Chicago, having become a hotbed of the criminality in the 1930s, is now the third biggest city in the United States (after New York and Los Angeles), one of the country's industrial and congress centers. Chicago lies on the shores of the lake Michigan. Four hundred years ago this area was inhabited only by the Indian tribes. The prairies were mostly covered by wild leek and thus the place was named Chicagu -"the city of the wild leek". European appeared here only in XVIII century and the first town was founded only in 1833. Today's Chicago architectural appearance combines up-to-date skyscrapers with the buildings of XIX century. Chicago is situated in the north-east corner of Illinois, it's an important transport junction, major railway, avia routes and interstates cross here. The central part of Chicago called the Loop was totally destroyed by the fire of 1871, but then restored. The restoration works were carried out by the best American architects. The only structure remained untouched was the Water Tower built in 1867. It still provides the northern part of the city with water. ArchiCentre in the heart of Chicago is a place where one can get acquainted with the history of skyscrapers in the United States. Agricultural exchange Board of Trade Building offers an opportunity to observe brokers' intense work. 110-storey building of Sears Tower has a height of 520 meters. It's one of the tallest structures in the world and from its top opens a view to four states. The First National Bank Building & Plaza is decorated with the mosaics "Four Seasons"of Mark Shagal. The famous Skyscrapers' District is just across the street. Along the lake, just behind Michigan-Avenue Bridge lies the richest and the most prestigious district of Chicago. Magnificent Mile - a street with numerous shops, galleries and restaurants is extremely popular among tourists. The area between Lincoln Park and Water Tower is full of the old mansions and houses. Once it was elite place and was called Gold Coast. Old Town is mostly is built up with the 1920-s houses. One of the main attractions of this part of the city is St. Michael's Church. Chicago can be named among the cultural centers of the United States. It can boast a lot of museums, theaters, universities and galleries. Chicago University can boast the largest amount of Nobel Prize laureates in the world. Chicago is the theater center as well. It hosts numerous festivals, theatrical studios and small theaters. Ravinia Festival taking place from June till September attracts a lot of tourists every year. |
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