Chicago boasts a wide variety of things to do and places to visit. Chicago is a very diverse city with something for everyone. If you appreciate architecture, take a stroll or a horse-drawn carriage ride around the "Loop," the business centre of the downtown area. If you're not afraid of heights take a trip to the top of the 110-storey Sears Tower, one of the world's tallest buildings.
The lakefront offers a number of great beach and water activities as well as walking, running, cycling, and skating along the trails. There is also an extensive network of parks to play ball or just read a book. If you like to shop you'll love the shops lining Michigan Avenue in the area known as "The Magnificent Mile." There are also a number of world-class museums and zoos, such as the Field Museum of Natural History, Museum of Science & Industry, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Adler Planetarium, the John G. Shedd Aquarium and Oceanarium, the Lincoln Park Zoo and the Brookfield Zoo.
Chicago also has a great performing arts tradition, which is displayed in the Theatre District's numerous venues such as the Chicago Theatre. Also, there are the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Lyric Opera House, the Joffrey Ballet of Chicago, and of course jazz and blues played in the many bars and clubs.
Lastly, for the professional sports fan there are two baseball teams, the White Sox and the Cubs, the Bulls for basketball, the Bears for football, the Blackhawks and Wolves for ice hockey, and the Fire for soccer. There are also a number of colleges and universities in the area, most of which have substantial athletics programs.
Chicago is home to some of the finest restaurants in the world. You can find cuisines from all corners of the globe. Costs and quality vary. Books and magazines containing details of restaurants around the city are readily available at local bookstores.
The public transportation system in the Chicago area is quite good and reasonably priced. The Metra is the electric train that connects the city and suburbs that has numerous lines and a very accommodating schedule with reliable service. The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) has both trains (including the "El or Elevated Train") and buses that connect much of the city. The CTA is also quite reliable. Taxicabs are all over the city and it is very easy to hale a cab anytime during the day. It is also customary to tip the cab driver.
