Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

'The Windy City' as Chicago is nicknamed. Reason for that are actually the strong winds coming from Lake Michigan. The nickname was coined before Charles Dana from the NY Sun called Chicago 'The Windy City" because of its shown competitivness when competing against New York City to be the host for the world fair in 1893. Located on the shores of Lake Michigan in the heart of the Midwest, Chicago is home to the blues, several sports teams an internationally acclaimed symphony orchestra, spectacular live theater, celebrated architecture, and thousands of restaurants, museums and shopping.

The city’s international renown for inspired architecture began after the 1871 Great Chicago fire, when its blank landscape and reputation for innovation attracted leading and up-and-coming architects of the day. One result was the world’s first “skyscraper” - the Home Insurance Building built in 1885. Though gone, this building set Chicago en route to becoming a living architecture museum that today includes three of the world’s tallest buildings: Sears Tower (1,450 feet); AON Center (1,136 feet); and the John Hancock Center (1,127 feet).