Where Are You Going? Chicago
November 14, 2019
In just a few short weeks I will be going back to, in my opinion, the best city in the United States. Chicago is home to some of the most famous American landmarks, amazing food, talented sports teams, unbeatable entertainment stars, bargain shopping, and one of the most beautiful skylines. I could go on and on about how amazing I think Chicago is, but I think I should just prove it to you. Here is the ultimate guide to the Windy City.
The beautiful sights of Chicago are one of a kind and rich in history. The Chicago Fire in 1871 devastated the city, but it also is the main reason Chicago is as beautiful as it is today. Because of the fire, the city coordinators were able to plan out the city unlike almost all other cities around the world. The fire caused a universal building scheme that allows the city to appear as cohesive. One of the only buildings to survive the Chicago Fire is the Water Tower, which is still standing today. Chicago is known as a business hub, especially after the fire, “After the 1874 fire, the slow and expensive process of rebuilding with fireproof materials began. Big banks and businesses, which handled millions of dollars in revenue every year, dominated Chicago’s new business district” (Schons, 2011). In addition to all the business buildings and banks, we have the Willis Tower, the John Hancock Center, the Trump Tower & Hotel, and the Water Tower Place. The Willis Tower is the tallest building in Chicago and has a beautiful view of the city from the 103rd floor. The best view of the skyline is by the Adler Planetarium and no matter the time of year, it is always breathtaking.
Deep dish pizza, Portillos, Garrett’s popcorn, Chicago style hot dogs, and Chicago Italian beef are only a few examples of the amazing variety of food that the Windy City has to offer. In Chicago, you will lose money and gain calories because of how good the food is. No one can master deep dish pizza like Giordano’s (and I guess Lou Malnati’s depending on who you talk to). For those of you who do not know what deep dish pizza is, it is pizza that is inches deep and has sauce on the top instead of cheese. It is one of a kind and Chicago is known as THE place to get it. You will never go with a grumble in your stomach when you are in the city because of the countless, delicious options.
Chicago houses some of the best music artists, sports teams, and movies of our generation. Our generation’s most recently talked about artist was raised in Chicago. Can you guess who it is? None other but Kanye West! Kanye’s song “Homecoming” is all about Chicago and all of the things he loves about it. In addition to Kanye, some other artists that are from Chicago are: Chance the Rapper, Chicago, Earth, Wind, & Fire, Fall Out Boy, and Jennifer Hudson. In the 1990s to early 2000s a lot of classic movies were filmed here in Chicago. A few of the movies include Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, My Best Friend’s Wedding, Sixteen Candles, Home Alone, The Dark Knight, Transformers, Divergent, The Fugitive, and Spider-Man 2. Chicago sports teams have won numerous Stanley Cup, World Series, NBA Championship, and Superbowl titles over many years. The most recent win for Chicago was when the 2016 Cubs won the World Series title after 108 years without it. “Officials estimate that 5 million people showed up to the Chicago Cubs parade and rally Friday, making it the 7th largest gathering in human history” (Fox32, 2016). Chicagoans are filled with pride for their city, especially when it comes to sports.
It is so easy to shop till you drop in a city with thousands of cute and trendy shopping options. Magnificent Mile is the epicenter of shopping in the city, “The Magnificent Mile boasts more than 460 retailers, including popular brands; major department stores; international luxury labels and designers; and three vertical shopping centers, each with incentives and premier savings”. Another hidden hotspot for shopping is Nordstrom Last Chance, which is a little bit outside the city. There are only two of those stores in the entire United States and it is a “final-clearance store for returned and overstocked merchandise from Nordstrom stores, Nordstrom Rack, and Nordstrom.com”. They have designer brand clothing at thrift store prices. Shopping never gets old in this city and neither does my wallet because of the countless great deals!
Chicago is an amazing city filled with beautiful sights and people. I encourage everyone to go and experience all this city has to offer at least once in your lifetime! I hope you can use this as your guide to explore the Windy City!
Sources:
https://www.nationalgeographic.org/article/chicago-fire-1871-and-great-rebuilding/
https://www.themagnificentmile.com/shopping/
https://shop.nordstrom.com/store-details/last-chance-clearance-store
Written by: Kaitlyn Skarstein
Kaitlyn loves being able to write for the SA blog because she thinks it is important to share her voice. She loves being able to express her own opinions on important subjects that are relevant for students, faculty, and many others.