Chicago
City Information
Do
not try to hang a clever moniker on Chicago. America 's Midwestern
Metropolis moves much too fast to be pinned down. What was once
considered a gangster's paradise has evolved into an eclectic mix
of transcendent architecture, excellent theater and rabid sportsmanship? Chicago
's image has definitely changed. No longer has the “second
city”, Chi-Town, the place where three million people call
home, acquired a first-class reputation around the world, particularly
when it comes to the arts. Carl Sandburg's City of the Big Shoulders
is now also City of the Big Limos on opening nights. Exhibitions
at the Art Institute of Chicago have drawn worldwide acclaim. You
could spend days there drinking in the impressionist paintings
alone, then be happily transported into the 21st century by works
at the bold Museum of Contemporary Art , which overlooks Lake Michigan
. Gutsy Steppenwolf Theater productions, from True West
to The Libertine, have jolted critics on both coasts. The city's
scores of other theaters, including the Victory Gardens , the Goodman,
the Court, and the Shakespeare Repertory, regularly showcase the
talents of remarkable local actors who just might turn out to be
the next John Malkovich or Gary Sinise. The Grammy-laden
Chicago Symphony Orchestra as well wins standing ovations both
at home and abroad. At the other end of the Loop ( Chicago 's central
business district), the Lyric Opera's lavish productions boast
excellent singers and conductors. The city has staggeringly varied
architecture is lauded (and occasionally lambasted) around the
globe. And don't forget film critics and TV talk. The thumbs
of Roger Ebert and the late Gene Siskel weighed heavily in the
movie review scale. Plus, who doesn't know Oprah, Jenny Jones or
Jerry Springer? Chicago , is also the home of the groundbreaking
Second City improvisation and comedy club. Here, talented performers
have included the brilliantly funny Mike Nichols and Elaine May,
the late John Belushi, Jim Belushi, Bill Murray, and George Wendt.
And even city hall, headed by no-nonsense mayor Richard M. Daley,
lightens up in March by dyeing the Chicago River green in honor
of St. Patrick. Perhaps one reason Chicagoans have a sense
of humor is the weather. As local film director Joel Sedelmaier
contends, "Colder-than-hell winters saved this city." In an essay
in Great Chicago Stories he wrote, "If Chicago had weather like
Florida , we would be L.A. and I would not wish that on anybody." However,
residents complain that the city's four seasons are "winter, winter,
winter, and the Fourth of July," at least on a winter day, when
the snow is blowing horizontally across the Michigan Avenue Bridge,
Chicagoans can duck into such popular clubs as Andy's, where there's
hot jazz even at noon.
