The Bypassed East

Trees are one of Chicago’s most important natural resources. Chicago has more than 520,000 parkway trees and each is maintained by the Bureau of Forestry. Forestry strives to trim 100,000 trees a year, plants new trees along public sidewalks and promotes the health of trees throughout the city. The Bureau of Forestry, which has more certified arborists on staff than practically any other major city, also responds to tree emergencies in the community at all times.

The Chicago area is located among many fishing opportunities. You can find channel catfish, blue catfish, and bluegill. 

References:

http://www.cityofchicago.org/city/en/depts/streets/provdrs/forestry.html

http://windycityfishing.com/

The North American Manufacturing Core

According to textbook, Chicago is located in the North American manufacturing core (Figure 5.1, page 90). The city has grown to become a major financial, transportation and distribution center. Manufacturing, printing, and publishing, and food processing also play major roles in the city’s economy. It is the largest city on the Great Lakes.

Chicago is arguably the dominant city of the interior manufacturing core. Due to its importance and large population it was known as the "Second City" for many years. Chicago is close in proximity to the Great Lakes which makes it a prime location for people and the import and export of goods. Its location also provided for steel and metal product manufacturing which is characteristic of the Great Lakes port pattern. The textbook considers Chicago's focus on inland water transportation as one of its strengths. 

In 2005, the percentage of employment in manufacturing is 110 percent relative to the United States average of 100 percent (Table 5.2, Page 109). 

Reference: Regional Landscapes of the United States and Canada 

Authors: Stephen S. Birdsall, Eugene J. Palka, Jon C. Malinowski, and Margo L. Price

Chicago Board of Trade Building

Megalopolis

French geographer Jean Gottmann predicted the development of megalopolises in the U.S., with one of those being Chipitts (Chicago to Pittsburgh). The Great Lakes Megalopolis includes metropolitan areas within the Midwest that surround the Great Lakes. The Great Lakes Region is one of the world's largest economies. The Great Lakes contain one-fifth of the world's surface fresh water and tons of cargo is shipped through through the Great Lakes each year. Tourism is an important source of economic growth in and around the Great Lakes. 


The Chicago-Naperville-Michigan City, IL-IN-WI Combined Statistical Area (CSA) combines the metropolitan areas of Chicago, Michigan City (in Indiana), and Kankakee (in Illinois).  The metropolitan Chicago population (CSA) is over 9.8 million people.


Information Retrieved from:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_metropolitan_area#cite_note-csa_pop-1
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Lakes_Megalopolis
http://www.census.gov/




Chicago seeks to continue its growth and economic expansion. Chicago Metropolis 2020 is a business-backed civic organization that seeks to  promote growth in the region. It strives to create public awareness on issues such as the city's land use and transportation policies. Their vision is that the region's governments, businesses, and residents work together to make the region attractive and economically competitive 10, 50, and 100 years from now.


Information Retrieved from:
http://www.chicagometropolis2020.org/

Foundations of Human Activity

Chicago's growth during industrialization shaped its urban development. Chicago had many opportunities for the large number of European emigrants in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. African American from the South were drawn to Chicago between the 1910s and 1960s. In the late twentieth century, immigrants from around the world also took advantage of regional economic opportunities. The ethnic and racial diversity of Chicago resulted from metropolitan growth and contributed to its expansion.

Humans have lived in the area for many years, but most of the local history begins with the Potawatomi and their settlement in the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. 

In 1833, the Grand Settlement ended the Black Hawk War and Potawatomi settlement in the metropolitan area. The U.S. government sold the territory that they had just acquired to farmers and investors. 

In the last three decades, a new wave of immigration has affected the city's development. Highly educated, skilled professionals and low-skilled, poorly educated workers are part of this new immigration. Immigrants from Asia and Latin America have settled across the metropolitan area.

Retrieved from: http://encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/821.html

The culture of Chicago, Illinois, is particularly known for various forms of performing arts, such as improvisational comedy, and music, such as Chicago blues and soul. The city is additionally known for various popular culinary dishes, notably the deep-dish pizza, the Chicago-style hot dog and the Chicago-style Italian beef sandwich.

Retrieved from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_of_Chicago

The main ethnic groups in Chicago include Irish, German, Italian, Mexican, Arab, English, Bulgarian, Czech, Greek, Chinese, Indian, Filipino, Lithuanian, Polish, Romanian, Serbian,Slovak, Swedish, Ukrainian, Dutch and Puerto Rican. Chicago has the third largest South Asian population in the country, after New York City and San Francisco.

Retrieved from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_Chicago

Retrieved from: http://www.visitoakpark.com/Photos/deep%20dish%20pizza.jpg

Retrieved from: http://discounthotels.com/travel-blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/chicago.jpg

Geographic Patterns of the Physical Environment

TOPOGRAPHY 

Chicago is located in northeastern Illinois at the southwestern tip of Lake Michigan. The city is next to Lake Michigan, and two rivers: the Chicago River and the Calumet River. They flow entirely or partially through Chicago. The city of Chicago is flat. The topography is the result of its origin as a lake bottom. Metropolitan Chicago's topography is almost entirely a product of glaciations, (it was covered by ice and glaciers). On at least three occasions many years ago, glacial Lake Chicago, the temporary enlargement of Lake Michigan, rose and fell.

Information retrieved from: http://encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/1260.html

CLIMATE 

The city located in the humid continental climate zone. Chicago experiences four distinct seasons. Summers are hot and humid. In a normal summer, temperatures can exceed 90 °F. Winters are cold, snowy, and windy, with some sunny days. Temperatures often stay below freezing for an entire day. On an average of eight nights per year, the temperature can stay below 0 °F. Spring and fall are mild seasons with low humidity. The city of Chicago is most widely recognized as the "Windy City". There are three main possibilities to explain its nickname: the weather (Chicago is near Lake Michigan), the World's Fair; and the rivalry with Cincinnati.

Information retrieved from:

http://www.streetphoto.com/images/Chicago%20Windy%20City%20(GS).jpg

Information retrieved from: http://www.isws.illinois.edu/atmos/statecli/Summary/illinois.html

Introduction

Chicago Skylines
Picture obtained from thehoneymoon.com

I selected this state because I went to this city last summer in August. I spent one week in Chicago. I enjoyed Michigan Avenue.  My hotel was located right on Michigan Avenue. On Michigan Avenue, the street was filled with all the designer stores. The people were polite and helpful. I also saw the University of Chicago.