It is a compliment: The first time you walk through the heart of Chicago, the “Loop”, encompassed by an elevated railway, you feel as if you were in the streets of Manhattan – it only is much cleaner here, the traffic is less hectic and the atmosphere is much friendlier. Chicago, the metropolis of the Midwest, is used to the perpetual comparison with New York’s Manhattan. If you ask any local about it, you get a tired shrug at best. The inhabitants of the city are very relaxed. With good reason. There’s hardly an area where Chicago can’t compete with the Big Apple. There’s the skyline above all: After the Great Fire in 1871, which destroyed almost four square kilometers of the city and some 18,000 houses, Chicago grew mainly in height.

It is for obvious reasons that the city is considered the birthplace of modern architecture, in which Louis Sullivan and the School of Chicago, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Francis Llyod Wright clearly left their traces. From functionalist buildings of the late 19th and early 20th centuries to historicism, the international style and the postmodernism of Helmut Jahn, SOM architects or Frank Gehry’s – the diverse panorama is one of the most beautiful in the world. You will be fascinated by the interplay of architectural styles time and again, whether by one of the parks on Lake Michigan or during a boat trip on the Chicago River.

The mandatory programme comprises an excursion to the skydeck of 527-metre-high Willis Tower, which was only relegated to second rank in May 2013 by the new One World Trade Center in New York, now tallest building in the US. The view from above can extend up to 80 kilometres over Lake Michigan, given good visibility and also deep into the prairie. A special attraction are glass boxes that extend from the main facade like bay windows in which one seems to be hovering abovethe city. Back on the ground we head towards Millennium Park and its shining main attraction: the Cloud Gate. The bean-shaped sculpture made of seamless steel designed by British artist Anish Kapoor, has been standing there since 2006, its surface giving distorted reflections of Chicago’s skyline and puzzled visitors. We carry on northwards along Michigan Avenue and across Chicago River. The avenue is also known by a different name: The Magnificent Mile. It is Chicago’s counterpart to Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue and a true shopping paradise. In addition to luxury brands such as Louis Vuitton, Ralph Lauren and Tiffanys, the classic American brands such as the department store Macy’s, Nike, Brooks Brothers, Levi’s or Abercrombie & Fitch can be found here.

If you are looking for art rather than commerce, Chicago is the place to be. While the Art Institute of Chicago houses one of North America’s most important collections – including icons of American modernism such as Grant Wood’s “American Gothic” and Edward Hopper’s “Nighthawks” – the Field Museum is a paradise for nature lovers. With 22 million preserved organisms, the museum is one of the largest in the world, making it ipossible to see all the artefacts in one day. A superlative of a completely different kind can be found in the Lakeview East district north of downtown. Here, around the Belmont El station on North Halsted Street beats the heart of Chicago’s gay scene.

“Boystown” is well known to everyone in Chicago for its small boutiques, trendy restaurants and lively nightlife. Many bars here do not close until four in the morning on weekends, the definite kick-out is a little later. If you want to know what a gay community can do in a city, just visit the Center on Halsted. The modern, bright building, that hosts a Whole Foods supermarket on its ground floor, was opened in 2007 and serves as a meeting point for various groups of the gay-lesbian-queer community. About 1000 people come here every day to use facilities such as the theatre hall, café, sports studio and library. The roof terrace is a popular place for checking one’s e.mails as free Wifi is provided.

Along North Halsted Street you will find a variety of cafés, restaurants and bars. One of the most popular is certainly Roscoe’s, where throngs of guests wait to be let in, especially on weekends. Also Minibar, a small but fine club or the stripper bar Lucky Horseshoe Lounge guarantee pleasant evenings. However, a trip to Chicago’s gay scene would not be complete without a visit to Sidetracks. The video bar is one of the largest homobars in the USA, spread over several buildings and floors, including a terrace. By a clever division of the rooms each with its own theme and bar, one is spared the cool atmosphere of a large club. This makes it a lot easier to talk to the locals. And anyone who makes it clear during the conversation that New York cannot keep up with Chicago has almost won…

INFO

www.choosechicago.com
Official webiste of Chicago Tourism Board with lot of useful information.

HOW TO GET THERE

SWISS offers daily flights from 8 German airports to Chicago via Zurich. Return flights are available from 784 Euros in Economy Class. Keep your eyes peeled for US special on the airline’s  homepage.
swiss.com

HOTELS

The Peninsula Chicago (108 E Superior Street) This five-star hotel is next to shopping street Michigan Avenue and John Hancock Center and its observation deck, offers you an exclusive atmosphere as well as well-equipped fitness center and a large swimming pool, www.peninsula.com

Hotel Lincoln (1816 N Clark Street) Boutique hotel wedged between Downtown and Boystown offering a vista on Lake Michigan, www.jdvhotels.com

All information on the gay scene can be found in SPARTACUS INTERNATIONAL GAY GUIDE or in Spartacus App!

Please follow and like us: