Chicago

United States·North America

Currency

USD

Language

English

Timezone

Chicago

Continent

North America

Our guide

Discover Chicago

Chicago burned in 1871 and rebuilt itself by inventing the skyscraper, which makes it the city where architecture is looked at rather than endured. The Art Institute of Chicago holds one of the world's great Impressionist collections, and the Field Museum the most complete Tyrannosaurus skeleton ever found. Millennium Park contains Cloud Gate, a polished steel sculpture everyone calls the Bean, in which the city appears upside down. Chicago Union Station and the Chicago Theatre keep their pre-war façades, and 360 Chicago opens the view from the north of the Loop.

When to go

May to October. Summer is hot and the city moves outdoors — lake beaches, festivals, terraces. September and October are the pleasantest months. Winter is harsh and windy: the Windy City name comes from local politics more than weather, but the wind off Lake Michigan makes the confusion reasonable. April is unsettled and worth avoiding.

Getting around

The L, the elevated railway whose trains circle the Loop above the streets, is both transport and an attraction. It serves both airports. Downtown walks very well, and the Chicago Riverwalk runs along the river at water level, away from the traffic. Bike share covers the lakefront, where an unbroken path runs some thirty kilometres.

Where to eat

Deep dish pizza, thick as a pie and eaten with a fork, divides Chicagoans themselves. The local hot dog comes with seven toppings and never ketchup — the rule is taken seriously. The Italian beef sandwich completes the trio. The city also has a dense fine-dining scene that bears no relation to that reputation. Thirteen halal addresses are listed.

Good to know

The US dollar is the currency, tax is added at the register and a tip of 18 to 20 % is expected. Wind near the lake drops the felt temperature by several degrees, in summer as in winter. The city is stretched far north to south: take the neighbourhoods one at a time. And Lake Michigan has urban beaches, which surprises people and earns a July morning.

Smart Planning