Ah, Chicago.
Home of the Cubs, concrete beaches and the Sears Tower. For those who live it (Chicagoans? Chicagoites?), there is no shortage of rich heritage, both real and rooted in lore. Visitors conjure up images of majestic architecture or an embittered population of New Yorker wannabes or smoky jazz clubs. Tourists seek out Chicago's museums and culture. But, regardless of shattered - or supported - expectations, most discover there's no city quite like it.
While the 'Chicagoland area' is huge and includes scads of suburbs flush with soccer moms, I focus on the city proper in this guide; the places and events housed under the recognizable skyline and with a view (or at least an odor) of Lake Michigan are what have made Chicago the Midwest's biggest and - dare I say it - best city. Well, it's at least the best city-that-actually-qualifies-as-a-city around, where tractor-dodging is kept at a minimum and so is the small-town mentality.
Let's start at the beginning. Chicago, a.k.a. 'Chi-Town', 'Second City', the 'Windy City', and, somewhat less frequently, the 'Mudhole of the Prarie', was formally established as a city in the first half of the 19th century. The city's (official) name came from the Illinois Indian word for 'great', which it seemed to be in the early days, expanding rapidly and whatnot. In the 1870s, though, tragedy struck with the Great Chicago Fire, which leveled the city and gave its residents a blank slate for an architectural renaissance.
The Great Chicago Fire is one of those things where no one really knows the origins, but everyone knows the legend. The most popular story involves a clumsy cow and a lantern; this is convenient for perpetuation of myth because the fire barbequed the main suspect and therefore made her unavailable for questioning. Historians point out inaccuracies in accounts of the bovine-party-foul story, but you never know.
So when the city burned down, Chicagoans were understandably embarrassed and put a lot of energy into rebuilding the city with major improvements. Subsequent successes including playing host to the 1893 World Columbian Exposition, which attracted upwards of two million visitors and inspired the construction of the now-famous 'L' or elevated train system, and the city's first skyscrapers, which eventually birthed the Sears Tower, which claimed 'world's tallest building' status for decades, and led to Infamous Nickname #2 - 'Second City'. As Chicago grew, it passed other cities and almost caught up with New York City in some areas, but never quite took the lead in cutting-edge industry.
While runner-up status may have been an annoyance to forward thinking Chicagoans, locals tend to cite innovations like the wide roads, restraint in cluttering the skyline, and the population's constant efforts to make all things Chicago top shelf as proof of the city's greatness, simultaneously denying the existence of a race in the first place. Whichever city you cast your vote for, the nickname itself proved useful as it eventually spawned one of Chicago's most famous landmarks, the Second City Theater. More on that later.
My vote, unquestionably, goes to Chicago. NYC is an anomaly that I think bears credibility as a must-see, but for every neat only-in-NYC thing, there are three or four annoying things to battle along the way, like racism-spouting 1st Amendment abusing morons and the constant visual barrage of 'I heart NY' t-shirts. Not that there aren't tourists and annoying things in Chicago, but the city's atmosphere is less frantic and gives you more room to breathe.
The architecture in Chicago is a no-brainer win, too. Names like Frank Lloyd Wright became synonymous with the city over the years, and there are now architectural tours you can take to see it all first hand. NYC tends to inspire more of a 'look how many buildings we can fit into a three block radius' feeling than Chicago's 'we put a lot of thought into this' feeling.
As for the foreign-territory factor, Chicago is pretty gentle to the first-time visitor. There are no special documents to bring, at least none that any other state in the U.S. wouldn't require. Prices on almost anything are comparable to other cities; they are a hike up from what we in the rural parts are used to paying, but nothing outrageous. One word of caution: if you plan to drive in Chicago, bring small change for toll roads! It's tough to get into the city without passing one or two.
Besides architecture and interesting history, one of the other things Chi-town is known for is its museums, including everything from the Adler Planetarium to the Art Institute of Chicago. I can't imagine taking in more than one of the 54 museums in a day; aside from the hefty price tag accompanying the more popular ones, there is simply too much to see. I'll get more specific about museums later, but they're an important part of Chicago's tourism as well as American culture.
Speaking of American culture, I can't really leave out the sports tradition in Chicago. With teams like the Bulls, the Bears, the Blackhawks, the White Sox and the Cubs, some of which enjoy a long-standing tradition of not winning, there is no shortage of fan loyalty. Remember that Saturday Night Live sketch with Chris Farley? Da Bears? Well, sometimes that's what it's like.
Finally we come to one of the best-known ideas immediately associated with the city: music. The word 'jazz' was actually coined here, and Benny Goodman called Chicago home. Some of the best clubs for soaking up jazz and blues are tucked away downtown, retaining the tradition begun by jazz musicians in the early 1900s. If classical music is more your style, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra is internationally recognized, there are summer concerts in Grant Park, and it's hard to turn a corner without bumping into another Something Institute. As for other genres, Chicago is often the only stop many bands make while on tour through the Midwest. Not that I blame them. There are a lot of great venues for shows and general rocking, be it punk, ambient music, folk, reggae, or whatever else.
Chicago is one of those cities a trip through America should include - it's bigger than the small cities, smaller than the biggest cities, has its own heritage and quirks, and welcomes people with all kinds of tastes.
Questions?
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