The Windy City
Why should we visit Chicago?
Even though the temperatures can drop pretty low, the city is beautiful, clean, and full of fun things to do! If you’re into food, you’ll love the massive selection of amazing food throughout the city. From fine-dining restaurants with course menus and small plates to hidden gems serving up beef sammies and pizza, you’ll find some of the best food you’ve ever experienced. In addition to our amazing restaurant selection, you’ll find world-class entertainment for adults and kids from museums and sporting events to shows and nightlife.
The food is worth the trip alone. The music scene is abundant and vivacious enough to counteract your Chicago appetite. Unique experiences abound from beaches on the city’s side to glass boxes and tilting windows high above it. And the sheer number of street festivals and public gatherings in the summer are enough to overwhelm the most astute event planners among us.
The suburbs hold their own in magic and excitement, with Brookfield Zoo, Six Flags Great America, more wonderful dining opportunities and so much more.
Local Customs:
Chicago is a foodie haven. So eat, drink, and be merry. Chicago loves its beer, its sports teams (even the laughable ones), and boasts a multicultural feel. Every neighborhood is split along ethnic, age, and socioeconomic lines, but there is a welcomed cultural blending among most of the city. Plus it’s the Midwest; despite warnings, you’ll be surprised, maybe even a little annoyed, by how nice people can be. Chicagoans can strike up a conversation anywhere. With anyone. They’re just super nice. So don’t be afraid to start talking to a stranger. Odds are they’ll have something valuable to say back. At the very least, they’ll smile and nod.
Where do the locals hang out?
Laid back spots for quality beer include the microbrewery Dry Hop, the Map Room, which sports more than 200 global beers or Hopleaf, one of the top beer bars in the city.
For more lively atmospheres, shoot around Wells Street in Old Town, or time hop back to the jazzy 1930’s – 40’s and break out your dancing shoes at the Green Mill.
Under the daytime sun, you can’t go wrong with one of the beaches – North Ave, Oak Street, Fullerton, and Montrose.