ÎçÒ¹AV and Chicago
- Academic Opportunities
- ÎçÒ¹AV Our City
- Entertainment and Recreation
- Internships and Careers
- Service-Learning
- Suburban Immersion
- Learn More
ÎçÒ¹AV and its students enjoy Chicago's exceptional cultural and economic resources. In addition to providing an unparalleled setting for educational opportunities, Chicago is also one of the most prestigious cities in the world in terms of recreation and entertainment.
A hub of commerce and culture, Chicago serves as an expanded campus for ÎçÒ¹AV students, offering a thriving economy, impressive architecture, notable politicians, groundbreaking music, and innovative environmental policies.
Academic Opportunities
ÎçÒ¹AV students take advantage of many academic opportunities in Chicago, including:
- Three Chicago-area campuses: Lake Shore, Water Tower, and Health Sciences
- Research and fieldwork opportunities at many major local institutions, including the , , , , and more
- A diverse cultural and economical environment that enhances the ÎçÒ¹AV community's global sophistication
ÎçÒ¹AV Our City
How well do you know Chicago?
Quick facts
- Chicago is home to 70 museums, more than 200 theaters, 7,300 restaurants, and 400 neighborhood festivals.
- Three of the world's tallest buildings are located in Chicago: , AON Center, and Trump International Hotel and Tower.
- The nickname of "The Windy City" was bestowed on Chicago in 1893 by New York Sun editor Charles Dana. He was tired of listening to long-winded politicians boast about the World's Fair that was held in Chicago the same year.
- Chicago currently has 2,695,598 residents in its 237 square miles.
- More than 50 million people visit Chicago each year.
- Only 59 percent of Chicago residents were born in Illinois, and 21 percent were born in another country.
- Chicago has 50 wards; 77 neighborhoods; 12,051 police officers; 47,330 fire hydrants; and 5,400 active taxis at any given time.
Bigger is better
Chicago is home to one of the world’s largest:
- Commercial office buildings (Merchandise Mart)
- Illuminated fountains (Buckingham Fountain)
- Free public zoos (Lincoln Park Zoo)
- Food festivals (Taste of Chicago)
- Futures and options exchanges (Chicago Board of Trade)
Chicago firsts
The following things were created in Chicago:
- Ferris wheels
- Steel-frame skyscrapers
- Softball
- Elevated railways
- Zippers
- Daytime soap operas
- McDonald's restaurants
- Electric irons and cooking ranges
- Grain reapers
- Bifocal contact lenses
- Winding watches
- Butterfingers
- Twinkies
Famous buildings
- , the tallest building in America and one of the tallest buildings in the world. Including its antennas, the total height is 1,730 feet.
- Tribune Tower, home of the Chicago Tribune newspaper, has exterior walls that are embedded with authentic pieces of famous buildings including Westminster Abbey, the Alamo, the Great Pyramid, Taj Mahal, Fort Sumter, and Arc de Triomphe.
- Old Water Tower building, constructed in 1869, was one of the only buildings to survive the Great Chicago Fire.
Movies filmed in Chicago
Since 1980, more than 600 feature film and television productions have been shot in Chicago, including:
- A League of Their Own
- Bad Boys
- Barbershop I, II
- Batman Begins
- Chicago: The Musical
- Ferris Bueller's Day Off
- Home Alone I, II, III
- Miracle on 34th Street
- My Best Friend's Wedding
- National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
- Ocean's 11 and Ocean's 12
- Sixteen Candles
- Stir of Echoes
- Stranger Than Fiction
- Surviving Christmas
- The Blues Brothers
- The Break-Up
- The Dark Knight
- The Fugitive
- The Weather Man
- What Women Want
- When Harry Met Sally
- Flatliners
- The Bear
- Chicago Fire
- Chicago Med
Songs
Chicago has served as the inspiration for many songs, including:
- Bad, Bad Leroy Brown (Jim Croce)
- Chicago (Sufjan Stevens)
- Dear Chicago (Ryan Adams)
- Lake Shore Drive (Aliotta, Haynes and Jeremiah)
- Little Joe From Chicago (Nat King Cole)
- My Kind of Town (Frank Sinatra)
- Sweet Home Chicago (various artists)
- Tonight, Tonight (The Smashing Pumpkins)
Notable ÎçÒ¹AV University Chicago Alumni
Here is a list of notable people who graduated from ÎçÒ¹AV
- Mamie Till-Mobley
- George Halas, Jr.
- Bob Newhart
- Jennifer Pritzker
- Sandra Cisneros
- Jennifer Morrison
- Bill Rancic
Visit the of other notable people of ÎçÒ¹AV
Famous Chicagoans
Here is a list of notable people who were born or have lived in or near Chicago:
- Gillian Anderson
- John and Jim Belushi
- Ray Bradbury
- Gwendolyn Brooks
- Wesley Clark
- Hillary Rodham Clinton
- Nat King Cole
- Common
- Billy Corgan
- John and Joan Cusak
- Walt Disney
- Tina Fey
- Harrison Ford
- Bob Fosse
- Benny Goodman
- Edward Gorey
- Buddy Guy
- Dorothy Hamill
- Ernest Hemingway
- Jennifer Hudson
- John Malkovich
- Bill Murray
- Barack and Michelle Obama
- Donald Rumsfeld
- Pat Sajak
- Shel Silverstein
- Gary Sinise
- Louis Sullivan
- Vince Vaughn
- Frank Lloyd Wright
- Chance the Rapper
- Stephen Colbert
- Seth Meyers
- Betty White
Entertainment and Recreation
The Windy City has something to offer everyone.
- Art. , the , and the are just some of the many art museums and galleries located in Chicago.
- Dining. There are thousands of restaurants located in Chicago. The city is famous for its deep dish pizza and fantastic hot dogs. (No visit to Chicago is complete without trips to and !)
- Horticulture. is one of the country's most visited public gardens. The Chicago Park District maintains two world-class conservatories in Lincoln Park and .
- Lake Michigan. This Great Lake boasts 22 miles of public beachfront for biking, rollerblading, swimming, and boating.
- Museums. , , and offer impressive exhibits and interactive learning experiences.
- Music. There are countless musical venues in Chicago, ranging from large pavilions such as the to smaller locations like and the . Chicago is known for its world-class music festivals, including the Jazz Festival, Blues Festival, and Lollapalooza.
- Navy Pier. A Chicago landmark since it first opened in 1916, now showcases restaurants, shops, and entertainment including an IMAX theatre, the , a nearly 200-foot-high Ferris wheel, a musical carousel, an 18-hole miniature golf course, and the Skyline Stage outdoor performance pavilion.
- Parks. The maintains more than 600 parks. Grant Park is located in the heart of downtown Chicago and is home to the famous Buckingham Fountain. opened in 2004 and is an award-winning center for art, music, architecture, and landscape design.
- Shopping. ÎçÒ¹AV's Water Tower Campus is located steps away from Chicago's , the world-famous shopping destination in the city. Another popular shopping area is located on State Street, which is home to several major department stores. Jeweler's Row, also known as the diamond district, is located on Wabash Avenue.
- Sports. Chicago is home to many national sports teams, including: the , , , , and .
- Tours. Walk through the Gold Coast/Near North/Lincoln Park neighborhoods and the Bucktown/Wicker Park neighborhoods and discover Chicago's cultural gems while tasting delicious foods on a .
- Theatre. Many of the nation's most prestigious theatres are located in Chicago, including , , and . The impressive downtown theatre district also sponsors a series.
- Wildlife. Chicago's is one of the largest free zoos in the country. The is home to more than 32,000 animals.
Internships and Careers
Chicago is home to one of the largest and most diversified economies in the world, providing students with countless internship and career options.
- Thousands of internship opportunities are available in a wide range of industries, including media, commerce, medicine, banking, the arts, social services, sports, and more
- ÎçÒ¹AV's offers services like resume critiquing and career self-assessment workshops to help students determine and articulate their strengths, values, and interests as they relate to career areas and jobs.
Service-Learning
Education at ÎçÒ¹AV extends beyond the classroom. Many students expand their experience by participating in service-learning projects, which combine academic instruction with community-based learning.
- Hands-on service-learning opportunities that introduce students to the complexity of social issues by combining classroom studies with community work
- ÎçÒ¹AV's (CURL), which works closely with community activists and organizations to perform research that addresses community needs
Suburban Immersion
In addition to all the wonderful opportunities available in Chicago, local suburbs also have a lot to offer.
- Dozens of shopping centers, including , , and , which is one of the largest malls in the country
- , which is spread over 216 acres and includes a children's zoo, butterfly garden, and interactive family play area
- The soccer team and hockey team
- , a large theme park that includes entertainment, roller coasters, and other rides
- , which features 40 acres of formal gardens and several historical museums
Learn More‌
Here are links to some useful Chicago websites.
- : Events and entertainment in Chicago
- : Chicago recommendations and reviews
- : Alternative weekly newspaper that features apartment ads, restaurant reviews, and extensive music and theatre coverage
- : Daily Chicago newspaper
- : Daily Chicago newspaper
- : Official Chicago website
- : Premier Chicago classifieds site
- : Website that offers reviews from real Chicago locals with inside information on where to find great restaurants, clubs, bars, and much more