Chicago Sports and Concert Events

Chicago

Chicago is the third largest city in the United States with an official population of 2,896,016 as of the 2000 US Census and when combined with its suburbs a metro area population rapidly approaching ten million. Chicago is located in the state of Illinois on the shores of Lake Michigan. Chicago has been ranked as one of ten "alpha" world cities by the Globalization and World Cities Study Group & Network GaWC). When combined with its surrounding suburbs and with Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Chicago is part of a megalopolis. The city of Chicago is the county seat of Cook County. The Chicago metropolitan area is known colloquially as Chicagoland, after a term promoted by the Chicago Tribune in the early 20th century. The name Chicago originates from "Checagou" or "Checaguar" which in the language of the Potawatomi Indians means 'wild onions' or 'skunk'. The area was so named because of the smell of rotting marshland onions that used to cover it. In 1795, following the War of the Wabash Confederacy, the area of Chicago was ceded by the Native Americans in the Treaty of Greenville to the United States for a military post. On August 12, 1833, the Town of Chicago was incorporated as a town with a population of 350. Within 7 years of being incorporated, the primarily French and Native American town had a population of over 4,000. Chicago was granted a city charter by Illinois on March 4, 1837. The opening of the Illinois and Michigan Canal in 1848, allowed shipping from the Great Lakes through Chicago to the Mississippi River and so to the Gulf of Mexico. The first rail line to Chicago, the Galena & Chicago Union Railroad was completed the same year. Chicago boasts the largest park district in the United States and is managed by the Chicago Park District. The Park District manages over 220 facilities throughout the city with 7,300 acres (2,954 hectares) of parkland. Each year the Park District holds thousands of special events for the citizens. The Park District also has the excellent reputation of spending the most per capita on its parks, beating out even Boston in terms of park expenses per capita. Some of the more famous parks and facilities include: Millennium Park (newly opened in 2004, just north of the Art Institute of Chicago), Grant Park (downtown, the site of the Taste of Chicago and Buckingham Fountain), Lincoln Park (north of downtown, in the Lincoln Park community area). The following sports teams are based in Chicago: National Football League - Chicago Bears, National Basketball Association - Chicago Bulls, National Hockey League - Chicago Blackhawks, Major League Soccer - Chicago Fire, Major League Baseball - Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox.