With everything Chicago has to offer, it’s not surprising that some of the most interesting facts about the city have either faded into obscurity or become tangled in rumor and myth. Let’s set the facts straight:

Windy City Nickname and the Birth of Skyscrapers

Skyline of Chicago, birth of the skyscraper

One of the most common misconceptions is about the city’s nickname, The Windy City. Almost everyone believes it has to do with Chicago’s often windy weather. Actually, the nickname is a reference to blustery politicians of the mid-to-late 1800′s, who were accused of being overly boastful about the city. The myth persisted because skyscrapers, which were invented in Chicago, channeled winds off Lake Michigan through the brick and mortar canyons, often strengthening them to gale force strength.

Buckingham Fountain

Buckingham Fountain in Grant Park

Once an hour on the hour, from April to mid-October, Buckingham Fountain produces a major water and light display. Photo courtesy of Chicago Park District.

Buckingham Fountain, located at the southern end of Grant Park on Chicago’s Lakeshore Drive, was modeled after the Latona Basin in Louis XIV’s gardens at Versailles. The main basin represents Lake Michigan the four green sea horses symbolize the four states that touch the lake: Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana and Michigan. Although the fountain is an iconic structure, it became even more widely recognized after being featured in the opening scenes of the TV sitcom Married With Children, and as the starting place for the The Amazing Race. The Fountain has remained intact except for the theft of two carved fish heads, which were eventually recovered when a salvage yard was offered the pieces. The buyer thought they looked very familiar and reported them. Read the rest of this entry »

Although I was born and raised in Chicago, I left the moment I was old enough to be on my own. I couldn’t wait to get out of the city; I wanted nothing to do with it. Over the years I moved frequently, always choosing fairly remote areas. Several years ago, however, I started to miss the kind of cultural opportunities that only cities can provide and, following a two-year long search, moved to Sarasota, Florida.

Jersey Boys theater marquee

While I like Sarasota – it’s a delightful mid-size city with a strong arts and culture community – I find I am more and more drawn to the big cities, and so I was really looking forward to my annual holiday trip to visit my family in the greater Chicagoland area. I had plans. I wanted to go to the blues clubs and the comedy clubs. I wanted to attend the theater in Chicago’s Loop. I wanted to walk around the incredible new Millennium Park on Michigan Avenue. I contemplated walking the Magnificent Mile on north Michigan Avenue and hoped to visit the world class Museum of Science and Industry, Field Museum, Art Institute, Shedd Aquarium, and Palomar Observatory. I had everything figured out. Everything, that is, except the weather.

Since my arrival on December 15th, we’ve suffered freezing rain, ice storms, multiple snowstorms, 45 mile per hour winds, and a week-long stint of sub-zero temperatures. With my departure looming, my two sisters, my niece, and I decided to take the train into the Loop to see Jersey Boys. We arrived in the city by 8 a.m. and stood in line to buy one of ten $25 front row seats that are released each morning for that day’s matinee and evening performances. Since we were waiting outside for two hours in 28 degree temperatures, we were chilled to the bone by the time the doors opened, but because we were first in line we got front row center seats. Read the rest of this entry »