"Chicago Year Round!" a Chicago Travel Page by deeply

Hi! It seems you've found my Chicago page. I'm a Chicago resident. I went to Northwestern for college, and haven't left since. I work here, I eat here, I love to travel--but coming home to this city is the best! Since I don't know where to begin with my travels, I thought I'd start in America's favorite town, the windy city, full of chicago dreams and people who love to eat, drink and be merry!

See my travel tips for regular updates as I get the hang of Virtual Tourist:

A first visit to Chicago may appear overwhelming (Especially if you're from a small southern town like I was). However, Chicago's geography make it easy to navigate the city even if you've never been there before. Chicago is laid out in a grid system with the streets neatly lned up as if on a giant piece of graph paper. Because the city isn't rectangular the shape is a bit strange, but the pattern is there. Making use of the grid it's pretty easy to figure out the distance between two points in the city.

Known as the El, the Chicago Subway is generally safe and reliable and is great for navigating the major tourist areas--however, it may be safer if you didn't ride late at night through unfamiliar neighborhoods. The fares for the subway, bus and El is 1.75. If you're not from a large city, give the El a try, for short distances when you have time to spare--this is a thrifty and great choice for any visitor.

Visitors can buy a Visitor pass which gives users unlimited rides on the El and Cta buses over 24 hours. The cards cost 5 dollars and are sold at airports and tranportation hubs. You can also get multi-day passes--a strong recommedation for any tourist who is hopping attractions all day.

In the evening, Taxis are a better way to get around without mussing up one's hair. These Taxis are easy to hail in the loop, magnificent mile, gold coast, River North, and Lincoln Park. The meter starts at $1.90 for the first mile $1.60 for each additional mile.