Chicago’s distillery scene has come a long way since the days of Al Capone, with a new generation of producers showcasing innovative spirits and cocktails on fun tasting tours
April 2018
Holiday guides
A local’s guide to Chicago: 10 top tips
The city’s bars and music scene are among the most vibrant in the US. And with Lake Michigan beaches to relax on and two new budget flights from the UK, now is the time to go
September 2017
On the radar
‘Underground city’ set to become Chicago’s next attraction
Not many people know about the Pedway, a network of tunnels connecting shops and businesses beneath downtown Chicago, but it could become the city’s oddest tourist destination
May 2017
Word up: new Chicago museum celebrates American authors
Chicago’s new American Writers Museum has given the nation a fitting centre to celebrate the influence of its literature, and with Hemingway’s birthplace also in town, the city makes for a great literary trip
September 2016
Why I love …
'Everybody knows everybody' – what the blues has given Chicago
Harmonica player Billy Branch, who’s played with Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker and BB King, hails the Windy City’s sense of community, its parks and its food
June 2015
Fancy footwork: how Chicago's juke scene found its feet again
After the sudden death of footwork’s most prominent artist – DJ Rashad – last year, the genre had to take stock. A year on older heads and new players are pushing Chicago’s rapid-fire sound to new frontiers
April 2015
On the radar
Chicago’s new high line is ‘more than an elevated park’
10 of the best cocktail bars in Chicago
February 2015
US road trip: a guide to Route 66
Driving America’s most iconic highway is the trip of a lifetime. Author and Route 66 expert Candacy Taylor shares her tips on the classic motels, old-school diners and gas stations to stop at en route for a true slice of Americana
January 2015
Chicago prohibition-style: a city still married to the mob
As dry January draws to a close, get into the spirit(s) again with Saptarshi Ray’s foray into Chicago’s prohibition-era jazz and cocktail bars, accompanied by gangster-themed tours of the city. Capiche?
September 2014
Reading American cities
Chicago in books: readers' picks
From mid-century poverty to contemporary love stories via an account of the 1893 World’s Fair, here is a roundup of our readers’ top Chicago literature
August 2014
Blogger of the week
An urbanist's guide to Chicago: ‘the most American of American cities’
Pete Saunders of The Corner Side Yard tells us how to survive political corruption and the brutal winters of the windy city
October 2013
Best flea markets and vintage fairs in the US
Whether it's for Brooklyn hipsters, Miami fashion lovers or Ohio farmers, the US knows how to turn a flea market into a major event, a party or even a road trip stretching over 800 miles
August 2013
Road trips USA: Chicago to Memphis
Road to Memphis, the final day – as it happened
Road trips USA: Chicago to Memphis
Twitter road trips USA: Chicago-Memphis day four - as it happened
Best blogs for travellers
Chicago, Nashville and Memphis: best blogs for travellers
Road trips USA: Chicago to Memphis
Twitter road trips USA: Chicago to Memphis day three – as it happened
Road trips USA: Chicago to Memphis
Twitter road trips USA: Chicago to Memphis, day two – as it happened
Road trips USA: Chicago to Memphis
Twitter road trips USA: Chicago to Memphis day one - as it happened
Road trips USA: Chicago to Memphis
Twitter road trips USA: send us travel tips for Chicago to Memphis