Chicago Is My Kind of Town

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Google says: Chicago, on Lake Michigan in Illinois, is among the largest cities in the U.S. Famed for its bold architecture, it has a skyline punctuated by skyscrapers such as the iconic John Hancock Center, 1,451-ft. Willis Tower (formerly the Sears Tower) and the neo-Gothic Tribune Tower. The city is also renowned for its museums, including the Art Institute of Chicago with its noted Impressionist and Post-Impressionist works.


I started visiting Chicago in business back in the 80s. I much prefer Chicago to New York City, Los Angeles, London, Paris, Rome, or Moscow. For me, it is a big city but very manageable. Public transportation is very good, though O'Hare is a trek to and from downtown. The famous "El" can get me almost anywhere, along with an extensive bus system.


I did not know: The City of Chicago is located on land that is and has long been a center for Native peoples. The area is the traditional homelands of the Anishinaabe, or the Council of the Three Fires: the Ojibwe, Odawa, and Potawatomi Nations. Many other Nations consider this area their traditional homeland, including the Myaamia, Ho-Chunk, Menominee, Sac and Fox, Peoria, Kaskaskia, Wea, Kickapoo, and Mascouten. The City specifically acknowledges the contributions of Kitihawa of the Potawatomi in fostering the community that has become Chicago. We acknowledge all Native peoples who came before us and who continue to contribute to our City. We are committed to promoting Native cultural heritage.


Chicago is known for good food, dazzling architecture, and music and nightlife (Second City), and Lake Michigan. Three foods that define Chicago are deep dish pizza (not a personal favorite), Chicago hot dogs, and Chicago barbecue. I also love the Chicago beef sandwiches from Portillos.


Architecture here is highlighted by the Tribune Tower, the Rookery Building, Willis Tower (formerly the Sears Tower), and Chicago Cultural Center. I also enjoy Millenium Park, and the great museum buildings nearby.


Other attractions are Wrigley Field (one of my personal favorites), Chicago Riverwalk, the Navy Pier, the Magnificent Mile, and the old Water Tower.


Music and nightlife has long defined Chicago, with places like Rush Street, Jazz Showcase, Second City, Buddy Guy's, Ravinia, Lollapalooza, Chicago Gospel Festival, and House of Blues.
One of the funniest scenes EVER in a movie was in Blue Brothers. They gave 1060 W. Addison as their address. The police and sheriffs' departments descended upon the address, only to find Wrigley Field!!!


How about this? In Illinois, you might catch a whiff of the largest bakery in the world. Food giant Nabisco, which owns popular brands Oreo, Graham Crackers, Chips Ahoy!, and Ritz, is based in Chicago. The company's headquarters are roughly 170,000 square meters (1,800,000sq ft) in size, employing more than 1,400 people. It produces billions of our favorite American biscuits every year and the multiple ovens used are each the length of a US football field. Some of them are so big that they have actually been turned into apartments.


Chicago is known for its all-beef hot dogs served in a poppy seed bun. And while plenty of vendors sell them, Portillo’s is the place to go. It would be rude not to get the classic Jumbo Hot Dog with mustard, relish, chopped onions, sliced ripe tomato, sport peppers and pickles in a poppy seed bun. I always eat at Portillo's in Chicago and Scottsdale whenever I visit. The reputation of the Chicago Dog has its own joke that it must have been "dragged through the garden." This is in reference to the fact that it has so many toppings. This dog arrived in Chicago from Vienna thru Frankfurt, where pork sausages have been known since the 13th century.


Make time for a visit to Gene’s Sausage Shop. This independent grocery store, run by Polish brothers, stocks a fabulous selection of goods including family-recipe smoked sausage, Polish delicacies such as cabbage rolls, schnitzel, goulash, and stuffed duck, rustic breads, and candy imported from Europe. It’s also full of delightful quirks, like the rooftop beer and wine garden and resident life-size cow sculpture.


The neighborhoods are also interesting. Wicker Park is a delight, Greek town offers some great food. Wrigleyville near the ballpark feels like old Chicago.


The inside joke, if you insist, is the famous line, "Where's the Lake?" Meaning of course, which direction is Lake Michigan. I guess you had to be there?

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