Shoppers
Shopping along Michigan Avenue is as good — or better — than New York City.

Architecture Buffs
The first skyscraper was built here and Frank Lloyd Wright lived and created in nearby Oak Park.

Theater Buffs
Comedy clubs, performing arts, dramatic plays — it’s all here.

Sports Fans
The Cubs, White Sox, Bulls, and Bears all make their home here.

Transfers
Transfers are not included with your vacation package. To get into the city on your own, taxis, shared vans, and train options are available.

Rail
Chicago's extensive rail network includes both subway and elevated (the latter known as the El). Each of the seven lines has a color (red, blue, yellow, purple, green, orange, and brown). The red and blue lines are subways, the rest are elevated, so look down or up, depending on which line you are trying to locate. Exact fares must be paid in cash or by transit card. Transit cards are plastic and credit-card size and can be purchased from machines at CTA train stations. Visitor passes are another option and are offered in one-, two-, three-, and five-day increments. If traveling late at night, a taxi is recommended over the train. Both O’Hare and Midway Airports are connected to downtown Chicago via the train.

Bus
Where the train doesn’t go, a bus route surely does. Exact change is required and also a transfer, if coming off the train. If going to McCormick Place, Bus 3 (King Drive), Bus 4 (Cottage Grove), and Bus 21 (Cermak) stop at 23rd Street and Martin Luther King Drive and travel north to downtown Chicago.

Taxi
Taxis can be hailed on the street and are generally easy to come by. All taxis are metered.

Car
Chicago's network of buses and rapid transit rail is extensive, and taxis are readily available, so rent a car only to visit the outlying suburbs that are not accessible by public transportation.

Foot
Many areas are great to walk around — down Michigan Avenue, along the lakefront, and in the many neighborhoods.

The dining options in Chicago are endless and just as good as the list is long. Top-rated restaurants are in just about every section of the city, but the majority are located downtown. New restaurants are opening all the time, so ask the concierge of your hotel for any recent openings that they would recommend. It’s also advisable to make reservations. Enjoy!

• Charlie Trotter's
  This multiple award-winning restaurant offers a fresh culinary experience with ever-changing menus and a wine list that is unparalleled in Chicago.
• Costa's
  Elegant Greek dishes such as grilled lamb, fish, and kebabs are served to the tune of soothing piano music.
• Everest
  Located on the 40th floor of the Chicago Stock Exchange, Everest boasts remarkable French cuisine and a wine list that is as spectacular as the views.
• Gino's East
  A favorite of locals, celebrities, and visitors from around the world, Gino's East serves the quintessential, Chicago-style, deep-dish pizza.
• mk
  Chic and cosmopolitan, mk is the place to see and be seen. Enjoy succulent contemporary American cuisine, a wonderful wine list, and a dining room filled with people dressed for dinner.
• Nick's Fishmarket
  Take your choice of an elegant dining room or a casual grill, Nick's serves fabulous seafood as well as an American Continental menu.
• Pompei Bakery
  A cafeteria-style restaurant serving excellent pizzas and pastas. For dessert, try Italian chocolate sheet cake or a chocolate-dipped cannoli.
• Rhapsody
  With floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking an outdoor dining area and small park, the dining room at serves delightful contemporary American cuisine.

After dinner the options are endless. There are blues bars, dance clubs, outstanding performing arts theater, comedy clubs, and more.

All the major department stores can be found here, mainly along Michigan Avenue. Here you’ll find Neiman Marcus, Marshall Field's, Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue, Lord & Taylor, and Barneys New York, all within walking distance of each other.

The Bucktown and Wicker Park areas, besides offering some of the best people watching in the city, have an intriquing mix of cutting-edge galleries, small businesses, and a bizarre bazaar of shops.

In Chicago, during the summer, there is literally a festival every weekend. To get the latest on all the happenings, pick up a copy of the Chicago Tribune, or visit www.choosechicago.com. Below is a short list of summer happenings:

Chicago Blues Festival
June. 2008 will mark the 25th year for this legendary festival.

Country Music Festival
June. Grant Park hosts country music’s top talents during the Chicago Country Music Festival. Experience a medley of country music featuring, classic country, bluegrass & western swing.

Taste of Chicago
The week before and after the 4th of July. The largest free-admission food and music festival in the U.S., this 10-day party provides everything from hot dogs to haute cuisine dished out by 70-plus area restaurants. Featuring live music, cooking demonstrations, a wine garden, and family fun!

Chicago Air and Water Show
August. The oldest and largest free admission air exhibition of its kind in the U.S., featuring civilian and military aircraft and watercraft. Spectators will watch in amazement as planes navigate around the city and watercrafts splash across the lakefront.

Chicago Jazz Fest
Last August/early September. Prestigious jazz groups from the local confines of Chicago to the international level.

German Fest
September. Celebration of German traditions includes food tents, beer and wine, live German music, dancing.

Celtic Fest
September. A two-day festival in Chicago's Grant Park celebrates the music, dance and traditions of many Celtic regions such as Brittany, Wales, Cornwall, Isle of Man, Galicia, Ireland, and Scotland.

Baseball

• Wrigley Field
  If you love baseball, head to Wrigley Field where baseball is played like it use to be with a real grass field and seats packed with fans.
• U.S. Cellular Field
  Home to the 2005 World Series Champs, the Chicago White Sox with a 15,000-square-foot baseball and softball skills instructions for kids.

Catch a Game
While Cubs home games at Wrigley Field are normally sold out before the season's first pitch, you can still see the game. Arrive early and you'll find ticket brokers and season ticket holders selling tickets. Then take in the festive atmosphere of all the taverns surrounding the park in Wrigleyville.

Chicago for Free
For those on a tight budget, the Windy City has a multitude of free attractions such as seeing the animals at the Lincoln Park Zoo and watching fireworks from Navy Pier on Wednesday and Saturday evenings during the summer.

Chicago Greeter
The Chicago Office of Tourism invites visitors to meet Chicagoans and experience the new Chicago Greeter service, a volunteer-based program that gives Chicagoans a chance to show visitors their favorite things about their city. With this program, the Chicago Office of Tourism will match a friendly, city-wise local with you for a two- to four-hour informal, insider orientation.

Millennium Park
The 24.5-acre park where you can attend an outdoor concert, go ice skating, have dinner, and so much more. Also available is a free, downloadable MP3 audio tour at www.millenniumpark.org/.

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