Sometimes suffering from a bad reputation, Chicago is nevertheless one of the must-see cities during a stay in the North East of the United States.
Before giving you 5 reasons to visit the city that was dear to Al Capone, we remind you that it is essential to have an ESTA authorization to be able to stay on American soil. You can apply on our website and safely explore Chicago once you’ve been approved!
Rent a bike and conquer the vastness of the city!
Armed with a map or GPS, renting a bike is an excellent option for conquering the third-largest U.S. metropolitan area, with just under 10 million people.
To facilitate your adventure, we recommend that you use one of the many tour companies that offer a “Bike Tour” for a modest fee. With a guide, you can safely explore parts of Chicago less known to tourists. Moreover, if the majority of the city is safe, some poor neighborhoods are still dangerous and should be avoided.
Do your luxury shopping on the Magnificent Mile
The‘Magnificent Mile‘ is the nickname given to part of the city’s largest avenue, Michigan Avenue, named after the lake that borders the city. This ‘Beautiful Mile’ is THE part of the city known for its many luxury stores, but also for its many nightclubs. This is where you’ll find the John Hancock Center, which we’ll talk about below.
Visit the world famous Art Institute
The Art Institute of Chicago is THE museum to see during your stay in Chicago. It is indeed the second largest art museum in the country with many works including from France: paintings by Renoir and Monet, sculptures of the same Renoir but also Henri Matisse and Auguste Rodin, etc..
To make matters worse, the museum has numerous collections of various art objects from all over the world (Africa, Asia, Oceania, Europe, etc.) that allow you to make a real world tour in a single day. A mandatory stop if you have a minimum of time.
Stroll through the futuristic Millenium Park
Opened in 2004, Millennium Park is a must-see in the northern US city! It offers free access to various contemporary and futuristic monumental works.
In addition to the many sculptures, you can enjoy a theater (the Harris Theather), a huge ‘bandstand’ (the Jay Pritzker Pavilion), but also many fountains.
Have a drink at the top of the John Hancock Center
When the sun is about to set and the sky is clear, we recommend more than ever a trip to the John Hancock Center, located on Michigan Avenue.
This 344m high skyscraper, completed in 1969, has a lounge bar located on the top floor of the building. The view is absolutely incredible and you can admire the city by day and by night. The ideal is to come at dusk, just to see the sun disappear on the horizon.