This is my kind of town, Chicago is
My kind of town, Chicago is
My kind of people too
People who, smile at you
The city made famous by some song lyrics sung by Frank Sinatra. It’s a city with a diverse mix of unrivaled jazz and blues, astonishing architecture, an appetite for hearty food, award-winning newspapers, universities full of Nobel laureates and some of the most die-hard sports fans you'll ever meet.
The city of Chicago is in north-eastern Illinois, along the southern tip of Lake Michigan's shore. Illinois is located in the northern central part of the United States, bordered by Wisconsin and Lake Michigan to the north, Iowa and Missouri to the west, Indiana to the east and Kentucky to the south.
When to Go
Deciding when to go to Chicago can be based on whether you like the heat or cold. July and August can get really hot in Chicago, with temperatures from 80-90°F (27-32°C) and high humidity. This is also the peak of the festival season, with major events taking place in the parks and neighborhoods every weekend. September is blessed with reliably warm days and is probably the most pleasant month of the year, weather-wise, but there's less going on during this period.
January to March is when Chicago is least busy and hotels and airfares are usually at their cheapest. But it can be damp and cold - between 12°F and 29°F (-11°C and -2°C) if you're lucky – and awfully windy! They don’t call it the “windy season” just for fun.
What to See
Art Institute of Chicago: The Art Institute provides reason alone to visit Chicago. One of the world's premier galleries, the Art Institute has a magnificent collection that spans 5000 years of art. The bronze lions flanking the steps are Chicago icons.
Magnificent Mile: This stretch of Michigan Avenue runs from the Chicago River north to Lincoln Park. 'Mag Mile,' as it's widely known, is a shopper's paradise: you can find everything from the swankiest upscale boutiques to chainstores. Its most famous landmark is the Tribune Tower, a 1925 gothic masterpiece that's home to the Pulitzer-prize winning Chicago Tribune.
Navy Pier: From 1918 to 1930, the huge Navy Pier on Lake Michigan's shore was the city's municipal wharf. Later, it became the first home of the University of Illinois at Chicago. It has now been converted into a combination amusement park, children's museum, food court and meeting center.
Wrigley Field: Home to the Chicago Cubs, Wrigley Field draws tourists year round who pose under the classic neon sign over the main entrance to the baseball shrine. This ivy-covered stadium is an old fashioned ballpark, where the scoreboard is still changed by hand and where fans fought tooth and nail to prevent the stadium being kitted out with lights. Players take fans on tours of the stadium several times during the season.
Hyde Park: An enclave within the city, much of Hyde Park’s existence is owed to the University of Chicago, a school where graduate students outnumber undergrads and 18 Nobel prizes for economics have sat on the trophy shelf since the award was first presented in 1969. The major attraction for most visitors is the Museum of Science and Industry, which is dedicated to high-tech gadgets.
