Museums—The Art Institute of Chicago; Museum of Contemporary Art; Museum of Science and Industry; the Field Museum; the John G. Shedd Aquarium.

Memorable Meals—A true Chicago-style hot dog at Superdawg Drive-In or Gold Coast Dogs; a slice of Chicago-style pizza at Pizzeria Uno or Lou Malnati's Pizzeria; prize-winning international fare at Tru or Charlie Trotter's; posh Michigan Avenue cafes such as RL Restaurant and Shanghai Terrace that offer seating with a well-heeled view; trendy dining at the edgy bistros along West Randolph Street.

Late Night—Improvisational sets at the Second City theater or the comedy-cult favorite I.O. Theater; catching the headliner at Zanies stand-up comedy club; dancing to house music spun by one of Chicago's internationally renowned DJs; tapping into Chicago blues at one of the city's legendary live-music clubs.

Walks—A leisurely stroll along Michigan Avenue (the "Magnificent Mile") from the river to the Drake Hotel; a walk through Grant Park to Buckingham Fountain; strolling through the spectacular grounds and across the Frank Gehry-designed bridge of Millennium Park; the extensive trails along the lakefront ending with stunning views from the beach at North Avenue.

Especially for Kids—The Museum Campus, including the Oceanarium at the John G. Shedd Aquarium; the grand Field Museum, home to Sue—the most intact Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton ever found—and the high-tech Adler Planetarium & Astronomy Museum, with its amazing 4-D sky shows; the Museum of Science and Industry, with "please touch" signs scattered throughout; the Chicago Children's Museum; Navy Pier's amusement rides, gardens, IMAX theater and boat rides; Lincoln Park Zoo (absolutely free); the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum; American Girl Place, with its mind-boggling doll collection and over-the-top tearoom; the water-squirting glass towers at Millennium Park and in winter, ice-skating at Millennium Park.

The city is laid out in a grid system, with relatively few diagonal streets. But with no alphabetical order to those streets, it's important to learn the numbering system if you want to find your way around. The intersection of Madison and State streets is the zero point for all addresses. (Madison divides the city into north and south, and State Street divides it east-west.) Many street signs include a locator relative to this intersection. For instance, Addison Street (home to the Cubs' Wrigley Field) is 3600 North, meaning it's about 36 blocks north of Madison. An address that reads 3650 N. Clark St. will be just north of Addison Street, on Clark.

State and Madison meet within the core of downtown, an area known as "the Loop" (named for the elevated commuter railroad encircling the area). The Loop is bordered by the Chicago River on the north, Wabash Avenue on the east, Van Buren Avenue on the south and Wells Street on the west. Just north of the Loop is the Magnificent Mile (Michigan Avenue between the Chicago River and Oak Street), home to stylish boutiques and some of the city's most exclusive hotels and restaurants.

Even the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 could not stop the city's relentless economic expansion. Chicago converted the devastation into an opportunity to plan a better city. In 1893, the World's Columbian Exposition showed just how far the city had come in 20 years of rebuilding. The fair's 26 million visitors sparked the design and building of the elevated "L" trains that still shuttle millions of riders through Chicago's Loop, or financial district.

Fueled by a growing immigrant and African-American population, the city became an industrial and agricultural processing center in the late 1800s and early 1900s. However, as industrial and agricultural industries went into decline in the latter half of the 20th century, Chicago transformed itself into a global financial and communications hub.

Chicago's "vote early and vote often" era of machine politics reached its peak under the reign of Mayor Richard J. Daley, who ruled the city from 1955 to his death in 1976. Although his iron-fisted grip rankled some (including demonstrators at the 1968 Democratic National Convention), he also cemented Chicago's reputation as "the city that works." It was under his direction that the Sears Tower, O'Hare Airport and McCormick Center were all built. Politics had changed considerably by the time his son, Richard M. Daley, became mayor in 1989. The city continues to attract billions of dollars in private investment. The windfall has led to better schools, cleaner parks, safer streets and a condominium-building boom. Residents who moved to suburbs years ago have rediscovered the appeal of living in the heart of this stimulating city.

Forget Hollywood. Chicago has plenty of its own claims to film fame. Besides providing the backdrop for several hit TV shows (ER, Early Edition and Soul Food, to name a few), the Windy City has set the stage for key scenes in movies such as The Untouchables (Union Station), The Relic (The Field Museum), While You Were Sleeping (the Sedgwick "L" station) and The Blues Brothers (Daley Center and Plaza).

Although many people blame Chicago's weather for the "Windy City" nickname, Boston, Milwaukee, Dallas and San Francisco all have higher annual average wind speeds. The origin of the name is best attributed to the "hot air" released from early Chicago boosters who were promoting the city as a place to invest.

Grant Park is often called Chicago's backyard, hosting top summer festivals, but it wouldn't have come into existence if the Great Chicago Fire hadn't destroyed nearly all of Chicago's buildings in 1871. Grant Park was created out of a landfill amassed from the fire.

Chicago lays claim to several superlatives, including the world's largest convention facility (McCormick Place), largest Tiffany dome (in the Chicago Cultural Center) and the largest public library (Harold Washington Library Center). Its 110-story Sears Tower is the tallest building in the U.S., ranked fourth in the world.