Travel & Leisure

Chicago, a city of artists and design

Contemporary art galleries, cutting-edge boutiques, and events of all kinds are on the calendar every month and attract many Chicagoans. As Chicagoans are known to be very demanding and knowledgeable, often shows are first presented and tested in this city, before going on stage in New York. While the Midwestern capital is known for its architecture and penchant for modernity and creativity, it has long combined artistic and urban development. It is in Chicago, for example, that skyscrapers were born, thanks to the development of modern construction techniques based on steel, cement or reinforced glass before being built in New York. Its Skyline on the shores of Lake Michigan can be seen in a surreal way, sometimes against a background of blue sky or sunset, a unique moment to discover the city by boat.

A little history

Louis Joliet and Father Marquette, sent by the French government in 1673, were the first to discover these lands which later became the city of Chicago. The name was given by the Illinois Indians who were the first to claim the land and nicknamed it "Chicaugou" in reference to the great chiefs of the tribes, meaning "great or powerful." But the first to settle in this area around 1780 was an Afro-Caribbean man, Jean-Baptiste Pointe du Sable, with his Indian wife. He built his home on the riverbank.

Founding of Chicago in 1833

But it is in 1833 that the history of Chicago really begins, since the XXth century becoming one of the most important cities in the world with its economic activity, its financial center among the largest - New York, Paris or London - and the first exchange of agricultural commodities, counting in 2020 more than 9,600,000 inhabitants in the region. In 1860, the Republican National Convention also chose Abraham Lincoln as its presidential candidate. Unfortunately, the fire of 1871 destroyed most of the city, which, in the face of this tragedy, found the energy and audacity to rebuild itself in a more beautiful, larger and more spectacular way, creating a steel skeleton that would defy the decades to come. - For example, the First Leiter Building, built in 1879 by William LeBaron Jenney. The city planners then worked on projects that have since become legendary and are part of Chicago's urban heritage, such as the Museum of Science and Industry, the famous aerial tramway EL in the Loop area, the iconic John Hancock Center, the Willis Tower (formerly Sears Tower, rising to 442 meters) and the neo-Gothic Tribune Tower. Root, Burnham, Adler and Sullivan were among the leaders of the school that became the Chicago School.

The Chicago River, a magical bend

This famous river bend is surrounded by the most beautiful towers which are reflected in each other as soon as the sun appears, bordered by the Chicago River which flows into Lake Michigan. It is an absolute must to embark on the Odyssey river cruise to discover all the styles the city has to offer: from neoclassicism to international influences, passing through neo-gothic and fine arts. You don't know where to look, as each building has its own characteristics. One covered with blue mirrors, the other circular with a sort of scales that houses parking lots and apartments, the third the Merchandise Mert, an Art-Deco building from 1930, located on the river front. This 2-hour tour, including lunch, gives a good overview of the city, with its skyscrapers from different eras, it’s like visiting an open-air museum.

The Millennium Park, an open-air art gallery

Then, like an irresistible call, your steps lead you to Millennium Park, an open-air art gallery designed by Richard M. Daley. You will discover the famous Cloud Gate, also called "Bean" by Anish Kapoor, a kind of bean where its mirror-like polished surface reflects the skyline in echo or the "Jay Pritzker" pavilion by architect Frank Gehry. This immense sculptural form hosts numerous concerts throughout the year and serves as an auditorium facing an immense lawn. A stone's throw away, two giant plasma screens, "the Crown Fountain" by Jaume Plensa, where faces scroll by, spitting water in summer, giving you the impression of being spotted.

The Art Institute of Chicago, the largest museum after the Met

Not far away, you can't miss the Art Institute of Chicago. Second largest museum in the US, after the Met in New York, housing one of the most important art collections in the country, covering a period from 5000 BC to the present (300,000 art works). From the impressionists (one of the most important collections after Paris) to American and Asian art, not to mention contemporary and modern art, housed in a bright and spacious building, there is something for everyone. It is the equivalent of the Louvre in Paris.

The Royal Sonesta a very well-located hotel

After this day full of discoveries, it is good to settle down at the Royal Sonesta. The hotel is ideally located between the Millenium Park, Lake Michigan and the Chicago river where we took the Odyssey boat for the cruise. It also faces Trump Tower, impressive by its height it must be said!



The Royal Sonesta is a contemporary hotel, with very spacious rooms equipped with large bay windows, overlooking the river and the skyscrapers, notably the neo-Gothic Tribune Tower. The comfortable lobby, with its Swedish atmosphere, furniture and light wood, its various lounge areas, face a cosy fireplace, allowing a welcome break before setting off again to explore this multicultural playground.

Strong emotions

Before heading to the Michelin restaurant, the Moody Tongue, in the South Loop district, visit the 360 Observation Chicago on North Michigan Avenue. There, the TILT experience awaits you: in front of glass walls surrounded by handrails to hold on to, you will be tilted into the void 300 meters above the avenue. If you are afraid of heights, don't go! Another view, another thrill: like the Willis Tower, at The Ledge, where a glass overhang located at the Skydeck, allows you to walk with a clear view of the void below you! Emotions guaranteed!

A 2 star experience at the Moody Tongue

After these strong emotions, it's time to regain strength at the Moody Tongue, a two Michelin star restaurant, in a minimalist setting, run by chef Jader Wentworth who regales you with creative and original dishes of reasonable proportions, with innovative beer pairings by Jader Rouben (beer brewer). Original.

Hyde Park and Franck Lloyd Wright, an outsider who refuses the diktats

After a restful night and a breakfast at the Hoyt, a restaurant next to the Royal Sonesta Hotel, we are eager to discover one of the works of Franck Lloyd Wright. This architect, who lived from 1876 to 1959, was an outsider, but an emblematic figure of Chicago. His style is related to the Prairie School movement. He liked the horizontality, inspired by the landscapes and plains of the Midwest. In his eyes, a house must be in harmony with its environment and express itself as organic architecture focused on the close connection between the exterior and the interior. Each house has its own grammar, and one of its singularities remains the entrance, which is never apparent and must be discovered. One of his last creations is called Robie House (1909) in the Hyde Park district, with its 176 windows and doors, marked by its horizontal lines, bricks and flat roofs. It now belongs to the renowned University of Chicago, which adjoins it with its Oxfordian style buildings. Wright’s work can also be admired at The Rookery, a state-of-the-art restored building that is a historical landmark.

The Street Art district

In the afternoon, head for the Street Art District, most of the open-air art works are concentrated on Wabash Street on the Wabash Art Corridor (WAC) between Wabash/Jackson and Wabash/Roosevelt. Started in 2013, you'll discover over 40 murals on its walls. Every street corner or some facades of decrepit buildings, parking lots, pillars of the subway system, showcase truly artistic creations, either directly commissioned or following competitions won by artists from all over the world, known or unknown and university students.

Swinging Chicago

The evening in Chicago, city of the prohibition but also of music, in particular of the blues and the jazz, would not be complete without an incursion in a club and our choice is Buddy Guy's, a blues club opened in 1989, eponymous musician of his bar and still active. He takes the microphone from time to time in his club to sing and it was the case this evening. Great atmosphere!