Chicago

At the same time, the immigrants from Africa presented Chicago with jazz. It’s a unique combination of African rhythms and European harmony. It included the Windy City to the history of music forever. 

Nowadays, the Aframericans conclude one-third of Chicago’s population (33%). The other two-thirds are shared between the white Americans (32%) and Latin Americans (29%). There are 5.5% of Asians in this city. The remaining 11.5% are the representatives of other ethnical groups.

The Great Chicago Fire of 1871 destroyed the majority of the city. However, this tragic event caused the building boom. As a result, Chicago rose from the ashes like a Phoenix and became the architectural center of the country. In the period from 1880 to 1890, the first skyscraper in the world was built in the city. At the same time, the University of Chicago was founded that eventually became one of the best educational establishments in the world. This is a period of industrial and economic uplift of Chicago. It grew to the second in size city in the country.

Chicago acquired the modern shape in the second half of the XX century. It became more comfortable for life. The suburbs were formed and famous constructions appeared. The Willis Tower was one of them.

Nowadays, the city on the southwestern coast of Lake Michigan is the second major financial center of the country, the largest transportation junction, and tourist center.

• Enjoy the views! This incredible city became the prototype of Gotham from the famous DC comics about Batman. It definitely offers places to admire. First of all, stroll along the Chicago Riverwalk, feasting your eyes on the sparkling facades of the modern skyscrapers and grand spires of the tower-blocks from the previous century. After that, watch this splendor from the height of the 103rd floor. The observation deck of the Skydeck Chicago will assist you in this. It’s made in the form of a transparent capsule and will let you evaluate the beauty of the city from a mesmerizing perspective.
• Admire the panorama of Chicago in a more original way. Take a look at the city through the reflection of the renowned Cloud Gate. This iron sculpture which resembles a huge mirror-like bean is located in Millennium Park. Here you can also explore a charming Lurie Garden with a diversity of plants and watch the show of the interactive Crown Fountain.
• Check out the Museum Campus of Chicago and don’t hurry to leave it. This place can entertain anyone. The territory of 230 thousand square kilometers offers the Adler Planetarium, Shedd Aquarium, and Field Museum of Natural History. Here you shall see the skeleton of a T-Rex, celestial spheres, and over 25 thousand fish.
• Visit the Art Institute of Chicago. It has the largest collection (after the Louvre) of the Impressionists’ paintings: from Claude Monet and Pierre-Auguste Renoir to Andy Warhol and Jackson Pollock.
• Get a cuteness overload at Lincoln Park Zoo. Animals here live in open-air cages behind a fence. The inside cages for the winter period match as closely as possible the environmental conditions.
• Buy yourself something new at one of the shops on the Magnificent Mile. It’s one of the most renowned shopping streets in the world, located on Michigan Avenue. You can buy anything in this shopping district: jewelry, clothes, perfumes, cosmetics, homewares, dishware, and even furniture.
• Experience an adrenaline rush with the Untouchable Gangster Tour which reflects the old stomping grounds of Al Capone. The tour is in an old school bus. The guides are professional actors who turn the ride into a unique show. And don’t forget to stop by The Green Mill! It’s the favorite jazz-bar of the Chicago gangsters led by Al Capone.
• Give yourself unforgivable memories and enjoy a ride on a 45-meter Ferris wheel in Navy Pier. There is an amusement park, cafes, and a museum with dinosaurs for children on its territory.