Ten Unusual Perks of Living in Chicago

Chicago has the only river in the world that flows backwards, it’s the old stomping ground of Barack Obama and is, apparently, the birthplace of soap operas. Today, it’s the third most populated city in the US, with over 2.7 million residents. So why do people flock to Chicago and what could it hold in store for you? We’ve picked out ten unusual perks to living in this Illinois city:

1) Beach life – Located on the southwestern shores of Lake Michigan, the beach is 15 minutes’ drive from pretty much anywhere you are in the city. In summer you’ll be sipping on tropical cocktails while enjoying music festivals and maybe playing some volleyball in between catching some rays.

2) Low rent – Unlike other major cities in the US such as New York and Los Angeles, Chicago offers significantly lower rental prices for properties so you can actually afford to live where the action is. Take a look at Chicago apartments at ForRent.com.

3) The people – It’s easier to build a network of friends here than other places. In fact, they say it’s the people who make Chicago truly great.

4) Sport – Chicago is one of four US cities to have teams from the five major American professional team sports (baseball, football, hockey, basketball and soccer). The city has been named the Best Sports City by Sporting News three times (in 1993, 2006 and 2010).

5) Stunning scenery – There is something for everyone in Chicago. The downtown areas are packed with unique architecture. If you prefer to get closer to nature then visit the Millennium Park or enjoy the scenes at the lake shore.

6) Celebrations – Whether you are celebrating Christmas, New Year or other days in the year there are plenty of places to party in Chicago. Many even have standard opening hours until 4am if you like to dance all night! St. Patrick’s Day is a spectacular display with a giant parade and the tradition of dyeing the river green in honour of the day.

7) Original foods – Chicago is well known for its food and original recipes that have been created by this gourmet dining center. The deep dish pizza was invented here. If that’s not reason enough then we don’t know what is! Chicago is also famed for its own style of hot dog and Italian beef, which is a sandwich stuffed with sliced roast beef soaked in meat drippings. It is also home to the world’s largest free outdoor food festival, the Taste of Chicago.

8) Chicago Blues – World renowned, there are plenty of blues bars and places that you can enjoy the sounds, kick-back and relax.   

9) Unique Architecture – Much of downtown Chicago is filled with new modern buildings because of the Great Fire of Chicago in 1871. The skyline is dominated by stunning skyscrapers that provide awesome views of the city.

10) Clean city – According to Reader’s Digest, Chicago makes it into the top 50 cleanest cities. It has a good record for maintaining the cleanliness of its streets and parks which adds to the pleasant feel of living here.