There’s nothing shy about Chi-town

Thursday 30 May 2013
By Emily Joleski

Airbnb celebrates five years in the business by introducing Chicago to their ever-expanding list of popular Neighbourhoods for international travellers. With an abundance of distinct neighbourhoods to explore, the true meaning of Chicago is only found in movement so come prepared to cover a lot of ground in this magnificent city. Surrounded by a vast array of parklands, Chicago is home to authentic soul food, major league baseball, world-class museums and performance arts, Blues music and some of the finest architecture in the world. Whether you’re a food fanatic, outdoor buff, cultural explorer, arts enthusiast, or simply hold an appreciation for the finer things in life, Chicago has something for you.

CHICAGO LOOP

The finest mix of business and pleasure

Only a quick glimpse and you can see that this is first and foremost a business district, encircled by an elevated rail system and housing some of the world’s finest financial, cultural, and commercial institutions, with an impressive skyline to match.

View from the top: Chicago is known as the the first builder of the skyscraper.

On a work day, busy-looking people in suits hurry in and out of tall buildings like the famous Sears Tower. Major theaters hawk their big-name productions on neon marquees, and visitors are reminded of a Chicago movie scene on almost every street corner they stand on. Once the original Broadway district, the Loop also has the glitzy downtown theater district which is still at the heart of Chicago’s charm.

The world renowned Chicago Theatre on State.

Sports fans are also catered to in this hub of ‘Chicagotown’.  Professional baseball, basketball and football teams The Chicago Cubs, Chicago Bulls, and Chicago Bears make regular appearances at the city's finest stadiums, drawing in crowds of thousands. Needless to say, if you’ve never visited Chicago before, The Loop is where to begin.

RIVER NORTH

The finer things in life

River North certainly has no competition when it comes to the finer things in life. Featuring the nation's largest concentration of contemporary art galleries, commercial lofts, and Chi-town’s most prestigious hotels and shopping destinations, here you will find expensive living for rich folk. Don’t expect to find many discounts on one of the most impressive shopping streets in the world – residents don’t shop on Michigan because it’s cheap, they shop there because it's the Magnificent Mile.

Chicago's Magnificent Mile: A section of Michigan Avenue known for its extravagant 
designer outlets including Barneys New York.

The world's most elite fashion designers are represented here, and the rest wish they were. But don’t let this refrain you from visiting, the neighborhood is not hostile towards tourists, offering endless affordable restaurants, nightclubs and bars to leave a lasting impression on visitors.

LINCOLN PARK

Escape from the hustle n’ bustle

Lincoln Park is all about tranquility and boasts a rich history. It’s named after the 16^th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln, and Chicago's largest public park.

Lincoln Park stretches miles past the neighbourhood with magnificent waterfront views, an outdoor theatre, rowing canal, lily pool,  prominent statue of Lincoln himself and more.

Today, Lincoln Park is one of the fashionable, wealthiest and most expensive communities in which to live. Well known for the Lincoln Park Zoo, this neighbourhood is the place to stay if you’re travelling with little companions. For outdoor adventure seekers, picturesque Lincoln Park can be viewed from the Nature Broadwalk.

With a strong academic and sports atmosphere and miles of beautiful parklands that surround, the streets are constantly filled with young urban professionals, recent college graduates, and young families. In Lincoln Park, collegians mix with freshly-minted lawyers who all come to sing their good fortune in beer gardens on the north side of Chicago.

HYDE PARK 
Calling all bookworms

When it comes to Chicago neighbourhoods, Hyde Park is one of the most famous, situated on the south side of the city.

Students at the University of Chicago contribute to the town’s intellectual edge. This scholastic neighbourhood combines radical diversity with a historic reputation, iconic monuments, higher education and cool street cred. Calling all architecture buffs, with an endless array of Victorian mansions and Prairie School houses, there is simply not enough time in the day to admire the classical structures that form the streets of Hyde Park.

The University of Chicago: one of the world's most prestigious universities.

With former high-profile Hyde Park residents including Muhammed Ali, Hugh Hefner, and President Barack Obama, locals are no doubt finely proud of where they live. Today, Hyde Park is full of amazing bookstores, leafy streets, the siren song of cheap greasy food, great architecture, and more Nobel Prizes per square kilometer than any other neighbourhood on Earth.

Bookworms and academics alike can get lost for days in the sea of bookshops
Hyde Park has on offer.

Hyde Park attracts thinkers, dreamers, families and professionals who are enticed by the neighbourhood residents who take life in stride.

GREATER CHATHAM

Home to the real Chicago Blues

Many travellers oversee Greater Chatham – it doesn’t usually make it on the list of must-see places in Chicago. The neighbourhood attracts families and visitors interested in exploring the true origins of the Chicago Blues. Add some mind-blowing BBQ, and you have the best of both worlds - blues and soul food.

The birth of Chicago Blues: the neighbourhood boasts hundreds of Blues bars.

Warmly welcomed by the neighbourhoods dominant population of middle and upper class African-American Chicagoans, Greater Chatham is lined with churches, schools, and a contagious community spirit. Live-music is apart of the neighbourhood’s cultural heritage, and it is not only limited to Blues. Greater Chatham is also a birthplace for Chicago soul, and house music, jazz, gospel and the hip-hop scene.  

While there is not a lot of sightseeing to be done in the neighbourhood, Chatham could very well be the highlight of your trip to Chicago, leaving you humming the tune of your favourite Blues song on the way out.

Long layovers can put a damper on holidays, so if you've already started planning a trip to this magical city check out Airbnb's latest blog post about how to make time pass quickly at the airport.

Or - 

Live in Chicago and want to put your place on the map? Check out Airbnb’s Top 10: How to make your guests feel welcome list for tips to make your space more accommodating to visitors, and hit us up on the List My Space page to start earning money by renting our your space!


*Images courtesy of http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/