Chicago Tourist Information

Chicago Climate
July and August are hot and humid. Late January and February are very cold. May and September are mild.

Chicago Emergency Numbers
Dial 911 for emergency Fire, Ambulance and Police

Chicago Newspapers
The Chicago Tribune ("The Trib") is the biggest daily followed by the Chicago Sun-Times. New City is a free weekly alternative arts and entertainment magazine. The Chicago Defender an African-American daily. Chicago Magazine is a monthly guide to events

Chicago Post
The main Post Office in Chicago is located at 200E Randolf Street (312 861 0473) and is opened Monday to Friday from 7.30am to 5.30pm..

Chicago Shopping
The main shopping area is along Michigan Avenue with boutiques, malls and department stores. Halsted Street and Armitage Avenue in Lincoln Park are good for up market boutiques. River north is good for art or designer goods.

Chicago Telephones
There are plenty of public phone sin Chicago with most accepting pre paid telephone cards and telephone charge cards
The are codes for Chicago are 312 or 773
If you need to make a call outside of Chicago dial 1 then the area code and then the 7 digit phone number
For directory assistance dial 411 and for the operator dial 0

Chicago Tourist Information
Chicago Water Works Visitor Information Centre, 163 E. Pearson Avenue
Chicago Cultural Centre Visitor Information Centre - 77 E. Randolph Street.(312 744 2400)
Sears on state Information Kiosk,- 2 N State Street

Chicago Internet
Free wireless internet at the Chicago Public Library and at all branches of McDonald's.

Chicago safety
Dial 911 to get emergency help and 311 for all non emergency situations. Chicago does have crime. Blocks around some areas of the city are potentially dangerous. Avoid some areas of the South and West Sides at night. Be street wise on the Loop at night and on Sunday's and keep an eye out for muggers and purse snatchers. Please do take local advice from your hotel on arrival as areas of danger do change rapidly.

Chicago is the largest city in both Illinois and the Midwest, and the third most populous city in the United States. A focal hub, both for industry and infrastructure, the city hosted 45.6 million domestic and overseas visitors in 2008, with a massive cash inflow to match. Also a business and finance hub, Chicago is listed as one of the world's top ten Global Financial Centres.

Chicago has the third largest gross metropolitan product in the United States— approximately $506 billion (2007) and, given its high level of diversification, has been rated as having the most balanced economy in the United States. The MasterCard Worldwide Centres of Commerce Index rated Chicago the fourth most important business centre in the world. The city also trades in emissions (on the Chicago Climate Exchange), a rather unusual index. 32 Fortune 500 companies are based in the Chicago metropolitan area. Aerospace giant Boeing is headquartered in Chicago.

Tourists and Business travellers transit through the city regularly and in 2008, Chicago attracted 32.4 million domestic leisure travellers, 11.7 million domestic business travelers and 1.3 million overseas visitors. The city’s economy was enriched by more than US$ 11.8 billion.

Markets
Chicago Shopping Malls: In the fickle Chicago weather, residents tend to spend their time indoors at one of the many Chicago shopping malls in the area, including Chicago Premium Outlets and Woodfield Mall, a rather high-volume shopping mall.

Chicago Premium Outlets. Address: 1650 Premium Outlets Boulevard, Aurora.
Phone: 630-585-2200; Hours: Mon-Sat 10 am-9 pm, Sun 10 am-6 pm.

Directions: By Car from Downtown Chicago: I-290 West to I-88 West, exit at Aurora, Farnsworth Avenue North.

Website: www.premiumoutlets.com/chicago

Outlets:

• Shoes Outlets: Adidas, Aerosoles, Aldo, Bass, Clarks Bostonian, Easy Spirit, Factory Brand, Hush Puppies, Johnston & Murphy, Journeys, Kenneth Cole, Liz Claiborne, Naturalizer, Nike, Nine West, Puma, Reebok, Salvatore Ferragamo, Timberland.
• Children's Outlets: Carter's, The Children's Place, Jacadi, Little Me, OshKosh B'Gosh, Petit Bateau, Strasburg Children.
• Leather & Luggage Outlets: Coach, Dooney & Bourke, Kate Spade, Samsonite Company Store, Wilsons Leather.
• Accessories & Jewelry Outlets: Carolee, Claire's Accessories, Coach, Fossil, Guess, Kate Spade, Sunglass Hut, Sunglass Shop, Time Factory Watch, Totes, Ultra Diamonds, Zales
• Housewares & Home Furnishings Outlets: Farberware, Kitchen Collection, Le Creuset, Le Gourmet Chef, Mikasa, Villeroy & Boch, Waterford Wedgwood.
• Gifts & Specialty Items Outlets: Book Warehouse, Bose, Cosmetics Company, Crabtree & Evelyn, Designer Fragrances, Fudgery, Lancome, Lindt Chocolate, Perfumania, Sony, Swarovski, Vitamin World.
• Designer Fashions & Sportswear Outlets: Adidas, Ann Taylor, Ashworth-Callaway Golf, Banana Republic, Bass, BCBG Max Azria, Benetton, Big Dog, Brooks Brothers, Calvin Klein, Chico's, Dana Buchman, Diesel, Ecko, Eddie Bauer, Ellen Tracy, Gap, Geoffrey Beene, Giorgio Armani, Guess, Izod, J. Crew, Jockey, Jones NY, Kasper, Kenneth Cole, L'eggs Hanes Bali Playtex, Lane Bryant, Lids, Liz Claiborne, London Fog, Maidenform, MaxMara, Miss Sixty, Nautica, Nike, Oakley, PacSun, Pearl Izumi, Perry Ellis, Petite Sophisticate Outlet, Puma, Ralph Lauren, Rave, Reebok, Rue21, Salvatore Ferragamo, Sarar, Theory, Timberland, Tommy Hilfiger, Van Heusen.
  

Other Major Malls:

1. Gurnee Mills Outlet Mall. 45 miles north of Chicago, Gurnee Mills Outlet Mall is like a picnic spot, with the Reptile Zoo, Rainforest Café, Disney Store and Rink Side Sports to keep the kids occupied and happy. With more than 200 outlet stores for grownups, Gurnee Mills Outlet Mall is popular with tourists in Chicago. Address: 6170 W. Grand Avenue, Gurnee, Illinois. Phone: 847-263-7500; By Car from Downtown Chicago: I-94 West, exit at Grand Avenue (IL 132) West; Mon-Fri 10 am-9 pm, Sat 10 am-9:30 pm, Sun 11 am-7 pm. Website: www.simon.com
2. Prime Outlets Huntley Mall. 50 stores with brand name merchandise, Prime Outlets Huntley Mall has a new facade and added stores such as Ann Taylor, Calvin Klein, Banana Republic and others. Its location, 50 miles northwest of Chicago, is a handicap. Address: 11800 Factory Shops Blvd., Huntley, Illinois; Phone: 847-669-9100; By Car from Downtown Chicago: I-90 West, exit at Route 47 North; Mon-Sat 10 am-9 pm, Sun 10 am-7 pm. www.primeoutlets.com
3. Woodfield Mall: Woodfield has a super collection of department stores and specialty shops in the Great Lakes region including Nordstrom, Macy's, Lord & Taylor, JCPenney, Sears and nearly 300 other stores and restaurants. Chicago's visitors have voted Woodfield Mall as their favorite suburban attraction. All details are available at their website www.shopwoodfield.com
   
   Address: Woodfield Mall, 5 Woodfield Mall Schaumburg, IL 60173, Phone: (847) 330-1537; Mall Hours: Mon-Fri: 10:00 AM until 9:00 PM
   Saturday: 10:00 AM until 9:00 PM; Sunday: 11:00 AM until 6:00 PM
   Mall Walker Hours: The Mall doors open at 7:00 a.m.
   
   
4. Chicago Place. Located at 700 N. Michigan Avenue on the Magnificent Mile, A smallish mall with about 45 stores, anchored by Saks Fifth Avenue.

 

The Magnificent Mile:
The Magnificent Mile, the northern part of Michigan Avenue between the Chicago River and Lake Shore Drive, is Chicago's version of the Champs-Elysées: a grand wide boulevard with exclusive shops, ritzy hotels, etc. All the big names in shopping are present, including Disney, Apple and Niketown to Bloomingdales and Saks Fifth Avenue.

Old Water Tower: The oldest building along the Magnificent Mile is the Old Water Tower, erected in 1869. Its castle-like architecture is incongruous in today’s modern glass, steel and concrete high-rise buildings. The only survivor of note in the Chicago Great Fire in 1871, the building is a reflection of Chicago's never say die attitude.