Chicago: see what to do, where to eat and what to visit – 10/18/2023 – Tourism

Sitting in front of five glasses of craft beer produced in the warehouse behind, Robert Finkel uses a sound analogy to compare the city he adopted and the one in which he was born.

“Chicago is like New York, but in a Dolby system, that is, without the extreme highs and lows”, he says, who left the corporate world and opened Forbidden Roots, a botanical-inspired brewery on the outskirts of West Town, a modern haven in third largest American metropolis.

Comparisons like these are common here. With about a quarter of New York’s population, the Midwestern city has some of the same cosmopolitan air as the Atlantic megalopolis, but with much less hustle and bustle for travelers.

It’s an alternative for those who want to experience urban life in the United States, but with less hassle. Especially because, let’s face it, that charm of dirty and smoky Manhattan, shaped by Martin Scorsese and Woody Allen, has already died and been replaced by corners full of tourists.
On the other hand, in Chicago you can easily enjoy even the most popular attractions on the menu without having to spend hours in line.

This is what happens, for example, at the Willis Tower, a building from the 1970s that for more than 20 years was the tallest in the world and from where you have a 360º view of the entire metropolis and Lake Michigan — on days clearer, you can even see a hint of the neighboring state of Indiana. Tickets for adults start at US$32 (R$161) and entitle you to enter one of the glass cubes, suspended on the 103rd floor.

On the ground floor, the path to the elevators already serves as a kind of business card for the city. There, spread across the walls, are images and explanations about local icons, such as Oprah Winfrey and the Obama couple, as well as traditional local delicacies, such as hot dogs with beef sausage and Deep Dish Pizza.

The John Hancock building, not far away, also offers a bit of vertigo, from the top of its 94th floor. But there, the platform moves, tilting outward at a 30º angle — the attraction costs US$10 (or R$50.30) in addition to the entrance to the building, which costs US$30 (R$151) . For the less brave, you can enjoy the panorama while drinking a Mimosa at the Cloud Bar, also on the roof, or even do yoga with a view of the top of the skyscrapers.

Speaking of skyscrapers, and Chicago is full of them, it’s worth going back in history a little.

Around the middle of the 19th century, the city was already an important outpost due to its strategic location, connecting the east coast to the west and then it was being explored — not surprisingly, it was already the most important hub of the nascent highway system in the United States. But in 1871 a fire occurred that practically destroyed everything. Legend has it that an Irish immigrant’s milk cow kicked a lamp, and the flames spread.

Reconstruction efforts encouraged an influx of architects and engineers who experimented with steel construction there, giving rise to the world’s first groynes, which appeared at the turn of the century. In fact, the image that remains of the city to this day is of its very tall iron structures, whether in the pillars of the urban train system or in the bridges over the river — which, in fact, was extremely polluted until the decision was made to change its course. and drain the dirt to the south.

Architecture enthusiasts can opt for one of the several boat trips along the river, which depart from the central region. The CAFC River Cruise line, for example, takes a one and a half hour journey in partnership with the Chicago Architecture Center.

For US$54 (R$272), you can get a good idea of ​​the styles of the buildings, such as art deco and its geometric rigor and the iron and glass coffers by Mies van der Rohe. It’s almost like navigating a canyon, but surrounded by skyscrapers. And you can imagine what could become of São Paulo if the city finally cleaned its rivers.

Shaped like a bean, the steel sculpture “Cloud Gate”, by Anish Kapoor, the most photographed spot in Chicago, is under renovation and will reopen in 2024. But those who love art will find shelter nearby, at the Art Institute (US$32 entry, or R$ 161), museum that has a collection worthy of world capital. There are cave representations, ruins of Mediterranean civilizations, indigenous and African artifacts and paintings of medallions such as Van Gogh, Picasso and Gauguin.

It was in this museum that Ferris Bueller, protagonist of the film “Curtindo a Vida Adoidado”, skipped class with his friends. By the way, John Hughes, director of the classic Sessão da Tarde, used to say that the film was a tribute to the Midwestern metropolis, home to a bunch of Hollywood productions. Film buffs can find locations such as the steps of Union Station, where Eliot Ness and his men exchanged gunfire with Al Capone’s henchmen in “The Untouchables”, by Brian De Palma.

The most famous gangster in history, Capone left his mark there, when he smuggled alcohol during Prohibition, in the 1920s and 1930s. Today, the company Chicago Crime Tours offers guided tours starting at US$40 (or R$ 201) for those who want to see places like the place where seven of the mobster’s rivals were machine-gunned on St. Valentine’s Day — a reminder of when the city was one of the most violent in the world.

The roots of another great cultural legacy of the city, Chicago blues, come from around this time. Marked by the use of electric instruments, it was developed with the mass arrival of black people from the segregationist south and had its most famous representatives in Muddy Waters and Willie Dixon.

Nat King Cole, in jazz; Sam Cooke and Curtis Mayfield, on soul; Patti Smith and Wilco, in rock; and Kanye West, in rap, are other names that gained momentum in Chicago. Tortoise Supper Club features live jazz shows nightly to accompany fine dining or cocktails at the low-lit counter.

Those who prefer another type of stage can head to Second City, the comedy club he formed
Bill Murray, Tina Fey, Jordan Peele, Amy Poehler, John Candy, Steve Carell and a whole school of humor based on improvisation. Performances, with aspiring comedians or already established names, take place every night.

The club’s name (“second city”) is a self-mockery of Chicago’s nickname given to it by New York journalist AJ Liebling, who used to say that the windy city would never be as great as his hometown.

But time passed and Second City, one of Chicago’s biggest icons, even opened a branch in —who knew— New York.

GENERAL TIPS FOR ENJOYING CHICAGO

How to get
The airline United Airlines offers direct flights from São Paulo to Chicago from R$5,749 (including boarding fees), but the American city is also very well equipped with domestic flights

How to enjoy
A discount option for those who want to visit several attractions is the City Pass, which for US$ 134 (R$ 675), offers booking and free entry to several places

WHAT TO EAT IN CHICAGO

Deep Dish Pizza
The Chicago-style pizza looks more like a pie, it’s so robust, and comes with huge doses of melted cheese and tomato sauce. As it is so filling, it is ideal for eating in a group, as a single slice is enough to satisfy hunger. The Giordano’s chain is famous for serving it

Hot Dog
Served on a poppy seed bun, it is filled with pickles, onion, pieces of tomato and pepper, as well as beef sausage. Ketchup is banned on sandwiches — natives look dirty if a foreigner asks for the condiment. It is available on chains like Portillo’s

NOTABLE PEOPLE OF CHICAGO

Al Capone
The gangster was born in New York but used Chicago’s strategic location to build his liquor smuggling empire during Prohibition. There are guided tours that show locations of his most famous crimes

Barack Obama
The former American president built his career in Chicago and gave his two victory speeches there, when he was elected and re-elected. The future Obama Presidential Center, which will have a museum and park, will be built in the southern portion of the city

Michael Jordan
The idol who marked basketball in the 1980s and 1990s made the Chicago Bulls a true powerhouse. It is easy to find team items, such as caps and t-shirts, in practically any store that sells souvenirs in the city.

Oprah Winfrey
With her quick manner, the presenter gained fame in the 1980s, leading a talk show that debuted on the radio and migrated to television, airing from Chicago and becoming a phenomenon across the country.