Chicago is a major metropolis located on the shore of Lake Michigan in Cook County, and is the third-largest city and metropolitan area in the United States, after New York and Los Angeles. Chicago is a business center, with a diverse, powerhouse economy and a great tourism center, with world-renowned shopping, dining, museums, architecture, theater and great music. Culture hounds will delight in the multitude of museums, including the prestigious Art Institute and the Chicago Historical Society. You’ll find magic in such sparkling Chicago attractions as Navy Pier – the Midwest’s top tourist destination – and its boardwalk, 150-foot Ferris wheel, boat tours, and countless dining or shopping options. One important Chicago destination is The Magnificent Mile along Michigan Avenue and in this eight-block stretch, 460 stores offer luxury items, beautiful bargains, and everything in-between. As far as nightlife is concerned, the city pulses with the beat of countless live performances of jazz, mainstream and indie rock, folk and country, world music, and – of course—blues. Chicago boasts of many restaurants serving outstanding Italian, Latin, and Asian foods, countless others offer excellent French, Greek, Indian, Mediterranean, Polish, German, or Ethiopian.