Chicago, Ill. (Cook Co.)

Chicago is renowned the world over.  The Second City is the famous metropolitan area in the Midwestern United States, serving as a hub for entertainment, business and general American culture for the middle third of the country.   Cook County, Chicago’s proud primary host county, however, is a little less well known outside the area of Northeastern Illinois.  Named for Daniel Cook, the second U.S. Representative from the state of Illinois and the state’s first Attorney General, the county was created in 1831 as the 54^th county within the State of Illinois.  According to its original boundary, modern day DuPage County residents would find their homes well entrenched within the Cook County borders. [...]

Boxed in by some of the most prominent streets in the Chicago area, Michigan Avenue to the west, Lake Shore Drive to the east, Randolph St. to the north and Roosevelt Rd. to the south, if downtown Chicago were a schoolhouse for the city’s businessmen and women, Grant Park would be the playground on which they spent their recess hour.  Grant Park has helped to shape the vibrant social life of the Second City since its early days as “Lake Park” back in 1844.  Rechristened as Grant Park at the turn of the century, in honor of heroic Civil War General and later the 18^th President of the United States Ulysses S. Grant, the park soon saw widespread improvement and expansion throughout the early part of the 20^th century, as the park’s boundaries were increased to take over former landfills and its grounds were augmented by buildings of cultural and academic value, such as the Art Institute of Chicago, the Adler Planetarium, the Field Museum of Natural History and the Shedd Aquarium. [...]

Today, Navy Pier is one of Chicago’s most iconic tourist destinations, blending perhaps a flair for old timey fun with top of the line restaurants, lakeside boating access and vendors that line the boardwalk, from adult beverages for mom and dad to flavored nuts and cotton candy for the kids.  However, as recently as 1989, Navy Pier was bordering on disrepair, overlooked by city government and underutilized despite its prime real estate.  Originally opened in 1916, Navy Pier was once the largest pier in the world, housing military personnel, Red Cross teams and homeland defense units.  Soon after, it began to take shape as an entertainment hub, opening a theater, largely to entertain the stationed soldiers, in addition to a street car line and an emergency room.  The structure was first christened as “Navy Pier” in 1927 to honor the many Navy sailors who were spending the majority of their years stationed in Chicago. [...]

Though Soldier Field has been around since 1924, known in its first two years as “Municipal Grant Park Stadium,” the Chicago Bears didn’t make the grounds their permanent home until the 1971 season, previously forcing the Cubs’ Wrigley Field baseball stadium to double as a multi-sport facility.  Serving primarily as a site for special exhibitions and events over the first 40+ years of its existence, the arena first donned its “Soldier Field” moniker in a formal dedication ceremony before the 1926 Army vs. Navy game, its name serving to honor the countless American soldiers who have died in battle serving our great nation. [...]

The friendly confines of Wrigley Field first welcomed the Chicago Cubs in 1916, serving the Chicago area and the beloved Cubs fan base as backdrop to healthy juxtaposition of fun-filled family days at the ballpark and well-documented post season agony.  Taking to the field just 8 years after their second of back to back World Series titles in 1907 and 1908, Cubs fans hoped the new stadium would welcome winning teams for years to come.  Ultimately, the top echelons of baseball success have eluded the Cubbies, though they have had relative success in terms of records and pennants.  Still, tempered expectations have in no way diminished fans appreciation of their one of a kind ballpark, endearing fans amid the anguish.  Surrounded by a collection of bars and restaurants, “Wrigleyville,” as the area has come to be known, is a often a place for Cubs fans to drown their sorrows after another season of unfulfilled expectations. [...]