Chicago, Illinois

Chicago, Illinois: The Windy City!

Chicago is the third most populous city in the United states with 2.7 million residents. It originally started as a town in 1833 with just 200 people. It quickly became the fastest growing city in the mid-nineteenth century. Today, it is one of the busiest cities and an international center for industry, commerce, finance, technology, communications, and transportations. In fact, the O’Hare International Airport is the busiest airport in the world. In 2012, Chicago had the third largest gross metropolitan product in the United States with $571 billion. Chicago’s culture is also very profound with contributions such as visual arts, film, theater, improvisational comedy, jazz, blues, soul, and house music.

When I was there, I found its nickname, The Windy City, to be very true. It was cloudy and foggy, and of course, it was extremely windy. I think Chicago is so windy because it is right next to Lake Michigan. My family and I decided to take a tour of the on a tour bus. This was very efficient because there is so much to see in the city. The tour bus took us to the most important places to go, and the guide explained each place as we went. It was also quite nice to be inside the warm bus and not out in the wind. Some of the most memorable places we went to include University of Chicago, Lake Michigan, and the house of President Obama.

My favorite part of the tour and the city in general was the streets. The tall buildings, bright lights, roads booming with people…it was a moment when I realized how much I truly appreciated the city. Because Chicago is one of the most famous cities in the world, it gave me a real insight into city life. I just absolutely loved every part of it. I definitely want to live in a city in the future.

The downside of the city life is its outrageous prices. The tours were $30 for kids, $60 for adults, and that was the cheapest tour we could find. The parking fee was $32 for 6 hours. We stayed at the Hilton Hotel, which was definitely more expensive than it usually in other cities. We also had to pay $34 for parking at the hotel separately. The gas prices were way above $4. Because we spent so much that day, we decided to have pizza for dinner. Even if we did not spend so much, we still would’ve gotten pizza because one of the first things I think of when I think of Chicago is the Chicago Deep Dish Pizza.

I know it looks really gross, but it was hands down one of the best pizzas I ever had. I would say it is more like a pie than a pizza, and often times it is actually called a pizza pie. One slice will fill you up, and every bite is just pure heaven. I definitely recommend trying it some time in your life.

One thing I regret about my visit to Chicago is that I did not get to see the city at night. My mom was down with a cold, probably from all the wind she got during the day. I just had to be satisfied with the spectacular view from our hotel room. Still, Chicago was one of the most exciting places I have ever been to. If you ever go there, I would recommend taking at least 2 days to tour because there is just so much to see!

Next stop: Lake Erie!