After spending 6 years in Singapore, we arrived in Chicago. What changes! Whether at the cultural level, culinary, climatic, landscapes, atmosphere. The hardest part was the first winter: we quickly went from 35 degrees to a very difficult winter where the temperatures felt reached -50 degrees!! grrrr… a rare and fortunately short polar vortex. But it was magnificent.
First winter in Chicago
Our first winter in January 2019: we will remember it. The polar vortex, is an immense mass of cold air coming from the north pole and will have lasted 52 hours with extreme temperatures and frost. Of course the schools were closed and extraordinary phenomena were observed such as instant freezing (soap bubbles which freeze directly), a fire was lit on the rails to prevent them from freezing... in short, a good introduction to begin this new expat.
Chicago street art
In Chicago, street art is present almost everywhere in the city; the artists tell their story, express their struggles and their successes. But it is mainly concentrated in 3 neighborhoods: The loop, Pilsen and Logan Square/Wicker Park.
St. Patrick
Chicago is the fourth Irish city in America and every year in March, an environmentally friendly green dye is dumped into the river.
Halloween
Halloween is not to be missed: the houses are beautifully decorated, the adults are all dressed up and waiting for the children on their doorsteps with thousands of treats.
A city to discover
There's never a dull moment in Chicago. Between the magnificent architecture of this city destroyed then rebuilt after the fire (Great Chicago Fire in 1871), visits to the different neighborhoods, the Lincoln Park zoo (magnificent and free), blues concerts, concerts and festivals in open sky, the “Chicago polar plunge” (iconic winter charity tradition: dives in winter in water from 0 to 8 degrees to raise funds), the numerous museums, there is something to occupy the weekends.
