This far-reaching urban sprawl is often referred to as ‘Chicagoland’, which includes the city of Chicago and its many suburbs. It is exactly this kind of portrait that contributes to the pride of Chicago’s rich history.Ĭhicago-Naperville-Elgin is the 3rd most populous metropolitan area in the US. But it was the completion of the Erie Canal in 1825 that transformed Chicago from the ultimate heartland city into a pre-eminent American fortress of trade and commerce between the Great Lakes Region and the Atlantic coast. Afterall, it is located atop a swampland in America’s Midwest, not exactly a port city on one of America’s ocean coasts. But, without gaining a grasp of its history, the ‘Second City’s’ global appeal will remain a geographic anomaly for its many visitors. The scale and grandness of Chicago draws comparisons to its great American counterparts, Los Angeles and New York City. A single gaze at the ‘Windy City’s’ regal skyline produces an insatiable desire to see and explore more. Pressing into the tension of it all, Chicago still holds its head high in the landscape of the nation. A city of paradox– grit and charm, beauty and decay, hopes and dreams tragedies and nightmares. Woven into the fabric of the American story stands a mighty city.

Alpha global city