This is what I really like about Chicago, and why it’s best to go now

For those who merely learn the headlines about Chicago, you may be scared to go to and query why folks stay there. Stories of crime and homelessness are plentiful, so it is a query many people who willingly stay right here get requested.

Chicago has misplaced residents over the previous a number of years, however that’s typically attributed to excessive taxes — to not crime or different big-city troubles. There are many causes to stay in Chicago and much more causes to go to. This is why I really like Chicago and why it may be price taking a visit there now.

Chicago is one in all America’s greatest massive cities

Rising up in St. Louis, Chicago at all times represented “the massive metropolis” to me. I’ve numerous reminiscences of visiting, together with once I celebrated my twenty first birthday at Carmine’s on Rush (RIP), acquired on Wrigley Area for my birthday and noticed “Joyful Birthday Caroline” displayed on the massive display at then-Comiskey Park.

Over time, Chicago grew to become “the massive metropolis” I dreamt of dwelling in. In 1998, when strolling forward of my dad and mom as I tended to do, I rotated and declared that I used to be going to stay on Michigan Avenue at some point. Twenty-four years later, my dream got here true.

This is what guests ought to know.

It is probably the most accessible US metro

With almost 3 million folks, Chicago is the third most populous metropolis within the U.S., behind New York Metropolis and Los Angeles. One of many issues I really like most about Chicago is that, even with that many individuals, you do not want a automobile to get round.

There are two key transit methods that function within the larger Chicagoland space: the Chicago Transit Authority L prepare and bus system providers town, whereas the Metra connects downtown to the suburbs. The CTA system is simple and low-cost to make use of ($2.50 for L prepare, $2.25 for bus one-way). The L (brief for “elevated” prepare) is the quickest and most reasonably priced choice to get to Chicago Halfway Worldwide Airport (MDW) and O’Hare Worldwide Airport (ORD) through the Orange and Blue traces, respectively.

Nonetheless, I usually want the bus for a number of causes: It is above floor all the time (thus extra temperature managed), it is simpler to entry and it feels safer to me since it is a smaller area that continues to be fully in view.

For those who want to journey on foot, that can also be doable, notably in case you are ranging from one of many downtown neighborhoods, together with Streeterville, River North, the West Loop, Gold Coast and the Loop.

My favourite stroll to absorb Chicago is slightly below 3 miles. Begin at Oak Avenue Seaside in Gold Coast, stroll alongside Lake Shore Drive and Lake Michigan to Lincoln Park, and proceed on Stockton Drive by means of the park to Fullerton Ave earlier than chopping over to North Lakeview Ave, the place you may admire some lovely properties. You’ll want to cease by my favourite farmers market — the Inexperienced Metropolis Market in Lincoln Park — in the event you’re there on a Saturday in season.

Strolling north, south and east is the simplest route. Whilst you can stroll from downtown to a western neighborhood, the stroll will not be almost as nice. Thus, I’d advocate public transit if getting into that course.

Uber and Lyft rides are plentiful, whereas cabs are extra restricted however accessible downtown. Chicago site visitors will be heavy, notably heading south on Lake Shore Drive, north on the Kennedy Expressway to ORD and the northwest suburbs, and west to West City and past.

One other different to keep away from site visitors is hopping on a Divvy bike. Chicago is likely one of the most bike-friendly cities, a lot in order that even I (somebody who hadn’t biked since childhood) was in a position to navigate throughout town. We’ve the second-highest share of bike-to-work commuters, per town of Chicago, with greater than 300 miles of motorbike lanes, together with 19 that border Lake Michigan.

For a metropolis tucked in the midst of the nation, Chicago additionally has a formidable quantity of seashores — 29 to be actual — all alongside the Lake Michigan shoreline. The winding Lakefront Path knits these seashores along with a sequence of parks and 18 miles of motorbike lanes, making for one of the vital scenic rides round city. The path itself is a purpose why I believe biking is likely one of the most enjoyable methods to see Chicago.

It is probably the most reasonably priced main home metropolis

Of the nation’s largest city areas (New York Metropolis, Los Angeles, Boston, San Francisco, Miami and Washington, D.C.), Chicago is probably the most reasonably priced, per information from Bankrate’s Value of Dwelling Calculator. The price of dwelling in Chicago in comparison with different main cities is as follows:

• 50.17% decrease than Manhattan
• 32.82% decrease than San Francisco
• 23.8% decrease than LA
• 21.59% decrease than Boston
• 21.27% decrease than Washington, D.C.
• 3.62% decrease than Miami

The info relies on housing, meals and way of life prices, together with clothes, leisure and private expenditures. Having lived in New York and Washington, D.C., probably the most noticeable value of dwelling lower for me has been the price of renting a big one-bedroom residence downtown. Numerous sources cite the typical one-bedroom lease in Chicago (throughout all neighborhoods) to be someplace between $1,900 and $2,100, per Zillow, Residences.com and Hire.com.

As a SINK (single earnings, no children), I deeply really feel the monetary financial savings of dwelling right here.

You could find reasonably priced flights utilizing factors or miles

Chicago generally is a actual discount when planning a go to, too. Spherical-trip flights are sometimes lower than $300 from most cities in America. Just some examples: You could find a round-trip ticket from New York to Chicago for an extended weekend this June for $123 on Spirit, $189 on Southwest or $225 on American Airways.

For those who’re coming from Houston, we discovered flights starting from $138 (on Spirit) to $217 (United, American or Southwest). From San Francisco, there have been flights as little as $207 round-trip on United.

Factors could make for an awesome deal choice, too — although usually, money costs are low-cost sufficient that it often makes extra sense to save lots of these factors. Nonetheless, we discovered widespread availability for 17,000 American Airways AAdvantage miles round-trip, and typically as little as 12,000 miles for coach tickets from cities like New York.

Lodge costs aren’t low-cost, however there are offers available

Resorts in Chicago can get dear relying on the time of yr and what conventions are on the town, however you may typically discover some good offers nonetheless, particularly in comparison with different massive cities like New York Metropolis.

A fast Google search of inns in June confirmed a lot of nice choices beneath $300 an evening.

In fact, there are some fabulous factors inns in Chicago, together with from Hilton, Hyatt, IHG and Marriott. A fast search of Hyatt inns for a similar weekend confirmed factors bookings for as few as 18,000 World of Hyatt factors per evening.

One in all my favourite Chicago inns — Park Hyatt Chicago — was simply 29,000 World of Hyatt factors per evening.

Midwest good is an actual factor

Regardless of rising up within the Midwest, I had by no means heard the phrase “Midwest good” till Chicago. This time period refers back to the demeanor of Midwesterners, who’re usually well mannered, passive, useful and nonconfrontational.

I’ve skilled this habits in random interactions with strangers — folks strike up a dialog whereas standing on a road nook, purchasing, consuming out or ready in line for espresso. Chicagoans like to speak — myself included. And, though that is particular to my expertise, I’ve discovered Chicago to be the simplest place to construct a neighborhood, together with by frequenting health studios. In my expertise, folks in Chicago are social and need to make pals.

For those who’re not a pupil, there are numerous organizations and activity-based teams the place you may meet folks, together with East Financial institution Membership, Sunday Morning Membership, Chicago Women Who Stroll, relationship occasions and operating golf equipment. There’s additionally a big intramural sports activities tradition, notably for tennis, with greater than 534 public courts. These teams might help Chicago really feel much less provincial, particularly when you’re not a Huge 10 alumni or from the Chicagoland space.

Having lived in Chicago as a 20-something and a 30-something, I’ve noticed town to be filled with transplants like myself trying to make pals in the event you put your self in locations to fulfill them.

Chicago can also be an enormous sports activities metropolis. Whether or not it is rallying across the metropolis’s groups or your native NFL or faculty soccer group, there’s possible a delegated neighborhood bar the place you may cheer in your group. Even in the event you don’t love the game, go to a bar with vibes you do like, and you may possible find yourself speaking to new folks on the very least.

And if all else fails, take your self for a stroll round one in all Chicago’s 100 neighborhoods. Strolling round and having fun with the structure is my favourite Chicago exercise.

There’s a lot to do (at no cost, too)

Regardless that Chicago feels distinctively Midwestern, it provides all that you’d discover in a cosmopolitan metropolis, from various eating places, nationwide theater performances, music exhibits and festivals, year-round skilled sports activities video games (two MLB groups, one NFL group, one NHL group, one NBA group, one WNBA group and one MLS group), 80-plus farmers markets, and lots of cultural establishments/museums and worldwide occasions.

I continuously get requested about my favourite native eating places. This can be a metropolis of eating places (7,300-plus), and so lots of them are wonderful. My private favorites by neighborhood embody:

• Lincoln Park: Armitage Alehouse, Athenian Room
• West Loop/Fulton Market: Duck Duck Goat, Kumiko
• River North: Planta
• Outdated City: Doma Cafe
• Logan Sq.: Lula Cafe
• Lakeview: Wheat’s Finish
• Southport: GC’s Hen Store
• Wicker Park: Handlebar, Bloom

I even have many suggestions for bakeries, espresso, well being meals shops, smoothies and juices:

• Bakeries: Uncooked and Ingrained (River North), each of which serve my gluten-dairy-free wants
• Espresso: Floor Up (River North and the West Loop)
• Well being shops: Bonne Sante (Hyde Park) and Chicago Well being Meals (Gold Coast)
• Juice: Dharma Delights, primarily offered on-line but additionally accessible at sure outposts, together with Zen Yoga Storage (my favourite yoga spot)
• Smoothies: Pure Inexperienced (a number of places)

Many vacationer points of interest are free, together with my high stroll spots — the Riverwalk and Lakefront Path. Different free highlights embody Millennium Park, the Bean, the Chicago Cultural Middle, the Buckingham Fountain, Garfield Park Conservatory, Harold Washington Library Middle (one in all largest public libraries within the U.S.), Lincoln Park Zoo and Conservatory, and the 606 Path.

Go to Chicago on a summer season weekend, and also you’re just about assured to run into an occasion, reminiscent of Lollapalooza, EEEEEATSCON, Delight Parade, Windy Metropolis Smokeout, NASCAR Avenue Race Weekend, Pitchfork Musical Competition, and Chicago Air and Water Present to call a number of. Practically each neighborhood has a meals fest in the course of the summer season, too. Seasonal occasions proceed within the fall and winter, reminiscent of ice skating in Millennium Park, Christkindlmarket and ZooLights, amongst others.

Music and humanities followers can take pleasure in one of many 40 annual movie festivals, 74 yearly music festivals and 250 stay music venues.

If you are going to go to Chicago and pay for one factor, I like to recommend reserving an structure boat tour (at evening). These boat excursions by no means get outdated to me: You’ll be able to take pleasure in an open-air higher deck and inside views of a few of the metropolis’s most lovely buildings whereas listening to their historical past narrated in a humorous and informative method. Excursions are supplied year-round, climate allowing.

With greater than 600 parks and 500 playgrounds, Chicago is family-friendly.

Chicago has its cons

The town is racially and ethnically various however segregated

Chicago is neighborhood-centric, and lots of residents follow their neighborhoods day-to-day. Like many different U.S. cities, Chicago has gentrified over time. Practically half of Chicago neighborhoods skilled a “fast improve in housing prices (a rise above the regional median) between 2000 and 2017,” per the City Displacement Venture.

Based mostly on 2023 U.S. Census information, the biggest racial make-up of Chicago residents are white (42%), black (29%) and Hispanic/Latino (32%). However lower-income households proceed to be priced out from town’s moderate-to-high-income neighborhoods that provide fascinating colleges, grocery shops, parks and different neighborhood benefits. Consequently, neighborhoods in Chicago can largely be homogenous, relying on the place you reside.

Even so, Chicago has a number of culturally various neighborhoods, together with Little Italy, Chinatown, Pilsen, Uptown, Rogers Park, Albany Park, Hyde Park and Humboldt Park.

Leaving my neighborhood has helped me recognize the melting pot that makes Chicago an awesome place to stay.

Chicago usually feels protected, regardless of statistics

One of the crucial widespread narratives about Chicago is that it’s not protected. Crime statistics recommend some issues are getting higher, although some violent crime has elevated.

In 2023, homicides and nonfatal shootings decreased by 12% and 14%, respectively, whereas total violent crime and citywide robberies elevated (14% and 40%) from the earlier yr, per the College of Chicago Crime Lab Finish of Yr report. This report notes that crime disproportionately impacts black victims and areas with minority residents, together with District 11, which incorporates Humboldt Park, West Garfield Park and East Garfield Park. Even so, the info exhibits violent and property crime trending down within the space, with 150 fewer taking pictures victims yr over yr.

General, I really feel protected in Chicago whereas adhering to fundamental security ideas, together with retaining my head on a swivel always, avoiding the L prepare alone at evening and strolling with a Birdie alarm. It is the identical recommendation you’d give for any massive metropolis — simply use your widespread sense.

Backside line

Chicago can turn out to be a extremely massive small city in the event you let it’s. For those who get out of your neighborhood (and luxury zone), you will discover various alternatives for neighborhood, tradition, leisure and inspiration amongst neighborhoods.

It is a gorgeous metropolis to go to, due to its plentiful museums, bike paths and public seashores. And do not forget to take a river cruise — it is top-of-the-line methods to see town.

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