Chicago is often but unfairly overlooked when visiting America.
Even I imagined Chicago as a brutal, rough city.
But it turned out to be a city of jazz, rock clubs, people are open, cheerful and not averse to hanging out until the morning.
Everyone is attracted by the famous Manhattan, cheerful Vegas, cinematic Los Angeles and numerous natural beauties of the country.
Of course, the country is huge and diverse, it is difficult to put all the desires and beauty in one trip, but pay attention to this city when planning your trips.
Chicago deserves your attention.
Chicago is a city of winds and the city of the mafia, the city of the first skyscrapers and the theater capital of America …
Chicago is the third largest after
San Francisco
and
New York.
It is located in the northern part of the country, on the shores of
Lake Michigan
, which is part of the Canadian Great Lakes system.
Some Facts About Chicago
1. Chicago is located in the northeastern part of Illinois, USA, on the shores of Lake Michigan, where the Chicago River flows into it, in a zone of humid continental climate.
Because of this, summers in Chicago are hot and rainy, while winters are cold and not very long.
The convenient geographical position of Chicago on the US map, at the crossroads of trade and transport routes between West and East, made this city very attractive for becoming the country’s most important transportation hub, which caused an increase in production and an influx of migrants, giving impetus to rapid development.
2. Living in Chicago is not as expensive as in New York or San Francisco, so it is well suited for those who have just arrived in America and are not ready to pay a lot of money for housing.
This is a great place both in terms of comfortable city life and business amenities.
3. But security in Chicago is in bad condition.
In recent years, this city has occupied the top lines in terms of the growth of crime.
Therefore, tourists should be prudent and careful in Chicago, familiarize themselves with the crime map and not walk around black neighborhoods (especially at night).
But walking along the popular tourist places on the coast is quite safe.
4. Housing prices in Chicago are lower than in other US metropolitan areas.
The city has many quality apartments, and the cost of products and services is significantly lower than in Washington.
But parking for cars in the city is expensive, so it will be cheaper for tourists to use public transport, which is well developed in Chicago.
5. At the end of the 19th century, in 1885, it was in Chicago that the world’s first skyscraper with a load-bearing frame was built –
The Home Insurance Building,
42 meters high (10 floors), which was completed in 1891 by another 2 floors, up to 55 meters, and in 1931 demolished and a new 42-storey skyscraper, the Field Building, 163 m high, was built in its place.
6. Everyone knows Chicago as the birthplace of
Al Capone
and the capital of American gangster crime in the 1920s and 1930s.
But at the end of the 19th century, the city became “famous” for the serial killer
Henry Howard Holmes
and the terrible hotel he built.
Its layout, with many trap rooms, was known only to the maniac himself.
His victims – both guests and hotel workers – Holmes poisoned, choked with deadly gas, “dropped” into tanks with acid.
He made skeletons from the bodies and sold them to various institutions.
The researchers of this monster suggest that he could kill more than 200 people.
Is Chicago America’s Windy City?
Is Chicago America’s Windy City?
Yes!
Chicago is America’s Windy City.
Chicago is officially called the Windy City.
The weather in Chicago is influenced by the temperate continental climate, and the seasons fit well with the seasons.
In winter, snow often falls in Chicago and it becomes quite cold and chilly due to the wind that brings humid air from Lake Michigan .
On winter days, when a particularly strong wind blows from the lake, ropes are pulled on the central embankment and passers hold on to them so that they do not fall off their feet.
But the summer is quite long, but during the day there are often thunderstorms and short-term rain.
Why is Chicago Always So Windy?
Chicago is so windy because of humid air from Lake Michigan and frequent change of weather.
I visited Chicago in October, which is considered not the coldest month.
However, in the mornings, when you walk down the street, the cold made its way to the bones because of a strong wind too.
However, closer to lunch time , the sun warmed up the air at an acceptable temperature, and it was possible to walk in a sweater.
The nights were surprisingly relatively warm.
There is one more version why Chicago is called Windy City.
Chicago is called the “Windy City”, not because of the frequent change of weather and strong winds associated with the geographical location on the shores of Lake Michigan, but for a different reason too.
At the Chicago World’s Fair at the end of the 19th century, American politicians talked a lot in their own interests about completely”empty” things in order to divert interest from the main thing.
The editor of
the
New York
Sun newspaper
wrote about their “empty and windy speeches” in his article.
Since then, this fame has been firmly entrenched in the city.
How Often Is it Windy in Chicago?
In Chicago, Often Winds last 7 months , starting from October to May.
In this season the wind speed is about 11. 4 miles per hour.
Summer is the best season in Chicago without wind.
In the summer in Chicago, when the weather is nice, there are several fairly well-known music festivals, which are attended by fans of jazz and blues.
Does Chicago Have Strong Winds?
No.
Chicago Winds are not so strong.
In October when I walked along the lake, the breeze could damage my hairstyle a little, but all this could not stop me from admiring the beauty of this city and getting pleasant impressions.
Chicago greeted me with thick fog and gray overcast skies.
Chicago people say that there is an old proverb: “If you don’t like the weather, wait an hour and it will change. ” And so it happened. I saw the sun after a little bit, and the sky changed color to a soft blue.