· A great two-in-one travel resource--an indispensable guide plus a full-size map--that will give you an immediate handle on everything you need to know and everywhere you want to go in Chicago.
· Packaged in a handy plastic wallet.
· Includes a very detailed city map and a concise guidebook that has just the information you need to experience the best of Chicago:
· The city's top attractions and the must-see sights at each; itineraries for walks and excursions; the best museums, churches, gardens, architecture, freebies, and more--the author's top picks; offbeat sights even locals don't know; restaurants, hotels, shopping, and nightlife--an unabashedly opinionated selection, with pithy descriptions of each recommendation; best f estivals and events; travel facts and tips on getting the most from your visit.
· Written by Mick Sinclair, a veteran travel writer who has authored guidebooks to San Francisco, New York, California, and Florida.
Introducing ChicagoTowering buildings, a lake reaching to the horizon, the rumble of El trains, the raising of hot-dogs to an art form, and weather that can change at the drop of a hat, are all facets of Chicago -- the great city of the American Midwest, internationally celebrated as a showplace of world-class building and design. From Frank Lloyd Wright to Miles van der Rohe, every major modern architect has left a calling card in the "Windy City".
The architectural pedigree stems from the fire of 1871, after which Chicago had to be built afresh. New steel-frame construction techniques, the invention of the elevator, and the booming city's need to make as much use as possible of a single plot of land, conspired to make Chicago the first city of skyscrapers. With their 20-story office blocks and department stores, design pioneers such as Daniel Burnham and Louis Sullivan -- leading what became known worldwide as the Chicago School of Architecture -- gave Chicago a unique skyline. A surprising number of early structures remain, among them the Carson Pirie Scott & Co. Store, the Rookery, and the Reliance Building, their terra-cotta façades overshadowed by the soaring glass and steel edifices that now sprout from the Loop -- Chicago's business district. The technological ingenuity that enabled steadily higher construction climaxed in 1974 with the 110-story Sears Tower.
A quote of unknown origin labeled Chicago "the city that works." The fact is Chicago has to work. It is one of the dynamos driving the nation. Being the hub of transport and trade between the US's east and west contributed to its fast-paced growth through the 19th century. The city remains the major marketplace for the multimillion dollar agricultural produce of the American Midwest, and a venue for scores of major trade shows and conventions. Chicago's O'Hare Airport is one of the world's busiest air terminals, so when heavy snows close the runways air travel across much of the US is paralyzed.
When it's not working hard, Chicago plays hard. The city has spawned football legends, such as the Chicago Bears' Mike Ditka, and basketball superstars such as the Chicago Bulls' Michael Jordan. North Side basketball fans cheer the National League Chicago Cubs playing on real grass at historic Wrigley Field, while their counterparts watch the American League White Sox on the astroturf of Comiskey Park.
Like the archetypal American city, Chicago's growth has been the result of waves of immigration. Irish, Italians, Poles, and Germans were among the early arrivals from Europe whose labor contributed to the expansion of the city and whose presence is still apparent. St. Patrick's Day is one of the city's major annual festivals, and Chicago is one of the few US cities where it is not surprising to hear Ukrainian being spoken on the street. Among the African-Americans who came from the Deep South were the musicians that created the distinctive style of the Chicago blues and those that helped make the city a place of pilgrimage for the world's jazz fans.
Today's Chicago continues to be shaped by new arrivals, with growing Hispanic enclaves -- long-established Mexican-Americans were joined by arrivals from Central America -- and recent waves of immigration from India, Korea, Thailand, and other parts of Southeast Asia. All settlers, past or present, find that Chicago makes demands. Climate alone necessitates an all-weather wardrobe almost all year round. Another necessity is an understanding of the strange ability of the Chicago Cubs and the White Sox to be unsuccessful season after season (the Cubs last won the World Series in 1908, the White Sox in 1917), while the basketball and football fraternities bask in glory.
In return, Chicago offers a horde of first-rate museums (among them the Chicago Historical Society and the Art Institute of Chicago), cultural activity rarely bettered elsewhere in the country, and Magnificent Mile shops that not only rival those of New York but are gathered in a succession of architecturally inventive retail centers. Beaches belie the fact that Chicago is almost a thousand miles from the nearest ocean, and a nine-month-long program of major events takes place for free in the city's parks.
With few of the social status hang-ups found in New York or Los Angeles, Chicagoans appear refreshingly straightforward and friendly. A broad rivalry exists between North and South Siders, but more revealing is the fact that Chicago splits into 77 neighborhoods, each with its own looks and atmosphere. The abiding impression is that Chicagoans do not live in a city at all but in close-knit communities in a dense conglomeration of small towns -- part of a metropolitan area that locals, without a trace of whimsy, refer to as "Chicagoland."
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
