It was my fourth time in Chicago, the windy city.
One might wonder what makes me go back to this particular metropolis
time and again. The answer is: it's a magnificent place that boasts
racial and cultural diversity, shopping places, restaurants and a
breathtaking skyline along with its many other attractions.
Famous
for its architectural grandeur, Chicago, in the State of Illinois, has
skyscrapers that leave tourists awestruck. Once home to the world's
tallest building, the 108-storey Sears Tower (now known as Willis
Tower), draws millions of visitors every year. Many associate Sears
Tower with notable Bangladeshi-American Fazlur Rahman Khan, who was the
structural engineer behind this architectural wonder. Chicago's John
Hancock Center, a 100-storey building, also boasts the structural
engineering feat of F. R. Khan. So, if you are ever in this vibrant
city, you may consider standing on Sears Tower's sky-deck to enjoy a
panoramic view of Chicago.
The Millennium
Park, a public park in Chicago, is another major tourist attraction. On
our first two visits to Chicago, we enjoyed two free musical
performances. Two main attractions of this park are the Cloud Gate and
Crown Fountain. The Cloud Gate is a structure built in the shape of a
bean. Thousands of people stand before it everyday to click snaps of
their reflections on its shiny surface.
During
summer, children frolic in the shallow reflecting water pool between
the two glass brick towers that are part of the Millennium Park's Crown
Fountain. The towers, which have LED screens, display video clips of
the faces of Chicagoans -- I personally never saw a more fascinating
and hi-tech fountain. Tourists and local residents sit by this cool
fountain with ice cream and soda to beat the scorching heat of summer.
Chicago's
Magnificent Mile is a shopping paradise -- an avenue that boasts
department stores like Macy's, Bloomingdales, Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman
Marcus and high-end fashion houses like Gucci, Chanel, Michael Kors,
Hugo Boss, Burberry, St. John, Guess, Yves Saint Laurent, Prada; you
name it, Magnificent Mile has it. Of course, shopping at most or all of
these stores requires one to have a really fat wallet but nonetheless
if one thinks retail therapy is a great idea to relieve stress,
Magnificent Mile is the place to be.
A
trip to Chicago remains incomplete without a visit to Devon, an avenue
that is dominated by businesses run by Indians, Pakistanis and
Bangladeshis. Portions of Devon are named after Mahatma Gandhi, Sheikh
Mujibur Rahman and Muhammad Ali Jinnah. From faluda, biriyani, luchi to
shalwar suits, saris and panjabis, you name it and there will be stores
on Devon to fulfil your wants and cravings.
Ghareeb
Nawaz, a modest restaurant in Devon, attracts hundreds 24/7.
Low-priced yet good food is
the hallmark of this restaurant that does
not accept anything but cash. I guessed it was one way to keep their
costs low and thereby the prices. When I called them up to find out
their opening hours, the answer was, "We are open 24 hours!"
When
we went there at 10 o'clock at night for biriyani, paratha and kabab,
people were waiting in line to grab unoccupied tables. It was hard to
tell from the size of the hungry crowd that for many Americans, it was
already late night.
On my last Chicago trip
in May, I spent an entire day on Devon Avenue, relishing foods and
drinks like luchi, halwa, shabji, milk tea and mango faluda. It was
after four years that I had faluda; I reminisced about my Dhaka days
when a faluda craving meant a visit to Euro Hut in Dhanmondi's Rapa
Plaza.
There are so many things to see and
enjoy in America's Windy City that just one write-up on it will never
suffice. There are numerous restaurants, posh and modest alike, where
one can enjoy meals from other parts of the world. There are museums,
Lincoln Park Zoo and Navy Pier which are must-sees if you have
children.
Chicago's water taxis are famous and a
popular mode of transportation among tourists during summer. If you
love to walk, Chicago is the city where you might want to be. A walk
around Chicago will fill your senses with sights, smells and sounds
that only a culturally diverse city can offer.
By Wara Karim
Date of Publication: July 27, 2012
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