Sleepless in Chicago

It’s not only New York that has been dubbed the city that never sleeps. Chicago, which also is known as the Windy City, is another of America’s restless cities.

Chicago, located in Illinois, US, is one of the three most populated cities in the US. It is a metropolitan city, similar to Jakarta with all of its hustle and bustle, and cars honking here and there, traffic and skyscrapers. Of course with the exception of adequate and reliable public transportation, fresh air to breathe and decent sideways, which pamper the needs of pedestrians — and unlike Jakarta, people in Chicago prefer to walk, from tourists like myself to businesspeople.

Navy Pier, located on Lake Michigan, is one of Chicago’s landmarks and a one-stop place for everything entertainment. It’s almost like Ancol here in Jakarta, with more and better selections for recreation. Built in 1916, it holds one of the most famous Ferris wheels in the US. With just US$10 you can ride on it and view the spectacular Chicago view – best to see at night when all the lights from the buildings and roads sparkle. The Pier is also home to several interesting museums and theaters, such as Chicago’s Children’s Museum, the breathtaking Smith Museum of Stained Glass Windows, Chicago Shakespeare Theater — which holds occasional Shakespeare plays and also a Shakespeare resource center — and the IMAX Theater offering its viewers a top notch 3-D movie experience.

Next stop is the Magnificent Miles — the nickname given to Michigan Avenue for holding celebrated stores such as Prada, Aldo, Zara, Victoria’s Secret, Forever 21, H&M and even a Disney store. These stores are actually located right on the sides of the busy streets where pedestrians can easily window shop. And yes, the best way to enjoy the magnificent “shopping” journey on the Magnificent Miles is by walking. Water Tower, located at the same street, was built in 1869 to hold water pipes but now it is one of Chicago’s famous landmarks for its distinctive castle-like design.

Chicago is also well-known for its skyscrapers and bold architecture. Sears Tower, formerly known as the Willis Tower, was once the world’s tallest building in 1974. Another skyscraper worth visiting is John Hancock Observatory, which claims to have the fastest elevator in the world — it only takes a minute to reach the 96th floor. There is also the brand new Trump International Hotel and Tower, which is of course owned by property mogul Donald Trump. The luxurious tower is also the filming location for Trump’s reality show The Apprentice.

Just a few minutes’ walk from the Trump Tower, is Hotel 71. Located on 71 East Wacker Drive, the hotel itself is another famous and must visit place in Chicago. The hotel is often used for Hollywood movie productions. It was used last July as the set of Transformer: Dark of the Moon that will be released later this year. The Dark Knight — of the Batman movie sagas — was also partly shot there.

Contemporary art statues and sculptures are spread around Chicago such as The Bean or Cloud Gate, located at the Millennium Park — which is also a must visit – the sculpture is created by British artist Anish Kapoor. It is shaped like a bean made with stainless steel and reflects the city’s skyline. If you want to get a better photo spot you can go to Chicago Port, where the Adler Planetarium and Museum of Astronomy is located. From Chicago Port, you can get a spectacular view of Chicago’s skyline.

Most rivers in Jakarta are filthy, yet this is not the case with Chicago River. It is also a favorite tourist destination as it is clean and wide. You can take a boat ride along the river.

Some famous people in the world also have their own place here in Chicago: Oprah Winfrey, Barack Obama and Muhammad Ali. The Harpo Studio is located at the West Washington Boulevard, Barack Obama owns a house located in the area of University of Chicago and just a few blocks away is the house of Muhammad Ali. And just a few blocks away from Obama’s highly-guarded house, local people could probably direct you to an ice cream place where it was said that Obama and Michelle shared their first kiss, and to a barber shop where Obama used to get his hair cut.

E! channel presenters Giuliana and Bill Rancic also most of their reality show Guiliana and Bill running around Chicago.

It would take thousands of words to list and describe all of the marvelous Chicago landmarks and interesting things to do. Spend a week or two or even more to discover and explore all Chicago has to offer.