The third most populated city of the United States, Chicago is the largest city of Illinois. Chicago is a major financial, transportation and telecommunication hub in North America.

Chicago experiences four distinct seasons with warm and humid summers, windy snowy cold winters with temperatures below freezing, and mild spring and fall.

Chicago strategically sits on the continental divide of Chicago Portage, connecting the Mississippi River and the Great Lakes watersheds. At the southwestern tip of Lake Michigan with the Chicago River and Calumet River flowing through it, Chicago handles much of the region’s water borne cargo.

Chicago is considered to be the birthplace of the skyscraper. Chicago has 72 buildings which stand over 550 feet tall, including the Wills Tower and the Trump International Hotel and Tower being the top two in the United States.

Places of interest.

Set on 10 acre lakefront park the Museum Campus has three main museums, each of national importance: the Adler Planetarium & Astronomy Museum, the Field Museum of Natural History, and the Shedd Aquarium. The museum campus joins the southern section of Grant Park which houses the Art Institute of Chicago, the Buckingham Fountain, and Jay Pritzker Pavilion which hosts the classical Grant Park Music Festival concert series.

The Brookfield Zoo and the Lincoln Park Zoo are very popular among visitors with children.  Other museums and galleries in Chicago include the Museum of Science and Industry, the Oriental Institute, the Chicago History Museum, the DuSable Museum of African American History, and the Museum of Contemporary Art to name a few.

Chicago is home to over 200 theatrical companies with performances at venues ranging from the Victory Gardens Theater and other big theaters in the Chicago Theatre District in the Loop to storefronts and Laundromats.

Shopping at the Magnificent Mile and State Street, the thousands of restaurants and the architecture makes Chicago a main draw for tourism.  It is also one of the largest convention destinations.

Chicago with its park district of 552 parks, 33 sandy beaches, 16 lagoons, 10 bird and wildlife gardens and the nation’s largest municipal harbor system with berths for over 5000 boats attracts millions of visitors each year.

Sports.

Chicago is home to two major league baseball teams the Chicago Cubs and the Chicago White Sox. The Chicago Bears have won nine NFL Championships, including Super Bowl XX. One of the most recognized basketball teams in the world of the NBA are the Chicago Bulls. The Chicago Blackhawks of the NHL have won three Stanley Cups. The Chicago Marathon is one of the world’s five major marathons.

Clubs, Restaurants and Nightlife.

Reflecting the city’s working class roots are the deep dish pizza and the Chicago style hot dog, Chicago offers from the very best world class chefs and restaurants culminating in the annual Taste of Chicago festival at Grant Park lasting from final week of June through Fourth of July weekend. Puerto Rican, Greek, Chinese to vegetarian, Chicago offers world cuisine at its best.

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