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wThen it comes to popularity among tourists, new york city is the undisputed number 1 in WeWith its iconic pizza, hot dogs, skyscrapers, museums and boardwalk beaches, it attracts approximately 64 million visitors per year.
There’s no doubt it has a lot to recommend it – but a trip there comes with a caveat. It’s expensive and tiring. The sidewalks are cluttered, many attractions are miles away, and you’ll pay a premium for a nice hotel room.
Luckily, there’s an alternative that offers all the swagger of New York but with a lot less stress – chicago,
That’s why you should leave New York City and visit this Midwestern metropolis that has a charm in itself, from its famous cuisine to its public transportation.
1. Chicago is the birthplace of the skyscraper
New York City is taller, but Chicago gave birth to the skyscraper – the 138-foot Home Insurance Building, completed in 1885, is widely regarded as the beginning of the era of tall buildings. Chicago’s epic skyline featuring over 100 skyscrapers includes thrilling observation decks.
One is the 1,451-foot-tall Willis Tower (formerly the Sears Tower), the tallest building in the city. Here, visitors can enjoy views spanning 50 miles (on a clear day) from the Skydeck on the 103rd floor (1,353 feet up). And for a test of nerves, there’s The Ledge – where you stand in a glass box that extends 4.3 feet over the street below.
A similarly hair-raising experience can be had at the 1,128-foot 875 North Michigan Avenue (John Hancock Center). The observation deck there on the 94th floor has a tilt feature, which tilts you to the sidewalk at a 30-degree angle.
The building also has a restaurant in the clouds – Signature Room.
Moreover, you can see the skyscrapers of the city from top to bottom. After taking in the cloud-scraping panoramas, take the Architecture River Cruise, a fascinating narrated tour of Chicago’s iconic buildings from the water, a venture that New York City can’t easily replicate.
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2. Pristine lake shores and urban beaches
From Manhattan, you’ll need to travel at least 45 minutes by subway to reach the beach. In Chicago, the sandy shoreline is mere steps from downtown – and it extends 26 miles along sparkling Lake Michigan.
In total, the Chicago Park District has 24 public beaches, with regular lifeguard patrols and a variety of activities to enjoy, including volleyball and DJ sets. There’s a path for walkers and cyclists – the 18-mile Lakefront Trail – that connects each strip of sand, meaning you can get to the beach uninterrupted and enjoy stunning views of that vast horizon while you’re at it.
In New York City, the beaches are cut off and there are no opportunities to sunbathe or swim beneath a spectacular skyscraper.
Finally, the fact that the beaches in Chicago are along a freshwater lake is another bonus. There’s no salt water to sting your eyes and ruin your gear, and no jellyfish to worry about.
where to stay nearby
The Westin Michigan Avenue Chicago is just minutes from Lake Michigan and Oak Street Beach.
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3. World-class museums within walking distance
New York City is exhausting for culture vultures. Yes, there’s “Museum Mile” along Fifth Avenue, home to The Met and the Guggenheim, but some of the Big Apple’s best museums span six miles (for example, from the American Museum of Natural History on the Upper West Side to the 9/11 Memorial and Museum in Downtown).
Chicago has a convenient cluster of world-class institutions just minutes away, overlooking the lakefront.
At the top of your list should be the Art Institute of Chicago. Established in 1879, it is one of the oldest museums in America, and with a collection of more than 300,000 pieces, it is one of the largest museums in the country.
Step between the bronze lions at the entrance, and inside you’ll find a world-class collection of Impressionist paintings, including Monet water lilies and vincent van gogh bedroomWith works by Andy Warhol, Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dali and Wassily Kandinsky.
Walk 25 minutes south along the shore of Lake Michigan and you’ll discover the “Museum Complex.” Here, on a beautiful peninsula, three world-famous attractions are located at once – the Field Museum, home of Sue, the most complete Tyrannosaurus Rex ever discovered; Adler Planetarium, where you can see the stunning “sky show” and study the sky through a giant telescope; and the Shedd Aquarium, where more than 30,000 creatures are on display in more than five million gallons of water.
where to stay nearby
The Palmer House Hilton is just one block away from the famous Art Institute of Chicago.
4. Better Pizza and Hot Dogs
New Yorkers are proud of their pizza, but Chicago’s deep-dish is on another level – literally. They resemble pie and are practically a religious experience.
You’ll know you’re eating one of these belt-loosening creations if there’s a wall of buttery crust covered in layers of gooey cheese and a chunky crushed-tomato sauce. Sausages and vegetables often complete the mouth-watering picture.
Best places to try? 439 N. Lou Malnati’s, located on Wells St., serves gold-standard pizza; Giordano’s, 223 W. Downtown. On Jackson Blvd., offers pizza with a dough lid; and Pequod Pizza, 2207 N. Lincoln Park. On Clybourne Avenue, offers delicious caramelized crust.
The Chicago hot dog is equally sacred and assembled in a special way.
If it’s authentic, you’ll see an all-beef frankfurter – steamed or boiled – that has a satisfying flavor when you bite into it.
Meanwhile, the steamed poppy seeds will soften and never burst, and the ingredients will be added in the following order – yellow mustard, bright green relish, chopped white onion, diced or sliced tomatoes, a dill pickle spear, game peppers, and a pinch of celery salt.
You will notice that ketchup is conspicuous by its absence. That’s because it’s a sin to put this sauce on a “Chicago dog.”
Top spots to try include Portillo’s (Downtown, 100 W. Ontario St.), The Wieners Circle in Lincoln Park (go after dark for the best staff feast), and the Vintage Superdog Drive-In (6363 N. Milwaukee Ave.).
If fine dining is your thing, Chicago hits the same culinary heights as NYC. It is home to two three-Michelin-starred restaurants, Alina (Lincoln Park) and Smith (West Loop), as well as several others awarded one or two stars – from Oriole and Ever (both West Loop) to Kasama (West Town).
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5. Enhanced Train Experience
New York City has a huge subway system, but it’s functional – you ride it to get from A to B.
Chicago’s elevated rail system – the L Train – not only helps you discover the city’s top-tier delights, but it’s an attraction in its own right, passing so close to buildings that the line serves as an unofficial architectural tour.
Some locations where trains are seen hitting buildings include the Harold Washington Library-State/Van Buren Station (Red and Blue Lines), the Merchandise Mart (Brown and Purple Lines), and the Apple Store block on the Green Line.
Meanwhile, top attractions a short distance from the L train station include Cermak-Chinatown for Chinatown, Berwyn for the “shop local capital” of Clark Street, California Stop for busy Logan Square, and Washington/Wabash Station for many of the top sights including Millennium Park, the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago Cultural Center, Chicago Architecture Center, and the Chicago Riverwalk.
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6. It’s less crowded and the locals are friendly
If you visit New York City, be prepared to get stuck—and don’t expect too much help from the locals. The pace is frenetic, the sidewalks are narrow and busy and New Yorkers have plenty on their minds to point the way to your next bucket list attraction.
By comparison, Chicago feels less rushed. You have room to cross people on sidewalks without straining to shoulder – even in the most touristy areas – and the locals are more welcoming.
It’s a major world city, but one with a cozy, Midwestern heartbeat.
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7. It’s cheap
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Both cities have world-class experiences — but you’ll pay less for them in Chicago.
Sometimes very little.
For starters, enjoying a luxury hotel room in central Chicago can often cost $200-$300 per night, while in New York City you’ll have to pay $400 to $600 for similar.
And for a nice sit-down meal – for example, a deep-dish feast – the bill will be around $25 to $40 per person, compared to $50 to $70 in NYC.
Chicago’s subway system is also a little easier on the bank balance, with an L train ride costing $2.50, while the NYC subway costs $2.90.
Budget-wise, it’s also better to get into the city from the airport with the Blue Line in Chicago O’Hare Airport Downtown costs $5 versus $8.25 for New York’s JFK AirTrain.
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