Chicagotravel guide

Chicago, the "Windy City"is the home of the blues and jazz, the heart of comedy and the idea of the skyscraper. Butcher of hogs and believer in progress, it is one of the world's great cities, and yet the metropolitan luxuries of theater, shopping, and fine dining have barely put a dent in real Midwestern friendliness.

It's a city with a swagger, but without the surliness or even the fake smiles found in other cities of its size. It is the largest city in both Illinois and the Midwest, and the third most populous city in the United States.

Chicago was founded in 1833, near a portage between the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River watershed. The Potawatomi were forcibly removed from their land following the Treaty of Chicago. The city became a major transportation and telecommunications hub in North America.

Globally recognized, Chicago has numerous nicknames, which reflect the impressions and opinions about historical and contemporary Chicago. The best known include: "Chi-town", "Second City", and the "City of Big Shoulders". Chicago has also been called "the most American of big cities".