Explore Chicago

Chicago is a city with broad shoulders and a warm heart, a metropolis of steel and glass rising defiantly from the flat Midwestern prairie against the vast, ocean-like expanse of Lake Michigan. It feels sturdier than New York, cleaner, and arguably more beautiful. The architecture here isn't just background; it's the main character—a timeline of American ingenuity from the first skyscrapers to modern glass needles that pierce the clouds.

The sensory experience of Chicago is heavy. The food is dense—deep-dish pizza that requires a knife and fork, Italian beef sandwiches dipped in gravy ('au jus'), and steakhouses that haven't changed since the Sinatra era. The wind is a real, physical presence, whipping off the lake and channeling through the canyon-like streets of the Loop, sometimes biting enough to take your breath away. But the people provide the warmth; Chicagoans are unpretentious, fiercely loyal, and will talk your ear off at a dive bar about the Bears or the 'L' train delays.

It is a city of distinct neighborhoods. The Loop is for business and tourists, but the soul lives in Wicker Park, Logan Square, and the West Loop, where converted warehouses now house Michelin-starred restaurants and gritty rock clubs. In the summer, the city transforms; the lakefront trail fills with runners, the beaches (yes, beaches) pack out, and the entire population seems to exhale after the long winter, drinking on patios and soaking up every second of sun.

Chicago demands a hearty appetite and a good coat. It is a working-class city in a tuxedo, sophisticated yet grounded, offering world-class culture without the coastal attitude. Walk the Riverwalk at night when the bridges are lit up, and you’ll understand why this is the greatest American city that isn't New York.