And so we approach Chicago. You immediately feel something new, unusual, and grand. You can tell you're nearing a big city by the width of the roads and infrastructure leading to the center. As you enter Chicago, the road becomes so wide that you don't always have time to switch lanes for your exit, and then you end up driving extra miles. Highways merge, split, and intersect just like streets. I've also heard that in Chicago, and in Illinois in general, it's the easiest place in the states to get a driver's license. You can feel it right away on the road. Drivers are so extreme and bold that you recall the old Soviet joke about whether the car or the license comes first. Chicago is huge. When you first enter, you immediately wait for the moment you'll see downtown with its skyscrapers, but an hour, an hour and a half, two hours pass, and they are still nowhere to be seen. The Chicago area is the largest agglomeration in the world after New York. So, be patient. Chicago burned down at the end of the 19th century and was rebuilt from scratch. You can feel it in the fairly linear layout and the successful placement of objects. The streets are wide, the buildings are tall and harmonize perfectly with each other, unlike in New York. Here you can see such masterpieces of high-rise architecture that all of Manhattan seems provincial and ordinary, simple and unremarkable. Here is also the tallest building in the states - the Sears Tower. True, this year it was renamed to something new, but in the hearts of locals and tourists from all over the world, it is still Sears! Chicago is incredibly clean. There is no nasty garbage smell that never leaves you in New York. There are many parks, fountains, and squares. It takes your breath away when you walk out onto the river embankment and see those giants, the very first skyscrapers of the early century, surrounding it on all sides. After all, buildings used to be built with soul, endowed with decor, and now everything is reduced to the minimalism of glass and concrete. The Lake Michigan waterfront deserves a separate article. A huge park strip stretching along the city, with walking paths, garden ensembles, places for sports, and an exhibition of abstract sculpture so beloved by Americans. Right there is Navy Pier - a long pier extending deep into the lake, which also serves as an epicenter for family entertainment. There are also small but very cozy beaches with real fine white river sand. The water is surprisingly warm, very warm, so much so that you don't even feel the temperature difference when you dive into it. When night falls, Chicago becomes even more perfect. This entire phantasmagoric miracle of high-rise architecture begins to glow and light up, and in the very center, in the Loop area, the lights of famous theaters and musicals turn on. Chicago is generally a very cultural city. Nowhere else in the states have I seen so many signs and announcements inviting people to cultural evenings, classical concerts, and theatrical premieres. Even the people, the simple passersby, look more serious and intelligent. It's a pity to leave this city so soon. If I get the chance to head to the states one more time, the destination will be Chicago!
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