Where to eat, stay and play in downtown Chicago

CHICAGO prides itself on being straightforward. From the layout of the city streets (a grid that makes logic the only essential tool for getting from A to B) to its business dinner of choice – a juicy steak, served up in one of the city’s still-thriving steakhouses – “the city that works” makes it easy to get things done. Chicago’s central business district, the Loop, contains much of the city’s business culture within a four-square-kilometre rectangle, intersected by the “L” train network. Traffic, though formidable during rush hours, is less congested than in New York or Los Angeles and, despite concerns about crime, locals and tourists who exercise typical urban precautions remain as safe as in any American city.

Chicago’s renowned architecture is a point of civic pride in a landscape shaped by cutthroat real estate deals. A recent example is Trump Tower: in 2009, the soaring silver building took its place as a well-liked addition to the city, only to spark controversy five years later when Donald Trump attached an enormous illuminated “Trump” sign to its side. Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel made national headlines when he called the sign “tasteless” and introduced city ordinances to limit future signage.

Political uproar, legend has it, was the source of the nickname “Windy City”. But politics isn’t the only thing that keeps the city lively. A growing tech sector, corporate headquarters, such as Boeing, and thriving financial markets are complemented by one of the country’s hottest restaurant scenes, design-forward hotels and the natural beauty of the vast lakefront. Here’s a guide to put you in the Loop.