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Chicago has all the offerings you'd expect from a major city: world-class museums, vibrant shopping districts and ample nightlife venues.

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Chicago has all the offerings you'd expect from a major city: world-class museums, vibrant shopping districts and ample nightlife venues.

Population: 2.695.598

Chicago is "The City that Works" and "The City of Big Shoulders." It boasts the United States' tallest building and one of the world's largest office buildings. With the ubiquitous elevated trains creating a continuous clatter, the city looks, feels, and in fact is, big.

Also known as "The City of Neighborhoods," Chicago comprises more than 75 official neighborhoods. Each features its own distinct quality and character.

Chicago is a huge vibrant city and sprawling metropolitan area. It is the home of the blues and the truth of jazz, the heart of comedy and the first builder of the skyscraper. Here, the age of railroads found its center, and airplanes followed.

It is one of the world's great cities, and yet the metropolitan luxuries of theater, shopping, and fine dining have barely put a dent in real Midwestern friendliness. It's a city with a swagger, but without the surliness or even the fake smiles that can be found in other cities.

Weather

The climate of Chicago is classified as humid continental, with all four seasons distinctly represented: wet springs; hot, and often humid summers; pleasant autumns; and cold winters. Spanning across June-August, summers in Chicago usually feature moderately high temperatures that regularly climb to 32°C.

Summer is both the rainiest and sunniest season in Chicago, with the season prone to thunderstorms but also a vast amount of possible sunshine.

The winter, Snow will often cover the Chicago land for a few weeks, but temperatures on the whole can be quite variable. The highest average temperature is 10°C, with the lowest average temperature around -9°C.

Spring arrives for a very short period in Chicago between April and May. Whilst fog is most frequent during this season, the uppermost regular day temperature is 15°C with the lowest average temperature 5°C.

The best way to see Chicago is by public transit. It is cheap , efficient, and safe. The Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) oversees the various public transit agencies in the Chicagoland area. The RTA also has an official partnership with Google Maps, which can provide routes with public transit.

The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) operates trains and buses in the city of Chicago and some of the suburbs. It is a marvel and a beast, convenient and irreplaceable. Fares are paid with a card system called Ventra. Passes can bepurchased and re-filled at kiosks in the lobby of every CTA station.

Buses run on nearly every major street throughout the entire city, and in many cases, every four blocks apart. Look for the blue and white bus stop sign, which should show the route that the bus will take.

One-way Ticket: 2.25 $

Monthly Pass: 90.00 $

Millennium Park: This 24.5-acre space is used to showcase cutting-edge art, architecture and landscaping; it also acts as a backdrop for concerts and festivals. Most visitors come to Millennium Park to see the Crown Fountain and Cloud Gate, better known as "The Bean".

Grant Park & Buckingham Fountain: Often referred to as "Chicago's front yard," Grant Park is a large swath of green space. Here is where you'll find several of Chicago's most popular things to do, including the Field Museum, the Art Institute of Chicago and the Shedd Aquarium.

Willis Tower Skydeck: Occupying the 103rd floor (the second-tallest building in the Western Hemisphere after One World Trade Center), the Skydeck boasts breathtaking views of the city. Visit on a sunny day and you may be able to see far beyond Chicago's borders to other parts of Illinois, as well as to Indiana, Michigan and Wisconsin.

The Shedd Aquarium: Is home to more than 650 species of fish, reptiles, amphibians, invertebrates, birds and mammals from across the globe

Source: http://travel.usnews.com/Chicago_IL/Things_To_Do/