Chicago

Chicago , an international and cosmopolitan city, is located on the shores of Lake Michigan. Many Chicagoans enjoy the lakefront for its beaches and parks with miles of trails for biking, jogging, and walking. The recently opened Millennium Park houses the Frank Gehry-designed Jay Pritzker Pavilion, the Harris Theatre for Music and Dance, Anish Kapoor's Cloud Gate (known to us as "The Bean"), restaurants, and an ice skating rink. This park is adjacent to the Art Institute of Chicago (with arguably the world's best collection of Impressionist paintings) and Symphony Center (the home of the internationally renowned Chicago Symphony Orchestra ). The Museum Campus that comprises the Adler Planetarium, the John G. Shedd Aquarium, and the Field Museum of Natural History is located on the lakefront, just minutes from downtown. There are dozens of smaller museums and art galleries throughout Chicago and the surrounding communities. Chicago is also the world's capital of modern architecture, where "form follows function" and merits and demerits of buildings are passionately argued over.

Chicago is home to some of the best restaurants in the country, although we don't expect our graduate students or post-docs to be regular diners (except of course for special occasions!). Chicago is known for its robust and lively blues and jazz scene- Buddy Guy etc. From folk, classical and rock, there are many concerts and live music performances each week. Theater thrives here as well: Second City, Steppenwolf Theater, Goodman Theater. Beautiful old theater buildings abound: Louis Sullivan's Auditorium Theater, the Oriental Theater, and the Chicago Theater. There is also a unique Shakespeare Repertory Company, devoted to the bard, which is resident in its own theatre resembling the Globe.

Photo Courtesy of L. Foote

The city is full of die-hard sports fans who support their city's teams: the White Sox (winners of 2005 World Series), Cubs (lovable losers who keep the expectation of victory alive), Bears ("Da Bears"), Bulls (post-M. J. but re-inventing itself), and Blackhawks (one of the six original NHL teams where the ghosts of Bobby Hull and Stan Esposito still roam).

Getting around Chicago is made easy by Chicago Transit Authority which offers efficient transportation throughout the city and nearby suburbs by rapid transit (El), bus, and train. There is a stop a block from the Medical School.

The University of Illinois College of Medicine is located in the heart of the Illinois Medical District, a trendy and highly-gentrified area only minutes from downtown Chicago. The University Village area has become one of The Places to Live for students, post-docs, faculty and young professionals.