Chicago is the home of the blues and the truth of jazz, the heart of comedy and the idea of the skyscraper. Here, the age of railroads found its centre, and airplanes followed suit. Butcher of hogs and believer in progress, it is one of the world's great cities, and yet the metropolitan luxuries of theatre, shopping, and fine dining have barely put a dent in real Midwestern friendliness. It's a city with a swagger, but without the surliness or even the fake smiles found in other cities of its size.

As the hub of the Midwest, Chicago is easy to find — its picturesque skyline calls across the waters of Lake Michigan, a first impression that soon reveals world-class museums of art and science, miles of sandy beaches, huge parks and public art, and perhaps the finest downtown collection of modern architecture in the world.

With a wealth of iconic sights and neighborhoods to explore, there's enough to fill a visit of days, weeks, or even months without ever seeing the end. Dress warm in the winter, and prepare to cover a lot of ground: the meaning of Chicago is only found in movement, through subways and archaic elevated tracks, in the pride of tired feet and eyes raised once more to the sky.


The capital of the Midwest, Chicago stands tall on the tail end of Lake Michigan in Illinois. Once a gangster's hang-out synonymous with infamous names such as Al Capone and Bonny and Clyde, the 'windy city' today has a squeaky-clean reputation as an international business and commercial capital boasting an eclectic mix of architecture, world-class theatre, art exhibitions, and super-enthusiastic sportsmanship.


For any tourist, the city shapes up well, boasting soaring skyscrapers including the Sears Tower (one of the tallest in the world); thriving ethnic neighbourhoods; a lakefront business district, the re-energised downtown; unbeatable shopping along the famed Michigan Avenue; and top-class sports teams.


The only real blip on the city is the weather, which, because of its geographical location is breezy at best, and freezing and gale-ridden at its worst. It is possible to ignore the weather though, when getting caught up in the myriad of things to do, see and experience in this Midwest metropolis.