22 Reasons Chicago Is Better Than Your City

4. The city is a foodie’s mecca.

As Windy City’s only 3 #Michelin-starred establishment, #Alinea is a must-visit for foodies visiting #Chicago. Their tasting menu features 18-22 constantly changing selections so no experience is ever the same. What are you waiting for? Make your reservation!

A photo posted by EasyTable Hong Kong (@easytablehk) on May 24, 2015 at 1:36am PDT

Chicago is home to more than 7,300 restaurants. You could literally eat at a different restaurant every night for 20+ years. Dine at three time Best Restaurant in America winner Alinea, eat a whole alligator at Frontier, or try what Food Network calls the Best Burger in America at Au Cheval.

5. 26 miles of lakefront. That means beach-time in the city.

The lakefront is not only great for running but there are actual beaches. Yes, beaches in the city!

6. The L…a ride with a view.

When @casual.monday tells you to try and get this shot, you gotta do it! Lighting was so good last night!

A photo posted by André M. Bayard (@a.m.bayard) on Apr 1, 2015 at 12:22pm PDT

With CTA trains making 2,250 trips a day and CTA buses making 19,000 trips a day there is literally no reason to be bored. There’s even around-the-clock service on some routes.

7. The food trucks.

There is a Chicago food truck to cure everyone’s craving. Grab breakfast from Eastman Egg Company, BBQ from Porkchop, Lobster Rolls from Da Lobsta, or a cupcake from Cupcake Gangsters. Half the fun is tracking down your favorite truck.

8. We have a 110-ton bean.

The world is quiet here.

A photo posted by Anjo Aguilar (@anjoaguilar) on Jul 8, 2015 at 5:07pm PDT

Cloud Gate, better known as The Bean, is a sculpture by British artist Anish Kapoor. It was Kapoor’s first public outdoor work installed in the United States. The Bean has a mirror-like surface, which is perfect for selfie taking. Come on, who doesn’t love a selfie?

9. Ever heard of Lollapalooza or Pitchfork?

What. A. Day. So pumped for DAY 3! #WCSmokeout! 🎶🍻🌽🍗🇺🇸

A photo posted by Ryan Ⓜ️ Meyers (@ryaninthecity) on Jul 12, 2015 at 7:50am PDT

There are more than 400 festivals every year in Chicago, highlighting our food, music and culture.

10. We have the world’s largest food festival.

#tasteofchicago looking successful! #Chicago #grantpark Photo by Steve Dahms #Canon7DMkII #beardedowlproductions

A photo posted by Steve Dahms (@beardedowlpro) on Jul 13, 2015 at 3:27pm PDT

Taste of Chicago drew 1.4 million people this year over a span of just five days. We’re talking more than 200 menu items and 80 hours of live music. Get read to loosen that belt.

11. Rooftop ice-skating.

Let’s face it; we all know Chicago winters can be tough. So when they come we try to find the best ways to enjoy it like at the Peninsula Hotel where they opened a rooftop ice skating rink in 2012.

12. Millennium Park.

Thank you for all the birthday wishes! #TBT to our opening night 11 years ago – July 16, 2004. (Photo credit: Terry Evans, Revealing Chicago) #chicago #millenniumpark

A photo posted by Millennium Park (@millennium_park) on Jul 16, 2015 at 3:24pm PDT

You don’t need to bring a wallet but you can bring a picnic for the free live concerts and movies in the park or bring your yoga mat for weekly workouts.

13. Who wants one baseball team when you can have two!

Pretty sure this was my favorite pic I took yesterday. It can also be seen on @choosechicago and @whitesox page. When the Sox reshared it made my day lol. #mychicagopix #chisportspix #iphoneonly #nofilter

A photo posted by Nycole Hampton (@msnycole) on Apr 11, 2015 at 8:42am PDT

The White Sox play on Chicago’s south side and the Cubs on Chicago’s north side. Having two teams doesn’t just mean twice the fun it means twice the rivalries!

14. The GOAT: Michael Jordan!

#MichaelJordanStatue #Chicago

A photo posted by Eggy (@eggyld) on Feb 14, 2015 at 2:46am PST

While in Chicago, Michael Jordan and the Bulls brought six championships home. He also signed a MLB contract with the Chicago White Sox.

15. The Garfield Park Conservatory.

In love with this wall at @gpconservatory 😍😍 #mychicagopix

A photo posted by Nycole Hampton (@msnycole) on Jul 6, 2015 at 12:21pm PDT

The conservatory is one of the largest in the country and houses beautiful artwork like the mosaic fountain.

16. Chicago’s 77 neighborhoods.

Each neighborhood offers its own flare, culture and food.

17. We have a dinosaur that tweets.

Happy International Dinosaur Month! Of course we couldn’t let the month go by without giving a shout-out to our favorite T.rex. Visit The Field Museum for a day of #discovery and take a #SelfieWithSUE

A photo posted by The Field Museum (@fieldmuseum) on Oct 30, 2014 at 2:23pm PDT

No seriously meet @SUEtheTrex who lives in the Field Museum. She can get quite sassy on Twitter.

18. Have you seen Married with Children?

Together.

A photo posted by Paul Aparicio (@paul_aparicio) on Jul 1, 2015 at 7:06pm PDT

Buckingham Fountain is one of the largest fountains in the world. The fountain wasn’t only the star of the ‘Married with Children’ title sequence; it was also the starting point for popular TV show ‘The Amazing Race Season 6’.

19. Our public art is nothing short of epic.

Calder’s Flamingo, Chicago. #chicago #calderflamingo #nightphotography #cityscapes #wu_chicago #windycity #choosechicago #chicity_shots #chitecture #second_city_photography #ChicagoShots #Instagram312 #chicagophotography #chiskyline #ExploreChicago #insta_chicago #mychicagopix #ilovechicago #thisischicago #enjoyillinois #takingoverchoosechicago #cityscapes_bl #flippinchi #mychicagopix #chiarchitecture #chicagogram #redeyefollow #nightimages

A photo posted by John O’Neill (@johnoneillphoto) on Sep 8, 2014 at 9:59pm PDT

Flamingo is a 53-foot tall 50-ton sculpture designed so that viewers can walk underneath and around it to perceive it in human scale.

20. Our ceilings are way cooler than yours.

The Chicago Cultural Center is home to two magnificent stain-glass domes. The dome pictured can be found in the Grand Army of the Republic rotunda and in the Preston Bradley Hall you can find the world’s largest Tiffany stained-glass dome.

21. Finally… chocolate brownies were created here. You’re welcome!

In 1893, the #brownie was invented at the Palmer House in #Chicago, now a @hiltonhotels property. They still make them according to the original recipe!

A photo posted by Mick (@mickture) on Jun 23, 2015 at 12:10pm PDT

Bertha Palmer, a Chicagoan of course, is the chocolate brownie inventor. You can still get her original recipe brownies at Palmer House Hotel, where they were created.

22. Oh wait… almost forgot this…

🏆

A photo posted by Chicago Blackhawks (@nhlblackhawks) on Jun 16, 2015 at 1:52pm PDT

Yep, Chicago is way better than your city!