~~A is for Architecture~~
When Chicago was all but destroyed by fire in 1871, there arose from the ashes one of the most famous skyscapes in the US if not the world. Chicago was home to the first ever skyscraper, a steel-framed ten story building, the Home Insurance Building built in 1885 ... Read review
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Advantages: The contrasting architecture. Music. Relaxing Parks. Disadvantages: Parking fees. Rush Hour.
...Architecture~~
When Chicago was all but destroyed by fire in 1871, there arose from the ashes one of the most famous skyscapes in the US if not the world. Chicago was home to the first ever skyscraper, a steel-framed ten story building, the Home Insurance Building built in 1885 and demolished in 1931 to make way for even taller cloud busters (as they were known way back when). Ten storeys, although no doubt impressive then, are mere ... ...styles that combine to make Chicago (highly recommended). Or do all three - we did!
A surprising range of architectural styles exist. Sitting comfortably among the modernist glass, concrete and / or steel buildings are the Neo-Gothic Tribune Tower Howell and the French Renaissance Style Wrigley Building not to mention the limestone Water Tower (the only building to that survive the great fire) and now a museum.
When Chicago was all but destroyed by fire in 1871, there arose from the ashes one of the most famous skyscapes in the US if not the world. Chicago was home to the first ever skyscraper, a steel-framed ten story building, the Home Insurance Building built in 1885 and demolished in 1931 to make way for even taller cloud busters (as they were known way back when). Ten storeys, although no doubt impressive then, are mere small fry compared to today's skyscrapers - the Sears Tower standing at 108 storeys and The Trump Tower (currently under construction) is planned as 150 storeys high.
Travel up to the giddy heights of the Sears Tower ($12.95 Adults and $9.50 children) or the Hancock Observatory (15$ adults, 9$ children) to look down upon the city for a overarching and breathtaking view of the architectural cityscape or take one of the informative and entertaining Architectural River cruises (£34 adults, $20 children) to get a unique view of the contrasting architectural styles that combine to make Chicago (highly recommended). Or do all three - we did!
A surprising range of architectural styles exist. Sitting comfortably among the modernist glass, concrete and / or steel buildings are the Neo-Gothic Tribune Tower Howell and the French Renaissance Style Wrigley Building not to mention the limestone Water Tower (the only building to that survive the great fire) and now a museum.
The architecture was one of the main reasons, I chose Chicago as the starting point for our planned road trip. I wanted to experience a different cityscape to that of England. I was not disappointed!
~~B is for Buckingham Fountain~~
Buckingham Fountain, located at the centre of Grant Park, is one of Chicago's most popular landmarks. The fountain is at the center of a formally laid out garden.
The fountain' s design is based on the 'Bassin de Latome' at the Versailles Palace near Paris and was built by Edward H. Bennett. The fountain itself consists of three layers of basins surrounded by four pairs of bronze seahorses
It is one of the largest fountains in the world rising more than seven meters high (23ft) and 85 metres in diameter. There are a staggering total of 134 jets with the central jet reaching up to 46 metres (150ft) high.
The best time to see the hourly 20 minute display is at twilight when the fountain is beautifully animated with a computerized sequence of colours.
~~C is for Chicago Cubs~~
Chicago's Major League Baseball Club, the Chicago Cubs, play home games at Chicago' Wrigley Field which built in 1914 is the US second oldest baseball field. For just 25$ (about £13), you can have a 90 minute tour of the grounds and clubhouse.
I should here mention that Chicago has a second Baseball Club, the Chicago Sox, however as I didn't visit their clubhouse I cannot comment further.
~~D is for Driving~~
Almost all reviews of Chicago mention the mad and bad driving with warnings not to attempt driving whilst visiting! As we had a hired car for our road trip with our very first journey from the airport through Chicago to the hotel, I was more than apprehensive! I was happy to find though that on the whole, drivers were courteous and law-abiding!
Of course Chicago is a city, so be prepared for rush hour congestions in the mornings and early evenings. The biggest problem with driving through Chicago is the parking - fees are astronomical!!
~~E is for Eating Out~~
Chicago caters for every possible taste from hot dogs to haute cuisine and for every purse from as little as £1 to £25 per person per meal. Be sure to try the Cheesecake Factory in the John Hancock Centre on Michigan Avenue, a casual restaurant with more than 200 items on the menu. The highlight is off course the cheesecakes - there are fifty different toppings to choose from. All equally delicious! Be prepared for a wait though, there always seems to be a queue waiting for tables or take aways!
To savour a true Chicago style hot dog, visit the Weiner Circle open till late.
Visit Gibson's steakhouse. They provide a great welcome and offer giant sized portions. Expect a giant sized bill to go with it though! Average price per person is 50$ (approximately £26) - drinks not included.
~~F is for Fire~~
The Great Chicago Fire broke out on October 8th 1871. Rumour has it that a certain Kate O'Leary's cow kicked over a lantern in the barn starting the fire that devastated the city; killed 300 people and made at least 100,000 people homeless. References to the Fire are found everywhere!!!
Which brings me nicely to G . . .
~~G is for Grant Park~~
After the Great Fire, most of the debris was pushed into the lake creating what is now known as Grant Park. The park is divided into sections with lawns, trees, bridges and various monuments including a statue of Abraham Lincoln.
Grant Park is home to Chicago's Museum Campus. The Field Museum of Natural History, The Children's Museum, The Shedd Aquarium, The Alder Plantation and The Art Institute of Chicago are all to be found there. It would take a few days to see them all!!!
Of course you can relax in the park afterwards - very peaceful.
~~H is for House of Blues~~
The other major reason for Chicago was music. Our theme for the road trip - music.
The House of Blues is a chain of music halls and restaurants founded in 1992 Dan Ackroyd and Isaac Tigrett (Hard Rock Cafe founder). Dan Ackroyd is famous of course for The Blues Brothers filmed in Chicago.
The House of Blues hosts a number of live concerts mostly blues (surprise, surprise). Our reason to visit - the famous Gospel Brunch (£45.50 adults, $22 Children)!
The brunch is an amazing buffet with a carvery, salads, fruits, southern specialities and muffins (to name but a selection of goods on offer). All this whilst you are coaxed to your feet with the foot tapping, hand clapping Gospel band performing on stage.
An incredible experience not to be missed!!
~~ is for Illinois~~
Chicago is the largest city in Illinois and home to approximately 3,000,000 people.
~~J is for Jazz~~
Chicago jazz made its name in the 1920 with the musical revolution led by jazz greats including Louis Armstrong, King Oliver, Benny Goodman , Eddie Condon and Bud Freeman.
You won't (sadly) get to see any of the greats now but live jazz concerts abound in Chicago. Try Andy's Jazz Bar, Green Mil or Wind's Café for an entertaining night out!
~~K is for Kitchens (Soup) and Capone~~
Al Capone moved to Chicago when he was 20 years old. Whilst in Chicago, he ordered dozens of deaths. Despite his ruthless reputation, Capone, personally opened soup kitchens to feed the needy after the 1929 stock market crash.
Soup kitchens still abound in Chicago visited by the thousands of homeless people - yes I am assured that it is thousands!
~~L is for Lake Chicago~~
Lake Chicago is the ancestor of Lake Michigan which is one North America's five great lakes. Chicago lakefront runs for 28 miles with twenty-nine man-made beaches. The sand is imported!! The lake appears incredibly clean and many swim in its waters (no we didn't!). M is for Millennium Park
The 24.5 acre Millennium Park was opened in 2004. The quirky Cloud Gate, designed by British artist Anish Kapoor, is supposedly inspired by liquid mercury but looks more like a giant coffee bean! It measures a whopping 66 feet long by 33 feet high. It is made of polished stainless steel plates which reflect the Chicago skyline.
~~N is for Navy Park~~
Navy Pier is a 3,000 foot pier on Chicago's shoreline built in 1914. During World War II, the US Navy began to use the pier for training purposes.. Today, the pier is a massive tourist attraction housing among other things a children's Museum, A Museum of Stained Glass Windows, a Shakespeare Theatre Complex and a giant Ferris wheel.
~~O is for O'Hare Airport~~
The O'Hare international airport is located in the north west corner of Chicago. Named after a World War II flying ace, Lt. Cmdr. Edward "Butch" O'Hare, the airport was built in 1942. It has the accolade of winning the best North American airport for the past ten years!!
~~P is for Parking~~
Parking in Chicago is same for any major city - extremely difficult!! Parking can cost anything from $7 - $17 for 1- 4 hours and between $15 and $24 for 5 - 24 hours!
If you're visiting more than one venue - it gets very expensive!!
~~Q is for Queue~~
The only queue we really encountered was for the Cheesecake factory!!! We thought Britain was bad for queues - Chicago's Cheesecake Factory queue is like its food - bigger!!
~~R is for River~~
Not only does a river run through Chicago, it runs backwards!! Originally, the river flowed into Lake Michigan however this allowed sewage into the clean water source for the city. In 1900, the Sanitary District of Chicago, completely reversed the flow of the river using a series of canal locks and caused the river to flow into the newly completed Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal. Just one of the anecdotes told on the River Cruise.
The river is some 156 miles long with 52 moveable bridges! On St Patrick's Day, the river is dyed green!!
~~S is for Shopping~~
Shopper's Paradise is to found on Chicago's Magnificent Mile. All the big names are here from Disney to Bloomingdales.
Bloomingdales alone has six floors of shopping with hundreds of the top brands to choose from. Shopping can get very tiring!!
~~T is for Trolley Tour~~
Chicago's operates a hop-on hop-off trolley tour daily except Thanksgiving, December 10th, Christmas Day, and New Year's Day. The tour lasts for 2 hours from start to finish but of course you can get on and off as many times as you wish. A pre-recorded tour is given through head phones available in many languages. The tour costs $26 for adults and $15 for children. You even get a voucher for a free Hershey's chocolate bar and Garrett Popcorn sample!
~~U is for Union Station~~
Chicago's Union Station was built in 1925. It is one of the last remaining grand American railway stations. The waiting room is well worth a visit with the 112 ft high vaulted skylight, marble floors with long benches and marble walls.
~~V is for Verse~~
Chicago has inspired song writers aplenty to put pen to paper. Among the most memorable are My Kind of Town performed by Frank Sinatra, Sweet Home Chicago from the Blues Brothers, The Night Chicago die by Paper Lace and Chicago, that Toddlin' Town.
We did hear them all during our holiday!!
~~W is for Windy City~~
Chicago can be very windy. Walking along the open-sided skywalk in the Hancock Observatory - you will feel the coldness of the wind!
That is not the reason for Chicago's nickname however. It was coined by the newpaper editor Charles Dana in 1893 after listening to two long winded politicians!
As well as the wind expect rain and sunshine all within a few hours.
~~X is for Xplore~~
There are many ways to explore Chicago; by river cruise, by trolley ride, by horse and carriage or by foot! Each offers a different view of the city. To get a total picture, you have to do all four!
~~Y is for Yellow Taxicabs~~
Founded by John Hertz in Chicago in 1915, the Yellow Taxicab is the oldest and largest taxicab U.S.
Hertz chose yellow as the easiest colour to spot. He was right - they do stand out. Rates are reasonable - better than paying parking fees!
~~Z is for zzzzzzzz~~
There is a wide variety of places to rest your head in Chicago from grand hotels to apartments at a wide range of prices. We stayed at the Chicago City Centre Hotel & Sports Club which changed its name to Double Tree Hotel Magnificent Mile between the times of booking to our arrival.
Advantages: Lots to see and do. Friendly people. It's big. I got lots of cool stuff, cheap. Disadvantages: American beer is minging.
...both sightseeing and socialising.
Chicago is serviced by two airports: O'Hare (the big, famous one) and Midway (the one no-one's heard of). They're both located quite close to the city centre (close by American standards, that is) and getting to and from either airport is easy.
Travel to and from the suburbs is done via Metra trains (http://www.metrarail.com) into Chicago Union Station and at the time of writing they currently offer unlimited weekend ... ...that can be done within Chicago city centre, so wearing shoes that are comfortable is definitely worth consideration. Navigation around the city is incredibly easy due to the fact that the streets and roads are laid out in the grid system which all American cites use.
Other methods of traveling around Chicago are the subway system which covers a large part of the city ($1.75 per journey or two for $2 if you use the second journey within a few hours ...
TheDuke 12.12.2004 (14.12.2004)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Chicago
...Chicago.
Brief History:
Chicago has quite an exciting history, founded in 1833. Chicago is the largest City in Illinois and has the third highest population in the U.S.
Chicago's history runs deep throughout the U.S., it produced the first sophisticated and sewer system in America, whilst also providing a sophisticated travel network. Chicago has a very wealthy financial market, with many fortune one companies residing their, and also has a range ... ...are four main weather fronts Chicago experiences. Between January and March, Chicago can experience cold temperatures and heavy rain. April through September is the hottest times of the year, with limited rain and unlikely chance of snow. And October through December is when it gets cold, and heavy snow is likely.
It really all depends on when you want to go, I wanted to visit Chicago during the peak hot season and thus decided to go during the ...
jaygami1986 03.09.2007
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Chicago
Advantages: Lots to see and do all year round Disadvantages: Popular attractions quickly get crowded, eating on a saturday lunchtime is surprisingly difficult
...back I took off to Chicago for a few days in the Windy city. I knew of Chicago of course, but I didn't know much about the place, so I booked my trip on the assumption that a big city would have stuff to do, and I would find out what that stuff was when I arrived. Even though I was arriving from just a few states over, I flew in to O'Hare which is the more international of the 2 airports (Midway, the other, usually serves domestic flights). Getting ... ...more central you are.
Chicago has a fair number of attractions - not as many as, say, New York, but enough to keep you occupied for a short break none the less. I started off with the Terra Museum of American Art because it was only 1 block from my hotel. This place is small as art galleries go, but is worth a visit because it is so quiet compared to the main art gallery, and also because admission is free. The art on display changes regularly, ...
zoe_page 26.07.2004 (19.04.2006)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Chicago
Advantages: A great city, with every amenity Disadvantages: Bloody cold in December, and I lost my hat!
...architecture in the world makes Chicago a showcase city for anyone interested in BIG BUILDINGS!!! I was unaware until my visit that Chicago is very much Frank Lloyd Wright country, with the Robie House a great example. Meis Van Der Rohe was another architect who practised in and around the city. Chicago is also home to the second tallest building in the world, which is a rather sad thing to claim, really, but it was the tallest for a good long time ... ...as the band at Blue Chicago wound it up for the night, and the bar closed. It was 2.00am, and we were both due to be up about and bushy-tailed at about 8.00am. D is also for Dear God it’s cold! The phrase used by the same rad consultant when we stepped outside the bar! Did I tell you it was chilly? Oh…I did huh?
E is for Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy wealthy and as dull as ditchwater. Stay up, eat, drink, be merry, make the most ...
stevethesleeve 09.12.2002
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Chicago
Advantages: Skyline, Plenty of shops, Tourist attractions Friendly people Disadvantages: dont know of any
...was sent to work in Chicago in 0ctober 2004 for 3 months.. luckily for me flights, accommodation and hire car were all paid for. As it was my first time in America i was SO excited. Once we flew over Lake Michigan and began to see Chicago's amazing skyline, i gasped with amazement. Chicago Airport was very very busy, with another plane landing each and every minute. Customs queue felt like ages especially after such a long flight from ireland.
The ... ...Magnificent Mile, Unios Street Station, Chicago Bulls at the united center, Blue Man Group, lincolin park, chicago bears, the white sox, broadway shows, oprah winfrey shows and jerry springer shows......the list is endless. As i was there for 3 months i got to see and do quite a lot and i have some of the most beautiful pictures in my album. NOTE - If you decide to go up the hancock tower! DONT PAY INTO THE OBSERVATORY, just tell the doorman that ...
LOUISEHASSON 20.04.2005
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Chicago
Advantages: Gets me from A to b efficiently Disadvantages: It's an airport!
Chicago airport.
On a recent visit to san Diego, we had to have a stop in Chicago airport for a couple of hours...most of my travelling seems to be spent in airports!
It was the busiest airport in the United States until Atlanta became the busiest and it was apparently voted best airport in North America in 2000...that's 8 years ago so i don't know which airport has been winning since then.
The airport is 20 miles from downtown Chicago but since we weren't actaully going to Chicago we didn't actally leave the airport so I can't comment on the transport links.
**The Terminals**
Of course when stuck in an airport these are the places you see most often.
There are 4 terminals and strangely enough these are Terminals 1, 2, 3 and Terminal 5 which is the International Terminal...whatever happened to number 4?
All of the terminals are ...
danielalong 23.10.2008
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Chicago Airport
Advantages: Wonderful views of Chicago's skyscape. Disadvantages: Two earphones to one handset.
The Hancock Observatory may not be the tallest building in Chicago - that accolade belongs to the Sears Tower with the Hancock Observatory coming in third. It does however offer the best views of the city with it proximity to Lake Michigan and the Magnificent Mile.
The Hancock Observatory is to be found on the 94th floor of the John Hancock Centre on Michigan Avenue. Completed in 1970 and renovated in 1995, the John Hancock Centre is one of the most recognized landmarks in Chicago. It was designed and engineered by Bruce Graham and Fazlur Khan. Its most distinguishing features are its bold tapered shape and steel cross-bracing exterior design. The John Hancock Centre, which has 96 floors (or storeys), stands some 1127 feet tall and is affectionately called Big John by Chicagoans. Obviously then, the Observatory isn't on the top ...
Advantages: its a colourful restaurant by day, funky club by night! Disadvantages: you can't guarantee the drinks offers are on!
CHICAGO ROCK CAFÉ - SWANSEA
There's a little club in the town near me and I won't go anywhere else! A lot of people will disagree with my opinion, but to me this venue offers so much.
I have been going to this club regularly since it first opened 5 years ago. I have eaten food there, seen many great tribute bands on stage, watched live sporting events, sat quietly with a group of friends and watched soaps on the big screen, and most importantly, I've danced the night away many times.
#A BRIEF HISTORY
Chicago Rock Café came to Swansea just at the end of the year 2000. It is a venue that opens early during the day time and serves food while a jukebox plays quietly or a film is shown on the screen. Not only is it a good quality themed restaurant, but you can continue your day out into the night with a live band or disco DJ ...
