THE SKY’S THE LIMIT
Air New Zealand have deemed it worthy of a new direct route, but what’s so great about Chicago?
GO FOR THE SPORT Chicago is a football town
American football that is. Go into any Chicago sports bar — there are many — and you’ll find references to the Monsters of the Midway, the dominant Bears teams of the early 1940s or, most popularly, the 1985 Super Bowl winning team. Names like George “Papa Bear” Halas, William “Refrigerator” Perry, “Iron” Mike Ditka and Dick Butkus are still revered in this town.
The Bears play in the impressive Soldier Field, a modern stadium that sits inside the facade of an older version. It’s on the shores of Lake Michigan not far from the middle of town and has hosted the All Blacks twice in recent years.
The NFL season runs from September through to the end of the year, with playoffs and the Super Bowl taking place through January to the first weekend in February. chicagobears.com
Chicago is a basketball town
Actually, it was a fairly muted basketball town until the summer of 1984 when they drafted Michael “Air” Jordan and the sport changed forever.
Jordan was driven by a chip on his shoulder the size of Sears Tower, but his need for perfection led the Bulls to six NBA championships and it probably would have been more had he not stalled his career for a couple of years as he chased an illstarred baseball cameo with the White Sox.
The team has been scuffling since Jordan parted for good in 1999, but the famous black-and-red bull is as familiar a sight as any in the city.
They play in the United Center on the city’s Westside, and the NBA season runs from October to June. nba.com/bulls
Chicago is a hockey town
Ice hockey that is. The Blackhawks are one of the “Original Six” NHL teams and have recently enjoyed the most successful period of their 92-year history.
With players like Patrick Kane, Jonathan
Toews and Duncan Keith, the Blackhawks won the revered Stanley Cup in 2010, 2013 and 2015, which accounts for half their overall tally.
The Blackhawks bullied their way back on to the prime spots in the sports pages of this sports-mad town.
The NHL season, like the NBA runs from October to June and the Blackhawks share the United Center with the Bulls. nhl.com/blackhawks — Dylan Cleaver
GO FOR THE FOOD
Living in Chicago, I am spoiled. The food here is ridiculously good, whether you’re visiting your neighbourhood hot-dog stand or you scored a reservation at Alinea, often lauded as one of the world’s top restaurants, where a course may take the form of an edible, green-apple-flavoured helium balloon. The restaurants are so exceptional that I’ve become a snob when travelling because of how good I have it back home. People often compliment Chicago for its 77 community areas, each with its own flavour. When friends and family visit, I tell them to travel north about 30 minutes to the Lincoln Square and Ravenswood neighbourhoods, where I spend most of my time.
I know. You hear “pizza” and “Chicago” and you make some assumptions. But here’s the thing. Many of us locals only go out for deep dish when tourists request it, and we eat many other types of pizza, including the pizza prototype: Neapolitanstyle.
Spacca Napoli (spaccanapolipizzeria.com) is, as our server explains, “the real deal.” The wood-fired oven, which cooks pizzas in 90 seconds, came from Italy and the pizza makers trained in the motherland. The pizzas are presented whole and the patron gets the honour of slicing. The tender crusts are pocked with charred bubbles. The cheese is baked in small, circular globs rather than a large, melty disc. The tomato sauce tastes bright
and slightly acidic. It’s the kind of pizza you can actually call quenching, whether you’re devouring the Bufalina (US$15.50), a simple pie made with San Marzano tomatoes, mozzarella di Bufala and basil; the Porcini e Carciofi ($18), a white pizza made with fior di latte cheese, porcini mushrooms, Sardinian artichokes and ParmigianoReggiano; or any other kind. Each is worth the wait for a table.
Our neighbourhood special-occasion spot: Bistro Campagne (bistrocampagne.
com), is a charming, country-style French bistro that sources heavily from local organic farms. The intimate restaurant has the feel of an old-world mansion, with lots of dark woods and candlelight. And the commute home — a 10-minute walk — reminds us of how lucky we are to live where we do. — Kate Silver, Washington Post
GO WITH THE KIDS Bobby’s Tike Hike: Kids Edition Bike Tour
Perfect for families with under-10s, Bobby’s Bike Hike has a special kid’s edition: the Tike Hike. This two-hour, easy-riding bike tour is a great way to see the sights of Chicago and energetic, curious kids will have a blast. During this journey, you’ll