Lifestyle and Shopping in Chicago

Chicago is a friendly and cosmopolitan city brimming with wonderful attractions and activities for people of all persuasions. With high energy and a healthy, clean-living lifestyle, expats who relocate here might need to make a few adjustments to their way of life, but be prepared to splash out, as Chicago can be expensive. Chicago is renowned for its shopping, nightlife and restaurants but it also features good entertainment venues, world-class sports facilities and spas.

Chicago is a city for haute couture and expats with a sense of fashion will love that about this city. Head straight for the Magnificent Mile on Michigan Avenue where hundreds of store windows all vie for your attention. It’s the perfect place to find the outfit that will dress you for success, while Oak Street is also a good bet for fashion and designer stores. Head to the River North Gallery District for antiques, while just about everything under the sun can be found at the Maxwell Street Market, which takes place on Sunday mornings.

With a list of hip and happening hot spots to keep the party going until the early hours of the morning, Chicago is a fabulous place to hit the town. Although many of the locals prefer to stick to what they know, expats who relocate here will have a wonderful time finding their favourite watering hole. Wells Street in the Old Town has some fabulous restaurants and bars while the Lincoln Park, Wicker Park and Lakeview areas are the places to go for music clubs playing everything from blues and jazz to indie and hard rock.