CHICAGO & COOK COUNTY
Chicago City Offices
121 North LaSalle Street
Chicago 312-774-5000
Events/Services Dial 311
https://www.chicago.gov
Cook County Offices
118 North Clark Street
Chicago 312-603-5500
www.cookcountyil.gov
Chamber of Commerce
410 North Michigan Avenue
Chicago 312-494-6700
www.chicagolandchamber.org
Chicago is business: Considered the capital of Mid-America, it leads all other U.S. cities in manufacturing and world trade. Chicago is art: The home of more than 100 museums and major cultural institutions, the city is brimming over with world-class attractions. Chicago is education: Known throughout the world as a center of innovative medical science and a major driving force in the advancement of technology. Chicago is all this and more. Recognized at a glance for its spectacular lakefront, the “Windy City” draws visitors and new residents to a livable community with acres of parkland and forest preserves, sandy beaches, picturesque harbors, bike trails and jogging paths, outdoor concerts, and celebrated family destinations like the Lincoln Park Zoo.
Chicagoland’s ideal location, peerless infrastructure, leading business schools, and outstanding workforce have helped to shape this region as one of the most dynamic and diversified economies in the entire world. By the Chicago World’s Fair of 1893, the city was already recognized as one of the 10 most influential on the planet—a distinction that has never dimmed. The “Chicago School” of market-driven economics has transformed the world and is constantly reinventing itself, adapting successfully to new challenges and opportunities. Even the New York Stock Exchange found itself trying to play “catch up” in an effort to merge with Chicago’s ground-breaking, massive all-electronic exchange.
Services
Chicago continues to underline its status as one of the powerhouses of the nation and the world by continued investments at a rate of nearly a billion dollars a year in infrastructure, including schools, highways, parks, and public transportation facilities. The two airports in Chicago are city operated, collectively handling more flights than any airport in the world. The city also boasts one of the finest public transportation networks in the nation. The Chicago Transit Authority serves commuters with a network of buses, trains, subways, elevated trains, and expressways to the Loop, O’Hare Airport, and nearly every corner of the suburbs.
Public and private schools in the Chicago metropolitan region are among the finest in the nation, reflecting the city’s status as a world center of higher education and research since the 1890s. The University of Chicago and Northwestern University anchor a long list of prestigious educational institutions, as two of America’s leading research universities. Several acclaimed Catholic universities are located in the Chicago area, including DePaul University, St. Xavier University, and Loyola University—the nation’s largest Jesuit Catholic university. The Chicago Center for Urban Life and Culture is an independent experiential educational program for college students, underlining the innovation and leadership that marks Chicagoland. Community college systems serve the region with opportunities for an affordable higher education with college-track programs as well as career and vocational degrees and certifications. Specialized degrees are available in a number of renowned colleges and institutes, with particular emphasis on business and the fine arts.
The medical and research community in Chicagoland is equally peerless in its breadth and scope, home to internationally famous healthcare institutions. Several world-famous hospitals and medical centers are clustered in the Illinois Medical District, home to Rush University Medical Center, the University of Illinois Medical Center at Chicago, and John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County. The University of Chicago operates the University of Chicago Hospitals, the only hospital in Illinois to be included in U.S. News & World Report’s “Honor Roll” of the finest hospitals in the United States. The leading healthcare informatics organizations are also located in Chicago, along with headquarters for some of the nation’s leading healthcare service organizations. Included on the list are the American Dental, Medical, and Osteopathic associations as well as the American Hospital Association and the American College of Surgeons.
Lifestyle
Newcomers to Chicago will discover a world-class city filled with hundreds of welcoming neighborhoods that have never lost their Midwestern feeling of warmth and friendliness. From contemporary high rises that command breathtaking skyline and lake views to vintage homes like renovated greystones and historic row houses, each residential community claims a personality and unique history. Spacious executive homes set on sweeping lots that are trimmed to perfection or elegant mansions filled with architectural embellishments contrast with cozy bungalows or maintenance-free condominiums for a virtually endless selection of lifestyle options.
Those seeking cultural enrichment, family fun, or nighttime excitement during their leisure hours will never be disappointed by the city’s amenities and sights. The music scene runs the gamut from blues, jazz, pop, country, folk, and Western to classical. New residents will be impressed with the array of attractions, including comedy cabarets, discos, neighborhood theater groups, Broadway shows, famous theatre companies, celebrated performing arts, and ethnic restaurants that offer delectable cuisine from the far corners of the globe. Wonderful museums preserve and display world-class collections of artifacts and fine art. Nationally acclaimed zoos, nature centers, science museums, and botanical gardens serve as a showcase for spectacular collections of nature’s finest work.
Recreational activities are available throughout the four seasons, from winter sports on snow-clad slopes to boating and sailing on Lake Michigan. The Chicago Park District manages more than 560 parks that cover nearly 7,500 acres and providing facilities from archery ranges and sports fields to multi-purpose trails, tennis courts, art centers, swimming pools, zoos, and hobby clubs. For all its grandeur and cosmopolitan sophistication, Chicago is celebrated as the most livable of America’s “big cities.” “Something for everyone” could never be truer than it is in Chicago. Whatever your tastes, whatever your needs, and wherever your former residence might have been—Chicago is sure to make you feel once again at home!
