Things to do / Travel Guide
Frank Sinatra sang it best, when he sang, “Chicago is my kind of town!” However he could have sung about the entire region of metro Chicago and southern Wisconsin, what with the areas' multitude of attractions, activities, and entertainment. From Navy Pier's amusement park rides on Lake Michigan in Chicago, to the dairy farms and culturally-blended mix of southern Wisconsin - there is something for everyone!
The first thing that should hit you as you arrive in Chicago - or Chicagoland, as the locals are fond of calling the whole metro area - is its world-famous architecture. Architecture enthusiasts come to see the beauties of Chicago, and of southern Wisconsin, created by such luminaries as Frank Lloyd Wright, Louis Sullivan, and Frank Gehry. Metro Chicago and southern Wisconsin boasts a large number of Frank Lloyd Wright masterpieces; and you know the city of Chicago is going to have great buildings when the skyscraper was practically invented there! Whether the Robie House is your style or the Sears Tower, you'll never run out of awesome edifices! And don't miss the Bean - I mean Cloud Gate - in Millennium Park.
You'll have a great time touring the amazing architecture that made Chicago famous while eating a famous Chicago dog or the amazing Chicago deep dish pizza. Chicago is known for its own street cuisine, and it's also a rising star as the location of some of the most innovative and avant-garde restaurants in the nation. Exploring Milwaukee's German heritage can be exhilarating while sampling some of “Beer City's” world-famous brew, eating a very Wisconsin braut, or some Wisconsin cheddar cheese!
History buffs visit the locales where Old World Europe met the New World of the U.S., the old neighborhoods of Chicago and Milwaukee that absorbed new citizens from Germany, Poland, Switzerland, and more. Much of Chicago history centers around the Great Chicago Fire in 1871, like downtown's old Water Tower and Pumping House. Two worlds, of Old World charm and the hustle of modern day life, gracefully meet in Chicago and southern Wisconsin. Another focal point for the tours in Chicago is the city's gangster past. The city's “honored” citizens like Al Capone and John Dillinger might have departed long ago, but their stamp on the streets and locations is indelible.
A visit to Madison, Wisconsin will reinforce for you the fact that the city has been rated time and again, by various sources, the best American city in which to live. The reasons for so high an assertion is partly due to the city's layout: The downtown is laid out along a half-mile-wide and two-mile-long isthmus, and that's where a lot of the excitement is. It's also a university city, with the University of Wisconsin-Madison attracting much entertainment and culture wiles to the city.
Lovers of jazz and blues come to pay homage to the Midwestern cities that put it on the map, while rock and roll enthusiasts can strike a cord and feel at home in Chicago when visiting the famous studios that helped put musicians from Muddy Waters to the Rolling Stones on the map. The entertainment possibilities in Chicago are endless, the choice being between live music of all stripes, 1920s-style bars, a theater district second in the U.S. only to Broadway, improv featuring the birthplace of the art form, and opera, symphony, and ballet.
Chicago has always been known as the U.S.'s “Second City” - never mind that L.A. has overtaken it in terms of population. The Second City gets people thinking about tall buildings and bustling streets, while the region deserves a hard second look with regard to the outdoors: Bike trails showcase the fascinating prairies and forests, and run alongside Lake Michigan, for a unique display of the best of urban, suburban, and rural scenery. Fishing and kayaking have picked up speed, on the Chicago River in Chicago, all along Lake Michigan, and on the Yahara River, Lake Mendota, and Lake Monona near Madison.
What city other than Chicago offers you the best collection of Frank Lloyd Wright homes along with some of the most beautiful and daunting skyscrapers ever to adorn a skyline? Southern Wisconsin is a capital of Midwest Americana, boasting the headquarters of Harley-Davidson, the best breweries in the country (no exaggeration!), and some of the best dairy and meat products as well. Good times await, in Wisconsin's cheese and ‘braut country, and “Sweet Home Chicago.”
The Metro Chicago and southern Wisconsin region is in the U.S. Central Standard Time (CST) zone, or GMT -6:00.
While serious crime has dropped in the area, there are still some places you don't want to be caught in, night or day. These are mostly in the communities south of the Loop, such as South Loop and West Loop, Riverdale, Roseland, and West Pullman.
Neighborhoods to stay away from at night include Englewood, Eastern Morgan Park, Marquette Park, Pullman, East Chicago, Brainerd, and Gresham.
Most areas, like Near North, the Loop, the Gold Coast, Old Town, Lincoln Park, and Lake View, are perfectly safe.
Chicago has a bit of a rodent problem. Therefore, always make sure to close your windows when you park your car in the city. This isn't just so you'll have a car to return to the next morning - critters such as raccoons also like to go treasure hunting throughout the car.
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