, Opportunity Overview

About Chicago

A world-class city, and the third largest in the United States, Chicago is the quintessential cosmopolitan city.

With almost 3 million people in the city and 5 ½ million in Cook County, Chicago is one of the most culturally rich communities in the country. Each neighborhood maintains a strong identity due to the diversity in its residents with many neighborhoods often looking like different parts of the world. Located on Lake Michigan and with a river running through downtown, Chicago’s city lifestyle is integrated with the waterways for recreation and charm.

Chicago is one of the greatest cities in the world. With its beautiful lakefront, incredible architecture and cosmopolitan culture, Chicago attracts millions from around the globe every year. Dance, theater, music... Chicago offers a wealth of entertainment options of rich diversity. From Broadway musicals to award- winning drama to hilarious improvisational comedy, Chicago's 200 theaters offer something for everyone. Chicago has also been called America's Best City for Dining. Its 5,500 restaurants feature everything from prime steakhouses to famous deep-dish pizza and every imaginable ethnic cuisine.

Chicago is the crossroads of the nation and the world, making it easily and affordably accessible from any spot on the planet. As North America's only dual hub for commercial air travel, the city is easy to get to from virtually anywhere. O'Hare International and International Airports offer 3,500 flights per day. Included among those flights are direct non-stops to 60 international and 154 domestic business centers - more than any other city in the world.

Chicago’s strategic location, peerless infrastructure, leading business schools, and omni-cultural workforce have created one of the world’s largest and most diversified economies. Metropolitan Chicago is a key player in virtually every sector of the American economy, and a dominant or leading player in a dozen industries.

Population

City of Chicago (2006 Estimate): 2,833,321 Cook County (2005): 5,303,603 Chicago MSA (2007 Estimate): 9,524,673

Distance to Nearby Cities

Milwaukee, WI 92 miles South Bend, IN 97 miles Madison, WI 147 miles Fort Wayne, IN 167 miles Davenport, IA 175 miles Grand Rapids, MI 180 miles Indianapolis, IN 188 miles Springfield, IL 202 miles Lansing, MI 220 miles Detroit, MI 284 miles Cincinnati, OH 297 miles

Climate

Chicago residents enjoy a four-season climate that is warm during summer when temperatures tend to be in the 70's and very cold during winter when temperatures tend to be in the 20's. The warmest month of the year is July with an average maximum temperature of a mild 83 degrees, while the coldest month of the year is January with an average minimum temperature of 15 degrees. The annual average precipitation is 38.65 Inches. Rainfall in is fairly evenly distributed throughout the year. The wettest month of the year is June with an average rainfall of 4.66 Inches.

Chicago Attractions

There are so many things to do in Chicago; the tough part is choosing which things to do first! You can enjoy world-class museums, hear concerts from the best musicians, shop in unique boutiques, and see Broadway shows and smaller theater productions. Carriage rides offer a romantic way to tour the city and the elevated train around “the Loop” is as much a tourist attraction as it is a commuter train.

Navy Pier: You’ll find magic in such sparkling Chicago attractions as Navy Pier, the Midwest’s top tourist destination. With more than 50 acres of parks, shops and restaurants along the lakefront, Navy Pier's attractions include the IMAX Theatre, the Ferris Wheel, the Chicago Children's Museum and the Chicago Shakespeare Theater.

Willis Tower Skydeck: The Chicago (formerly known as the Sears Tower) stands at 1,450 feet. It is one of the most recognizable landmarks in the Chicago skyline. The Skydeck at the Willis Tower in Chicago on the 103rd floor stands at 1,353 feet above ground. From the top of the Skydeck, visitors can experience how the building sways on a windy day. On a clear day, you will be able to see the Great Plains of Illinois as well as the area across from Lake Michigan. You can also see Indiana, Wisconsin and Michigan.

Millennium Park: offers dazzling music, art, landscape design and architecture – including the mammoth stainless-steel Cloud Gate sculpture – plus ice skating in the winter, splashing around in the interactive Crown Fountain during summer, and alfresco dining from spring to fall.

Lincoln Park Zoo: Visit one of the last free zoos in the country with an exciting African Journey exhibit, experience the newly renovated Farm-in-the-Zoo, or enjoy a magical ride on the Ameritech Endangered Species Carousel. Lincoln Park Zoo is home to more than 1,000 mammals, reptiles, and birds.

The Hancock Observatory: The 94th-floor observatory, more than 1,000 feet above Chicago, features an open-air Skywalk, Sky Tours, which takes you on a personal audio tour of Chicago, and Soundscope 3-D "talking" telescopes.

Museum of Science and Industry: More than 800 interactive exhibits are open to touch, create and explore at this museum for all ages. The Museum of Science and Industry is the largest science museum in the Western hemisphere.

Chicago Symphony Orchestra: Chicago's acclaimed symphony led by Riccardo Muti performs more than 200 concerts annually from September to June.

Museum of Contemporary Art: Known as Chicago's largest museum for contemporary art, the museum highlights today's most innovative and exciting artists.

Adler Planetarium & Astronomy Museum: The Adler fuels the imagination of its visitors with all-new exhibits and state-of-the-art computer technology in the world's first Star Rider Theater.

Magnificent Mile Shopping: Power shoppers grab their wallets and head for North Michigan Avenue, one of the ritziest retail stretches in the world. A unique urban experience awaits you! Four inspiring outdoor festivals beckon you to return at least once a season. You'll find world-class shopping, dining, lodging and leisure entertainment throughout the Magnificent Mile area. There's something for everyone. With four shopping centers, world-renowned boutiques and locally acclaimed designers, Chicago's Magnificent Mile area is a shopper's paradise. After you've shopped 'til you dropped, enjoy a moment to revive and replenish at one of our superb restaurants.

John G. Shedd Aquarium: From beluga whales to frolicking sea otters, and lively penguins to exotic fish, the Shedd is the world's largest indoor aquarium offering more than 8,000 aquatic animals.

Chicago Cultural Center: See the world's largest Tiffany stained-glass dome at this architectural showplace for the performing, literary and visual arts. Here you can enjoy a wealth of exciting, free exhibits.

Art Institute of Chicago: A cultural gem which boasts one of the nation's largest collections of Impressionist works, the Art Institute offers an extensive permanent collection of paintings, drawings, photography and textiles as well as rotating special exhibits.

The Field Museum: The Chicago Field Museum is also a part of the complex known as Museum Campus Chicago. Its location on Lake Michigan, as well as its unique and exciting exhibits, makes it a perfect venue for a family outing. At the Inside Ancient Egypt, you can transport back in time to ancient Egyptian life. This Field Museum exhibit has 23 human mummies are on display, as well as a bizarre collection of animal mummies.

Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio: This complex served as Wright's private residence, studio and architectural laboratory during the first twenty years of his career from 1889 to 1909. The Frank Lloyd Wright Preservation Trust offers guided interior tours of the Home and Studio.

Blues Clubs: Chicago finds joy in singing the blues. From Blue Chicago to Buddy Guy's Legends to the House of Blues to Kingston Mines to Rosa's Lounge, there is no shortage of blues music clubs in Chicago. Whether you’re looking to experience the history of blues giants like Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf, or just want to enjoy some great music, you’ll find (and hear) it all over the city.

Buckingham Fountain: When you visit , The Navy Pier, Lincoln Park Zoo and the other exciting Chicago attractions, be sure to spend some time relaxing by the Buckingham Fountain. The Fountain, which is constructed from Georgia pink marble, is one of Chicago's most popular attractions. Located at in Grant's Park, the Chicago Buckingham Fountain is the largest fountain in the world. A computer at the Fountain controls the entire display, which includes the dazzling colored light show that takes place nightly.

Sports

What do Walter Payton, Michael Jordan, Ernie Banks, Carlton Fisk and Bobby Hull all have in common? They are all Hall-of-Famers in their respective sports and fierce athletes that have defined Chicago as a sports town. From to Soldier Field, legendary sports icons are produced from this city. Sitting back and enjoying the excitement at one of the many competitive sports arenas throughout the city is a must for any sport- loving visitor.

Chicago is the home to 16 professional sports teams including the Bears, Bulls, Cubs, White Sox, Blackhawks (hockey), and Fire (soccer). It is also one of several U.S. cities to have teams from four major American sports.

Wrigley Field: Since 1916, Wrigley Field Stadium has been the home of the . It was built in 1914 as a home for the Chicago team, the Chicago Whales. From 1921 to 1970, it was also home to the Chicago Bears football team. No major league team has continuously represented the same city longer than the Chicago Cubs baseball team and their predecessors, who date back to 1870. As such, attending a Cubs baseball game at Wrigley Field is a great way to take in a bit of Chicago culture.

Soldier Field: Chicago's football history goes back to the 1930's and is played at the newly renovated Soldier Field located on the shore of Lake Michigan just south of downtown. The NFL football season opens the first week of September and continues through the end of December.

Outdoor Attractions and Recreation

Chicago Botanic Garden: Explore a world-renowned garden located right in Chicago's backyard. This 385-acre, living museum features 23 specialty gardens and three natural areas set on a series of islands and lakes. The Garden is always in bloom, featuring year-round exhibits, festivals, tours and special events.

William W. Powers Conservation Area: Located within the city limits of Chicago, William W. Powers Conservation Area offers fishing, waterfowl hunting, picnicking, and winter sports. At the center of its attraction is Wolf Lake, segmented by dikes and offering six miles of shoreline to bank anglers.

Raging Buffalo Snowboard Park: Snowboarders are king at this park, located about 45 miles northwest of Chicago in Algonquin, that provides the "world's first snowboard exclusive area." To keep hills fresh, the terrain is constantly changed to provide half pipes, kickers, table tops, and more.

Ned Brown Preserve: The Ned Brown Preserve is a 3,700-acre holding located in northwestern Cook County. This preserve, also known as Busse Woods, surrounds Busse Lake, a 590-acre lake that serves as the focal point of the area. A trail winds through the forests and meadows around Busse Lake providing access to many of the preserves unique features. You can ride through a mature forest past a herd of elk, then head for the lake to watch the sailboats for a while. If you have your gear along, try catching a northern pike at one of the six fishing walls.

Illini State Park: Located in nearby Marseilles, IL, this 500-acre state park is a haven for songbirds, waterfowl, and other wildlife. Illini State Park also offers a ball field, bike trail, cross-country ski trails, bird watching, and hiking.

Des Plaines Conservation Area: This site's 5,500 acres make up one of the largest and most used hunting and field trailing areas in the state. It also offers camping, picnicking, boating, fishing, two small natural areas and 12 miles of equestrian trails with cross-country jumps.

Education

In addition to having the most improved public school system among large U.S. cities, Chicago has the country’s largest parochial school system, as well as two of the nation’s top colleges for post-secondary business education.

Public Schools Statistics (Source: Chicago Public Schools, 2005)

Number of schools 613

Total Enrollment 426,812

o Preschool 19,053 o Special Ed. 2,259 o Kindergarten 29,986 o Elementary 269,021 o High School 106,093

Major Colleges and Universities

o University of Illinois-Chicago 24,865 enrollment o DePaul University 23,570 enrollment o Northwestern University 17,746 enrollment o DeVry Institute 14,463 enrollment o Harry S. Truman College 14,001 enrollment o Loyola University of Chicago 13,909 enrollment o University of Chicago 13,870 enrollment o Northeastern Illinois University 12,164 enrollment o Wilbur Wright College 11,708 enrollment o Richard J. Daley College 10,817 enrollment o Columbia College 10,354 enrollment

Housing

Chicago’s thriving real estate market has improved housing options for residents possessing a variety of incomes and needs. Homes in the city’s 77 community areas and more than 200 individual neighborhoods benefit from quality construction materials, convenient transportation options, nearby stores and cultural resources, parks and other urban amenities.

Metro Area Housing Figures

Single Family Home Q2/2007 Number Sold 15,777 Median Price $282,500 Condominiums/Townhomes Q2/2007 Number Sold 13,284 Median Price $229,000

Housing Examples

Economy

As the nation’s manufacturing and transportation hub and as one of the world’s leading financial centers, Chicago’s business community has strength in its diversity. It is a leading location for high-tech employment, business services, manufacturing output, air travel, conventions, product distribution and other business sectors.

Economic Facts and Figures:

• Metro Chicago boasts a $453 billion economy- larger than Turkey, Switzerland or the state of Michigan with 9.5 million people, 4.5 million jobs and over 222,800 businesses.

• Headquarters home to: o 30 Fortune 500 company headquarters o 12 Fortune Global 500 o 10 Financial Times Global 500 o 160 Corporate Headquarters

• Chicago is an Info-Tech Center. Chicago’s technology strength lies in information intensive industries with 345,150 info-tech workers and nearly $59.7 billion GRP.

• Chicago is known as a manufacturing leader with $55.4 billion gross regional product and nearly 488,500 jobs.

Transportation

The Chicago Airport System, comprised of two major airports, Chicago O’Hare and Midway International, is the centerpiece of the nation’s aviation network. In January 2007, it was announced that O'Hare International Airport won the Global Traveler Award for Best Airport in North America in the Reader Survey for the seventh consecutive year. Midway International Airport was awarded the 2004 Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Public Innovator Award for Physical Design.

Chicago Midway International: About 23 miles from Lynwood, Chicago Midway International Airport is conveniently located 10 miles from downtown Chicago. Throughout the redevelopment of Midway, the airport experienced record-breaking growth, and today remains one of the fastest growing airports in the nation.

Chicago O’Hare Airport: O'Hare International Airport offers more connections to more cities, more often than any other airport in the world. In 2006, 56 passenger carriers operating out of 178 gates carried more than 76.5 million passengers at O'Hare.