Chicago Voted The World's Best City.....Here's Why Perhaps

For the second year running, Chicago has been ranked the best city in the world according Time Out’s City Life Index, beating New York, London and Melbourne for the top spot based on key lifestyle factors such as food, drink, culture, affordability and happiness. Around 15,000 people from 32 cities across the world took part in the survey, with the Windy City coming out on top thanks to its “outstanding food and bar scene”. The City Life Index showed that 89 per cent of Chicago dwellers are happy overall, while 91 per cent love their city. The only area where the city fell short was safety, which is not surprising given that 3457 people shot and 650 murdered there in 2017. According to Time Out: “Chicago, Porto, New York, Melbourne and London are this year’s top five - a list that shows how different, diverse and unique great cities can be.” They’re right; having visited or lived in each city, they all have something to offer residents and visitors alike. Frank Sinatra once sang: “And each time I roam, Chicago is calling me home, Chicago is why I just grin like a clown – It’s my kind of town…” I first visited the Windy City around 30 years ago and fell in love it with it almost as soon as I’d stepped off the plane at O’Hare International Airport. Admittedly it was summertime, the city was buzzing and everyone was enjoying the great outdoors. A decade later hubby and I put it on our itinerary for our big relocation trip from the UK back to Australia after we married. It was late summer again, and from enjoying sunsets over Lake Michigan to dining out amazing restaurants and frequenting blues clubs, he fell hard for Chicago too.

Balmy weather aside in the summer at least, there are plenty of other reasons to love this city. Visit as a tourist and you’ll see why it has so many charms. One is a great location for exploring more of the USA. Unlike New York, Boston, Los Angeles or San Francisco, Chicago enjoys a central location great for quick flights around the country, and it has a secondary airport, called Midway which is a major hub for Southwest Airlines - they can get you pretty much anywhere. As mentioned earlier, Chicago is home to Lake Michigan, which has walking and bike paths to enjoy, as well as a beach for sunbathing and swimming in the warmer months. Like New York and Philadelphia, the Windy City is home to amazing architecture to savour and photograph, and which tell an amazing story; just a few include the Hancock Building, the Aqua Tower, Chicago’s home Insurance Building, The Chicago Merchandise Mart, Marina City, and the Buckingham Fountain. We’re baseballs fans in our household, with me a longtime Los Angeles Angels fan, and hubby a San Francisco Giants fan. When we visit Chicago, however, and if it is the right season, we always try to get tickets for a White Sox or Cubs baseball game. Most of the other major US sports are represented in the city from basketball to football, including the Chicago Bears, Chicago Bulls, Chicago Fire, and the Chicago Blackhawks. The locals love their sports, and their teams, and besides the various stadiums being national landmarks the city comes alive whenever a game is on; if you can’t get to a game, watch it at one of many terrific sports bars.