Resources // Chicago

“The Windy City”

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 center, 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 theater, dining, and shopping 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.

History

Chicago was known as a fine place to find a wild onion if you were a member of the Potawatomi tribe, who lived in the area before European settlers arrived. It was mostly swamps, prairie and mud long past the establishment of Fort Dearborn in 1803 and incorporation as a town in 1833. It could be argued that nature never intended for there to be a city here; brutal winters aside, it took civil engineering projects of unprecedented scale to establish working sewers, reverse the flow of the river to keep it out of the city’s drinking supply, and stop buildings from sinking back into the swamps — and that was just the first few decades.

By 1871, the reckless growth of the city was a sight to behold, full of noise, Gothic lunacy, and bustling commerce. But on October 8th, Mrs. O’Leary’s cow reportedly knocked over a lantern in the crowded immigrant quarters in the West Side, and the Great Chicago Fire began. It quickly spread through the dry prairie, killing 300 and destroying virtually the entire city. The stone Water Tower in the Near North is the most famous surviving structure. But the city seized this destruction as an opportunity to rebuild bigger than before, giving canvas for several architects and urban planners who would go on to become legends of modern architecture.

At the pinnacle of its rebirth and the height of its newfound powers, Chicago was known as The White City. Cultures from around the world were summoned to the 1893 World’s Colombian Exposition, to bear witness to the work of Louis Sullivan, Daniel Burnham, and the future itself. Cream of Wheat, soft drinks, street lights and safe electricity, the fax machine, and the Ferris Wheel bespoke the colossus now resident on the shores of Lake Michigan.

As every road had once led to Rome, every train led to Chicago. Carl Sandburg called Chicago the Hog Butcher for the World for its cattle stockyards and place on the nation’s dinner plate. Sandburg also called it the City of the Big Shoulders, noting the tall buildings in the birthplace of the skyscraper — and the city’s “lifted head singing so proud to be alive and coarse and strong and cunning.” But Chicago is a city in no short supply of nicknames. Fred Fisher’s 1922 song (best known in Frank Sinatra’s rendition) calls it That Toddlin’ Town, where “on State Street, that great street, they do things they don’t do on Broadway.” It’s also referenced by countless blues standards like Sweet Home Chicago.

Chicago is also known as The Second City, which refers to its rebuilding after the fire — the current city is literally the second Chicago, after the one that disappeared in 1871. It can also refer to the city’s long-held position as the United States’ second largest city, after New York City, although it has since been surpassed in population by Los Angeles. And many know the nickname from Chicago’s great comedy theater in Old Town.

Chicago’s history with corruption is legendary. During the Prohibition era, Chicago’s criminal world practically ran the city, emblemized by names like Al Capone and Baby Face Nelson, and later Sam Giancana. The local political world had scarcely more legitimacy in a town where voter turnout was highest among the dead and their pets, and precinct captains spread the word to “vote early, vote often.” Even Sandburg acknowledged the relentless current of vice than ran under the surface of the optimistic city.

Today, Chicago is known as The Windy City. Walking around town, you might suspect that Chicago got this nickname from the winds off Lake Michigan, which shove through the downtown corridors with intense force. But the true origin of the saying comes from politics. Some say it may have been coined by rivals like Cincinnati and New York as a derogatory reference to the Chicagoan habit of rabid boosterism and endless political conventions. Others say that the term originated from the fact that Chicago politicians change their minds as “often as the wind.”

Finally, the city is known as the The City That Works, as promoted by current Mayor Richard M. Daley, which refers to Chicago’s labor tradition and the long hours worked by its residents, its willingness to tackle grand civic projects and to make fortunes for a lucky few. Daley and his father, former Mayor Richard J. Daley, have ruled the city for decades in what can only be described as a benevolent dictatorship. The Daleys kept Chicago pre-eminent through decades when other Midwestern manufacturing cities went into decline, transforming it from a city of stockyards and factories to a financial giant at the forefront of modern urban design. It’s not democracy, but it has worked pretty well for most (and not as well for a few others). The city is bidding for the 2016 Olympics, a new reason to build vast and wild.

While the city has many great attractions downtown, most Chicagoans live and play outside of the central business district. To understand Chicago, travelers must venture away from the Loop and Michigan Avenue and out into the vibrant neighborhoods, to soak up the local nightlife, sample the wide range of fantastic dining, and see the sights Chicagoans care about most — thanks to the city’s massive public transit system, every part of Chicago is only slightly off the most beaten path.

 

This information is based on the efforts of multiple WikiTravel contributors. The original article can be accessed at: http://wikitravel.org/en/chicago . It is reproduced under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareALike 1.0. USA Tours Pros accepts no responsibility for any inaccuracies in the information presented and merely offers the article as a resource for the Tour Professional.

Many visitors never make it past the attractions downtown, but you haven’t truly seen Chicago until you have ventured out into the neighborhoods. Chicagoans understand their city by splitting it into large “sides” to the north, west, and south of the central business district (the Loop). Chicagoans also tend to identify strongly with their neighborhood, reflecting real differences in culture and place throughout the city. Rivalries between the North and South Sides run particularly deep, while people from the West Side are free agents in critical issues like baseball loyalty.

-Downtown (The Loop, Near North, Near South)
The center of Chicago for work and play, with shopping, skyscrapers, and the city’s most famous travel sights.

-North Side (Lakeview, Boystown, Lincoln Park, Old Town)
The city’s best theaters, a ton of bars and clubs, one of the largest LGBT communities in the nation, and the Friendly Confines of Wrigley Field.

-South Side (South Chicago Shore, Bronzeville, Bridgeport-Chinatown)
The historic Black Metropolis, brainy Hyde Park/Kenwood and the University of Chicago, Chinatown, and the White Sox.

-West Side (Wicker Park, Logan Square, Greektown, Pilsen)
Ethnic enclaves, dive bars, and hipsters abound on the fashionably rough side of town.

-Far North Side (Uptown, Lincoln Square, Rogers Park)
Ultra-hip and laid-back, with miles of beaches and some of the most vibrant immigrant communities in the country.

-Far West Side (Little Village, Garfield Park, Humboldt Park, Austin)
So far off the beaten tourist track you might not find your way back, but that’s OK given all the great food, a couple of top blues clubs, and enormous parks.

-Southwest Side (Back of the Yards, Marquette Park, Grand Crossing, Midway Area)
Former home to the massive meatpacking district of the Union Stockyards, current home to the real Chicago blues.

-Far Southeast Side (Historic Pullman, South Shore, Chatham, The Port of Chicago)
A residential section with one large tourist draw: the historic Pullman District.

-Far Northwest Side (Avondale, Irving Park, Portage Park)
Polish Village, historic homes and theaters, and some undiscovered gems in the neighborhoods near O’Hare International Airport.

-Far Southwest Side (Beverly, Mount Greenwood)
Home to a large Irish community, a huge St Patrick’s Day Parade, and a ton of Irish pubs.

USA Tour Pros accepts no responsibility regarding the content of the following linked Web sites and only offers them as a resource tool for your professional needs. .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)