Chicagoans will be the first to tell you: The “Windy City” can hold a candle to some of the world’s most cosmopolitan metros.
Ask a newcomer to the city, and they’ll likely second that sentiment.
“Chicago deserves to be on that premier global list; it’s right up there with places like London and New York,” says Mark Theis, who moved to the city six months ago to take on his new position as executive vice president, sales, for the Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau, following a six-year tenure as vice president of the San Francisco CVB’s Convention Division.
Chicago makes a great first impression with its central location, outstanding architecture and lakeside setting, complete with 32 beaches and 26 miles of waterfront bike paths, but that’s just the beginning, Theis says, pointing to Chicago Mayor Richard Daley’s “make it happen, and make it happen right reputation,” which has beautified the city from the ground up, resulting in one of the cleanest metros around.
“The clean and flowering aspect is felt from the minute you drive out of O’Hare all the way down to Michigan Avenue,” Theis says. “But Chicago also singles itself out with fine restaurants and vast culinary talent, 200 theaters, performing arts, an amazing collection of museums that are really bar none, and nightlife, which next to New York has the second-most-vibrant pulse.”
Beyond its aesthetic and cosmopolitan appeal, there are plenty of wow factors that set Chicago apart, Theis says, noting McCormick Place, which will be home to 2.7 million total square feet of space when its McCormick Place West expansion opens in August, and airport expansions at O’Hare and Midway, along with a promising bid for the 2016 Olympics.
Along the lakefront, Millennium Park is another remarkable new investment that is one of the city’s top outdoor options for special events, with venues such as the striking Frank Gehry-designed Pritzker Pavilion.
The park joins longtime venue standouts such as historic Navy Pier overlooking Lake Michigan, which has been completely restored and redeveloped; Museum Campus, home to the Adler Planetarium, the John G. Shedd Aquarium and the Field Museum of Natural History, with the skeleton of “Dinosaur Sue” presiding over its Great Hall; the world-renowned Art Institute of Chicago; and the 1,127-foot John Hancock Center, rising 100 floors above the city.
An architectural boat tour with companies such as Chicago Line Cruises is another sure bet for an impressive group outing, as are quintessential experiences such as an evening at the landmark Second City theater, which has spawned comic greats such as John Belushi, Mike Myers, Bill Murray, and Gilda Radner; a blues blowout at Buddy Guy’s Legends; or a taste of the town—from the gourmet fare of celebrated restaurants like Charlie Trotter’s, which hosts private events and also features a catering division, to ethnic specialties like a plump pierogi or an authentic deep-dish pizza.
Any way you slice it, Chicago is a one-of-a-kind kind of town.
