A world-class centers of culture, commerce, education, architecture, dining, and shopping, Chicago is America's largest city after New York and Los Angeles, and it has a visible, active gay and lesbian community that you'd expect of such a place. You could easily travel here, spending all your time downtown at a conference or taking in the major attractions, and never see gay Chicago, which is centered around the Lakeview and Andersonville neighborhoods, about 5 to 7 miles northwest of downtown, but easily accessible via mass transit. This is a city of neighborhoods, so plan to venture outside the city core.
The Seasons:
Chicago's a great year-round destination, although winters can see spells of intensely cold weather, and summers sometimes bring sultry heatwaves. Fall and spring are when the odds favor moderate temperatures and pleasant days. Chicago has a number of festivals and events from spring through fall, and it's a big convention city year-round - hotel rates can soar when meetings are in town.
Average high-low temps are 32F/18F in Jan., 59F/42F in Apr., 84F/66F in July, and 64F/46F in Oct. Precipitation averages 2 to 4 inches/mo. year-round, with sometimes very heavy snowfall in winter.
The Location:
It may be in the Midwest, many miles from the nearest ocean, but Chicago is most definitely one of the nation's great waterfront destination, as it sits directly on rippling Lake Michigan - it's more than 50 miles across the lake to the state of Michigan. Chicago is in northeastern Illinois and surrounded mostly by flat suburbs and prairies, so apart from the lake, the setting is rather prosaic. The Chicago River cuts through downtown and is crossed by several scenic bridges. The city is a major interstate crossroads, traversed by such major roads as I-90, I-80, and I-94.
Flying to Chicago:
Chicago is served by two major airports. O'Hare, the larger one with scads of domestic and international flights (it's a hub for American and United), and Midway Airport, which is a bit smaller and a hub for the discount airline, Southwest. Although it's 90 minutes north, another option is General Mitchell International Airport, in Milwaukee, which is a clean, first-rate, beautiful facility that's much more pleasant than either Chicago airport. There's bus service from Milwaukee's airport to Chicago, and extensive ground transportation from the Chicago airports into the city, from hotel shuttles to train.
Taking a Train or Bus to Chicago:
It's very easy to get to Chicago by train or bus, and also easy to get around the city via public transporation via the various Chicago Transit Authority (CTA modes, including elevated rail ("the L"), bus, and train. You don't need a car to see Chicago, and most hotels charge sky-high prices to garage them, so stick with mass transit if at all possible (and the occasional cab as needed - these are plentiful). The city is easily reached via Amtrak train service and Greyhound Bus from such major Midwest cities as Indianapolis, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, and St. Louis
Gay-Popular Events and Festivals:
Mid-May: International Mr. Leather Weekend.
June through August: Grant Park Music Festival
(Wed.-Sat. nights all summer).
Mid-June.: Andersonville Midsommarfest.
Late June: Chicago Gay Pride.
Late June to early July: Taste of Chicago.
Late July.: Wicker Parkfest.
Mid-August: Northalsted Market Days (festive street party along main drag of gay Lakeview neighborhood).
Early Sept.: Lakeview East Fine Art Festival.
Mid-Sept.: AIDS Walk Chicago
Late Sept.: Oktoberfest Chicago.
Early Oct.: Chicago International Film Festival.
Mid-Nov.: Chicago Lesbian and Gay International Film Festival.
Book with YTB Travelmore
0 comments:
Post a Comment