"Sweet Home, Chicago!" a Chicago Travel Page by londonlover

Chicago has been my hometown for 26 years! Actually, I live in the northern suburbs, which is great for those who want easy access to all the city's benefits, but enjoy a slightly more laidback life. Chicago is an amazing city, with a unique "feel" and spirit...and lucky me, I'm close enough that it's always there when I get the urge to see it!

If you have any questions about Chi-town, just let me know! I may not be able to answer everything, but I can probably lead you to someplace or somebody that can. Chicago has so much to offer in the way of music, food, architecture, friendly people, shopping, arts, science, the lakefront, and so much more that you would never get bored!

A must-visit website for those planning a visit is the offical Chicago homepage at http://egov.cityofchicago.org.

To the best of my knowledge, all of these pictures are my own and were taken by myself or one of my family members, except for the Art Museum and the inside of Sayat Nova.

Please check out my travelogues as well. Thanks for visiting!

Newest addition: Restaurant tips on the Chocolate Buffet in the Peninsula Hotel, and The Melting Pot fondue restaurant


Tara's Top Ten List: Best Things to Do in Chicago

10. Go to one of the summertime neighborhood festivals.

9. Walk or ride a bike along the Lake Michigan lakeshore exercise path.

8. Visit the Field Museum of Natural History.

7. Take an architectural boat tour down the Chicago River.

6. Have the chocolate buffet at the Peninsula Hotel in Chicago.

5. Shop (or window shop!) along Michigan Avenue.

4. Stroll through Navy Pier and ride the ferris wheel on the pier.

3. Visit the Art Institute of Chicago.

2. Have a buffet lunch at the Signature Room on the 95th Floor in the Hancock Building.

1. Go to the top of the Sears Tower at dusk.

Local radio stations:
60's and 70's oldies: The Drive 97.1 (my favorite!)
Classic and modern rock: 93.1 XRT (best DJ: Terri Hemmert!)
Classical: 98.7 WFMT (mostly classical, some talk)
Light rock: Love 100.3 (love songs from several decades)
Smooth jazz: 95.5 WNUA

Local TV networks:
CBS: Channel 2
NBC: Channel 5
ABC: Channel 7
WGN (Superstation): 9

Chicago is on Central Time, and we operate on Daylight Savings Time in the summertime.


Average July high temperature: 84 F
Average January high temperature: 32 F

1. The "Living Room" is called the "front room"
(pronounced fronchroom)
2. You don't pronounce the "s" at the end of Illinois. You become irritated at people who do.
3. You measure distance in minutes (especially "from the city"). And you always say everything is pretty much 15 minutes away.
4. You have no problem spelling or pronouncing
"DesPlaines" (DisPlaines) or "Lisle"(lyle).
5. Your school classes were canceled because of cold.
6. Your school classes were canceled because of heat.
7. You've had to switch from "heat" to "A/C" in the same day.
8. Stores don't have sacks, they have bags.
9. You end your sentences with an unnecessary preposition. Example: "Where's my coat at?" or "If you go to the mall--- I wanna go with."
10. You carry jumper cables in your car.
11. You drink "pop," not "soda."
12. You understand that I -290, I-90, I-94,and I-294 are all different roads.
13. You know the names of the interstates: Stevenson, Kennedy, Eisenhower, Dan Ryan, and the Edens. But you call the interstates "expressways".
14. You refer to anything South of I-80 as "Southern Illinois".
15. You refer to Lake Michigan as "The Lake".
16. You refer to Chicago as "The City".
17. "The Super Bowl" refers to one specific game in a series of 35 played in January of 1986. GO BEARS!!
18. No matter where you are, when you hear the term
"Downtown" you immediately assume they're talking about downtown Chicago.
19. You have two favorite football teams: The Bears, and anyone who beats the Packers.
20. You buy "The Trib".
21. You think 35 degrees is great weather to wash your car.
22. You know what goes on a Chicago Style Hot Dog.
23. You know what Chicago Style Pizza REALLY is.
24. You know why they call Chicago "The Windy City".
25. You understand what "lake-effect" and "wind-chill factor" means.
26. You know the difference between Amtrak and Metra, and know which station they end up at.
27. You have ridden the "L" (and you still are not hearing impaired....)
28. You can distinguish between the following area codes: 847, 630, 773, 708, 312, & 815
29. You respond to the question "Where are you from" with a "side," example: "WEST SIDE", "SOUTH SIDE" or "NORTH SIDE."
30. You know the phone number for Empire Carpet (588-2300).