Tours and attractions
You’ll find magic in such sparkling Chicago attractions as Navy Pier – the Midwest’s top tourist destination – and its boardwalk, 150-foot Ferris wheel, boat tours, and countless dining or shopping options. Millennium Park offers dazzling music, art, landscape design and architecture – including the mammoth stainless-steel Cloud Gate sculpture – plus ice skating in the winter, splashing around in the interactive Crown Fountain during summer, and alfresco dining from spring to fall.

Chicago looks great from every angle, whether you’re exploring the city’s astonishing architecture during a guided tour (on foot or aboard a Chicago River boat, lakeshore cruise or sightseeing bus) or you’re enjoying the birds-eye view from the 103rd floor Sears Tower Skydeck and the 94th floor Hancock Observatory. The city’s 29 miles of lakefront paths are just one reason Chicago is one of the world’s most walkable and beautiful cities.

Chicago is often called a friendly city – and you’ll agree when you accept the city’s warm invitation to sample such free attractions as Lincoln Park Zoo, home to more than 1,000 mammals, reptiles, and birds. Enjoy the peaceful gardens under glass at Garfield Park Conservatory and Lincoln Park Conservatory, or take in one of the free performances at Navy Pier.  To make sure you don’t miss out on anything the city has to offer, make your very first stop the Chicago Cultural Center - Chicago's Architectural Showplace for the Lively and Visual Arts and the city's official Visitor Center.

If you are a foreign investor or simply relocating to Chicago and would like my personal assistance, you can call or text me at 630-306-2998, or simply fill out this form and I will respond promptly.

Shopping 
Chicago is a shopper’s fantasy come true. Imagine a place with world-class department stores, every kind of boutique from upscale to “sassy,” specialty shops, and fabulous discount shopping, and you’ve just begun to picture the retail adventures in store for you here.

How many cities have a Director of Fashion? Chicago does – and that’s why more and more designers are showcasing their talents here.

One important Chicago destination is The Magnificent Mile along Michigan Avenue. In this eight-block stretch, 460 stores offer luxury items, beautiful bargains, and everything in-between.

Shoppers from all over the world love Oak Street, an international style center with high-end stores and salons just steps off Michigan Avenue. Art and antiques collectors hunt for treasure in the 60-plus galleries of nearby River North Gallery District.

Shopping is plentiful and varied in the landmark State Street Retail Historic District and surrounding Loop stores. Walk one block east of State to Jeweler’s Row for dizzying displays of diamonds and gems in the Midwest’s largest jewelry district.

Chicago’s neighborhoods offer the newest in destination shopping. Find one-of-a-kind items, trendy clothing, accessories, furniture, and much more in such areas as Lincoln Park and Armitage Avenue, and Wicker Park-Bucktown – recently called “a square mile of sassy boutiques” by Vanity Fair.

Need a boost? Drop in at one of the city’s amazing spas to recharge your batteries. Or take advantage of experts who provide customized shopping tours – with special amenities and transportation – to help you find Chicago’s very best needful things.

Theater
The curtain is up on Chicago’s vital theater scene! Talented local companies and top-notch traveling troupes are on stage in great classic theaters, smaller venues, and even storefronts – and they’re generating rave reviews.

Landmark Loop theaters in the city’s bustling Downtown Theater District – including the grand Cadillac Palace Theatre, Ford Center for the Performing Arts/Oriental Theatre, LaSalle Bank Theatre and Auditorium Theatre – host mega-hit musicals, plays, and dance productions straight from Broadway as part of Broadway in Chicago, as well as world premiere productions.

Another treasure in the Loop theater district is the Goodman Theatre. The Goodman – whose productions, artists, and programs earned a Special Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre - consistently produces unsurpassed classic and contemporary works.

The Harris Theater for Performance and Dance features world-renowned dance and music institutions and hosts acclaimed national and international companies in its state-of-the-art setting at the north end of Millennium Park.

If your plans include a performance at one of the city’s more intimate theaters, take a bow!  The drama, comedy, and experimental theater presented by established and emerging ensemble companies have positioned Chicago as a driving force in American theater. In venues ranging from the contemporary, mid-sized Steppenwolf Theatre, Drury Lane Theatre Water Tower Place, or Royal George Theatre to the tiniest storefront theaters, productions consistently delight, challenge, and rivet audiences of all ages.

Museums
Ready to stretch your mind? Chicago’s amazing museums are the perfect places to satisfy your curiosity and spark your imagination.

Science rules at the three great institutions that make up Chicago’s lakefront Museum Campus.  Centered within The Field Museum’s 20 million biological and anthropological specimens is Sue, the largest and most complete T. rex ever found. Explore the universe at Adler Planetarium and Astronomy Museum, the world’s only museum with two full-size planetarium theaters. Or head to the Shedd Aquarium and get up close with 22,000 aquatic species.

The Museum of Science and Industry - the largest science museum in the Western Hemisphere - offers over 800 captivating interactive exhibits including the U-505 submarine, a working coal mine, a Boeing 727 airplane, and much, much more.

Among Chicago’s world-class institutions showcasing art is the Art Institute of Chicago, whose permanent collection of paintings, drawings, photography and textiles includes the largest compilation of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist works outside the Louvre. Find outstanding and thought-provoking visual art created since 1945 at The Museum of Contemporary Art.

Photography is in focus at The Museum of Contemporary Photography, the Midwest’s sole museum committed exclusively to this medium, and changing Chicago-focused  installations at City Gallery at the Historic Water Tower.

In this city that celebrates its diversity, such institutions as Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies, DuSable Museum of African American History, and The Oriental Institute, hold a special place of honor.

Finally, if your group includes kids, Chicago Children’s Museum is a must-see.

Dining
The secret is out: As Saveur Magazine reports, “the Windy City is America’s new culinary star.” And with good reason. Chicago’s ever-evolving culinary scene reaches tantalizing new heights every day!

In fact, Chicago is such a food lovers’ paradise that diners face just one dilemma: How to choose from so many delicious options?

One way to narrow your dining choices is by type of food. Eager for an ethnic meal? Along with the many restaurants serving outstanding Italian, Latin, and Asian foods, countless others offer excellent French, Greek, Indian, Mediterranean, Polish, German, or Ethiopian menus. Want seafood or soul food or barbecue? Find it downtown or in the city’s 77 neighborhoods.

Chicago’s contemporary dining scene is stunning. While the world takes notice, innovative chefs - many emphasizing foods from America’s Heartland – are fusing flavor and excitement in delectable ways.

Chicagoans are famous for taking two classics very seriously: pizza and hot dogs. Sample these two favorites during your visit so you can officially join in the debate.

Or let restaurant atmosphere help you decide where to eat. Match your mood to one of the city’s elegant dining spots, charming cafes, intimate bistros, convivial eateries, pizza palaces, or another of the endless alternatives.

Location will never limit your food choices. Great options for satisfying your hunger are always nearby.

Nightlife
Listen closely on any evening in Chicago and you’ll hear the sounds of people having fun!

At legendary lounges, piano bars, and other great venues, the city pulses with the beat of countless live performances of jazz, mainstream and indie rock, folk and country, world music, and – of course—blues. After all, Chicago is the official home of the blues.

Time your visit to coincide with a performance by the extraordinary Chicago Symphony Orchestra, famed Lyric Opera of Chicago, or another chamber, early music, or classical group. If you’re lucky enough to be in the city on a soft summer night, head to Millennium Park’s astounding Jay Pritzker Pavilion for a performance of the Grant Park Music Festival - the nation’s only free outdoor classical music series.

No matter what genre you favor – pop, rap, hip hop, bluegrass, Celtic, R&B, electronica, gospel, soul, or salsa – you’ll find it in this city that loves music. And if the music makes you feel like you just can’t sit still, step out at one of the city’s sizzling dance clubs.

Follow the sounds of laughter to one of Chicago’s outstanding comedy clubs. Modern improv was born in Chicago.  Today the celebrated The Second City, which has produced comic greats since 1959, and ComedySportz deliver the fastest, funniest, and smartest improv you’ll ever witness.

If it’s bowling or billiards you want, or simply a cocktail at one of hundreds of trendy city lounges, neighborhood hot spots, or sports bars, you’ll find it all nearby.

Transportation
While Chicago is very walkable, there are also many ways to set the wheels in motion to get you where you want to go.

Chicago Transit Authority’s (CTA) convenient and easy-to-use bus and elevated / subway train lines – including the famous “L” - carry you around town and to major attractions.

Free trolleys travel between Navy Pier and State Street along Grand and Illinois. From Memorial Day to Labor Day, downtown free trolleys run every 20 minutes, carrying passengers to some of the city’s most popular museums, shopping destinations, and attractions.

In most any city, it’s easy to hail a taxi to get from place to place, and Chicago is no exception. But during warm weather months, you can also board one of the water taxis which run along the Chicago River or lakeshore for a scenic and relaxing alternative.

For a more private mode of transportation, check out one of the many car rental, limousine, or chauffeur services.  And if you're driving, check out this online, fully-interactive parking map that allows you to search for parking options based on your destination.

Recently voted the best bicycling city in the country, Chicago is very accommodating to cyclists. The Chicago Department of Transportation’s Bike Program provides comprehensive information about city biking including maps, parking, and more.

Finally, here’s a secret even some Chicagoans don’t know: Chicago’s downtown pedestrian walkway system of underground tunnels and overhead bridges links 40-plus blocks in the heart of the city. A convenient way to travel the Central Business District and connect to public and private buildings and CTA stations, the Pedway is especially nice on rainy or snowy days.

Accommodations
Chicago is a very accommodating city! Whether you’re planning a trip for business or fun, traveling with kids, or looking for a romantic getaway, you’ll find a remarkable range of hotel options all within reach of the things you most want to do.

You’ll find more than a place to rest your head in Chicago’s historic Loop, fashion-forward alternatives in landmark buildings, Gold Coast in-town hideaways, chic boutique-style hotels near the Magnificent Mile, and charming bed & breakfast inns throughout unique neighborhoods. These places – and hundreds of other excellent lodging options – combine elegance with modern amenities and convenience.

Check out the unparalleled variety of choices in downtown hotels and bed & breakfasts. Or broaden your reach into the greater metropolitan area for hotels near O'Hare or Midway airports and suburban hotels. You’ll find service, comfort, and value at every price point – and many of these properties are offering hot deals right now.

Make the most of your Chicago stay by exploring the great selection of hotel packages that match popular hotels with must-see attractions such as shows, tours, museums, exhibits, spas, or shopping. Or design your own unique package by selecting your choice of accommodations using the hotel booking section of ChooseChicago.com and adding a tour, attraction tickets, or travel services to create your perfect, custom package.