs and Music...

Area Attractions
Chicago is blessed with numerous museums, galleries and other civic and social institutions which offer a huge variety of activities. The Adler Planetarium, Shedd Aquarium, the Field Museum, the Art Institute, Museum of Science and Industry, the Lincoln Park Zoo, the Sears Tower Skydeck, the Frank Lloyd Wright Home, the Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum and the Chicago Architecture Foundation (which offers a free downtown walking tour highlighting some of the finest buildings in the region) all present activities worth exploring. Fans of author Ernest Hemingway will be delighted to explore his home in nearby Oak Park, where he spent most of his childhood. Architecture students and buffs will want to tour the Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio. History buffs will interested in driving a few hours to the South to Springfield, Illinois to see "Lincoln Country" where the 16th President spent his formative years as a budding lawyer and politician. The area is filled with so many interesting places to visit- and taking the City Tour on the Chicago River and out to Lake Michigan adds a new and fascinating perspective to this great town.

Sports fans have perhaps more options than almost every other major U.S. city, with the Chicago Cubs, the Chicago White Sox, the Bulls and the Bears and the Chicago Blackhawks offering virtually year-round entertainment. One of the nice things about Chicago is that you can enjoy the simple things in life like Bratwurst, a chili dog or deep-dish pizza and a beer in one of the many restaurants along Rush Street, but also dine in elegance at a five-star restaurant along the shores of Lake Michigan. Chicago is truly a city of wonderful variations, deserving of the great lines to that song..."My kind of town....Chicago is....". More Attractions...