"The Windy City" a Chicago Travel Page by midnight_mike

Despite being the third largest city in the United States, Chicago is a relatively unknown destination for international travelers. New York is the capital of the world, Los Angeles has movie stars, Las Vegas has gambling and Miami has South Beach. And Chicago?

I live in Chicago and I believe it is a wonderful place to live and visit. Each city has something different to offer. Finding out what makes Chicago a special place is no easy task. It is not a matter of finding special things, but deciding which ones are most important.

The first settler in Chicago was Jean-Baptiste Pointe du Sable, a Haitian who settled here in the 1770s. Unlike many of the settlers who followed him, he got along with the native Potawatomi tribe. In fact, he married a daughter of one of the chiefs.

Chicago was a premier destination for immigrants in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, but it wasn't always that way. The Potawatomi called the swamp area where du Sable settled Checagou, which means wild onion or garlic. Not as sexy of a name as Paris or Venice.

In the mid 1800s, Chicago became an important transportation hub. It was the railroad link between the eastern and western parts of the United States. The Illinois & Michigan Canal (1848) linked Lake Michigan and the rest of the Great Lakes to the Mississippi River.

Chicago experienced a devastating loss in 1871 when, as legend has it, a cow owned by Mrs. O'Leary knocked over a lamp, causing the Great Chicago Fire. Much of the city was burned, with the exception of water tower and a nearby pumping station.

In a strange way, the fire turned out to be a positive thing for Chicago. It allowed the city to rebuild during one of the most pivotal times in American history.

Rebuilding a major city is no easy task, as the people of New Orleans are now learning. With a thriving economy and a lot of prime real estate available, Chicago was an ideal choice for the first steel skyscraper (1885). With each passing year, the buildings grew taller and taller. Some of these buildings can still be found along Michigan Avenue, between Roosevelt and the Chicago River.

The next major chapter in Chicago history came in the 1920s when gangster Al Capone capitalized on the nationwide ban on alcohol. He gave underground drinking establishments an ultimatum: buy his whiskey or die. From that point onward, the became infamous for its crime and corruption.

Even though the city has gone through many changes since then, the gangster image has been hard to shed. Chicago needed someone to redefine its identity. That person was a lanky basketball player named Michael Jordan.

Born in North Carolina, it did not take long for Jordan to turn the Chicago Bulls basketball team into a household name. The world's most famous athlete led the Bulls to six NBA championships in eight seasons during the 1990s. This was an amazing accomplishment considering that he had retired from basketball for a year-and-a-half during that stretch.

Under the direction of Mayor Richard M. Daley, Chicago has become a world class city. About three million people live in Chicago and an additional seven million live in the outlying suburbs. There are no earthquakes or hurricanes in Chicago. No devastating tornados, either. The winters can be very cold and the summers extremely hot. Traffic is bad year-round.

Chicago's skyline is one of the most easily recognized skylines in the United States. Its beauty is enhanced by its ideal location along the shores of Lake Michigan. The city is home to many of the world's best restaurants. Some of the best pizza, steaks and Mexican food can be found in Chicago. Chicago also has an abundant amount of bars and clubs; stores for every budget; and churches, mosques, temples and synogogues.

Just like the World's Columbian Exposition in 1893, Chicago may step onto the world's stage again for the 2016 Olympics. Daley is contemplating a bid for the summer games, but nothing has been decided yet. Until then, come to Chicago and have a great time.