Published in Chicago Internet WebPages Newspaper on 7/23/97.

The Windy City . . . Chicago . . . home of the nation's tallest building, the world's busiest airport, and some of the country's finest museums. As described by the poet Carl Sandburg, the city is "a tall bold slugger set vivid against the little soft cities." Even the immensely popular Oprah Winfrey Show is based in Chicago.

On the Internet, you can sample Chicago's highlights without ever leaving your home. Let the websites guide you to the best restaurants, sporting events, entertainment options, and cultural happenings before venturing out into the city itself. Or, use the Internet to search for health facilities, information on schools, or city government resources. Research the history of this magnificent city or check on real-time traffic information while sitting in front of your computer screen.

Education

For information about schools and colleges in Chicago, visit Digital City Chicago, an outstanding comprehensive website provided by the Chicago Tribune. Click on Community, then Schools, to see how a particular school fared according to the 1997 TAP and ITBS results and the 1996 Illinois State Report Card. View a list of public elementary and high schools on probation. Select a school to get detailed information about that school, such as attendance rates, student/teacher ratios, financial information, and poverty level.

Entertainment

For entertainment options, try CenterStage Chicago. Categories include golf, dancing, theatre, arts, bars, and music. Each category features browse or search capabilities to help you pinpoint exactly what you're looking for. Glance over the Weekly Listings of what's happening for the coming week. Or, tour Chicago's nightlife with the Virtual El Nightlife Guide, where you hop on board a "train" to explore an area of town.

To keep up with what's happening in Chicago, visit WINDY-CITY.comMUNITY's Calendar of Events where you'll find simple calendars outlining the events on any particular day.

If you're planning a night out on the town, stop by the Chicago Shows site first. Look through the shows by venue, date, or band. Find out when your favorite band will be performing and where, or look for the best show on a particular date. This is a no-nonsense kind of site full of valuable information. You can even sign up to receive the Shows List by email.

The 33rd Chicago International Film Festival will be held on October 9-19, 1997. One of the most prestigious annual film events in the world, the Film Festival showcases the world's top filmmakers along with new film talent.

When you think of music in Chicago, you probably think of the blues. Blues in Chicago highlights this very popular yet ageless type of music.

When Adler Planetarium and Astronomy Museum opened on May 12, 1930, it was the first planetarium in the Western Hemisphere. At its home on the Internet, you'll find schedules for sky shows as well as information on the museum's three exhibit floors. Learn of their star-studded Thursday nights and other programs the whole family will enjoy. Courses on astronomy for adults and children are outlined along with workshops for teachers.

Fodor's Travel Publications have long been a well-respected source for travel information. Fodor's Guide to Chicago Lodging and Dining features an enormous listing of Chicago restaurants and lodging broken down by area. For each restaurant, you'll find an address and phone number, access to a map, credit cards accepted, comments regarding reservations, price range, dates closed, and a general review of the restaurant--complete with its unique ambiance.

Restaurant Central Chicago allows you to search for restaurants in the Chicago area by location, cuisine, or price, and then sort those results by restaurant name or type of rating.

Join me for a leisurely walk as we visit Palmer's Walking Guide to the Windy City. The resources are geared toward visitors on foot in the central Chicago area. Take virtual tours of the Magnificent Mile or Chicago hotels. Nightspots, entertainment options, and sightseeing ideas are included as well.

General Sites

The city of Chicago itself features Chicago Mosaic, an outstanding site loaded with practical information. Visit the office of the mayor for press releases and key speeches. The Electronic Tour Guide contains a calendar of events, visitor information centers, and things to do and see in Chicago.

A must-see feature is the Downtown Chicago Interactive Map with links featuring photos, addresses, historical information, and trivia about downtown's attractions and landmarks. Clicking on Shedd Aquarium will take you to that site, or you can visit the Navy Pier and take a virtual tour of its recreational facilities, shops, and restaurants.

Under Things to Do and See, you'll find a listing of free festivals to be held in Grant Park, such as the Chicago Jazz Festival on August 28-31. For family fun, check out Chicago's parks, parades, or bicycle tours.

The Community Policing section of Chicago Mosaic allows you to register your bicycle online, report drug activity anonymously, or check into missing persons or the city's most wanted.

The Directory of City Services announces meetings of the Chicago City Council and contains alphabetical and categorical listings of all the departments in city government. Chicago Mosaic's URL is: http://www.ci.chi.il.us/

Digital City Chicago, a service of the Chicago Tribune, is an excellent source for news, sports, education, and general facts about Chicago. Search for a home, car, or job at the Marketplace, or visit different shopping areas to see what's available. The Chicago Map helps you find any location in the city.

For a listing of places to worship, click on Community Worship, where you can search by name or location.

Click on the Best of Chicago at Digital City to find the city's very best in sights, shopping, music, and dining. Two interesting subcategories are the best places to be alone and the best places for free entertainment.

For a true taste of suburban life, visit Chicago and Its Suburbs. The site features suburban living at its finest, with entertainment, sports, the top ten favorite suburban eating establishments, Chicago area restaurant guides, and information on the suburban counties. You'll also find news, weather, and a listing of things to do and see.

History

For historical information on the city, stop by theChicago Public Library online. Study the chronological history of the city, beginning with its discovery in 1673 by Father Jacques Marquette and Louis Jolliet, who were guided by friendly Indians to the region that is now Chicago. This site will prove invaluable to students or teachers researching the history of the area. At the Deaths, Disturbances, Disasters, and Disorders section, you'll learn of the city's tragedies, such as the Great Chicago Fire. The site features information on Chicago's mayors, the municipal flag and other symbols, and subjects such as the history of the Chicago tunnels and trains.

Another remarkable historical site is The Great Chicago Fire and the Web of Memory, created by the Chicago Historical Society and Northwestern University. The Great Chicago Fire section covers the history of the city in the nineteenth century, concentrating on the fire and the following years. The Web of Memory section considers how eyewitnesses, journalists, and historians have remembered the fire. Featuring essays, photographs, and documentaries, the site is truly phenomenal and a must see.

Take a virtual tour of Chicago's Architectural Landmarks. Tour #II features North Michigan Avenue, with Wrigley Building, the Woman's Athletic Club, and Medinah Temple Building.

Medical

The site of Children's Memorial Hospital features wonderful resources such as a medical library, educational information, and research data. You'll find fun things for kids to do on the web as well as health issues defined in a way that children will understand.

At Digital City Chicago under Community Health Facilities, you'll discover what hospitals or clinics exist in your neighborhood, or you can search for a facility by name. Health Statistics outlines health information broken down by community, cause of death, reportable conditions, or maternal and infant health.

News, Weather, Sports, and More

Do you prefer to read the news and area happenings off your computer screen? WGN-TV's site will keep you up to date on news, sports, weather, and even the Illinois lottery. Listen to sports interviews using Real Audio, or enter in to a discussion on their Message Boards. Visit the Download Library for downloadable images or audio/video files. The live camera images from different spots around Chicago, such as the Tribune Tower, the Field Museum, or the Hancock, are most unique.

Be sure to visit the PeopleCam, where unsuspecting folks are caught by hidden cameras. Have *you* been caught on the PeopleCam?

Time Lapse at WGN-TV features moving scenes such as Clouds and Lake Michigan, Darkness on the Edge of Chicago, and Sunset in the West. Be patient--it takes a while for the pages to load. So, click on the picture you'd like to view and go have a cup of coffee. By the time you return, your computer screen will contain a picture, silently waiting for you to click for the scene to begin.

For sports and news, visit the Chicago Tribune's Digital City Chicago. You'll find home pages for professional sports as well as message boards, schedules, archives, and even virtual tours. College and high school teams are spotlighted as well.

Digital City's Community Crime section will show you violent crime rates in the areas of your choosing. Or, you can search the results of specific violent crimes, such as homicide or simple battery.

The Chicago Business Network contains a comprehensive directory of business and entrepreneur sites, professional groups and associations, and news from local businesses.

If you're looking for a job in the Chicago area or want to buy a home or car, visit Yahoo! Chicago Classifieds, where you can browse by category or conduct a search.

For a weather forecast and current conditions for Chicago, visit The Weather Channel-Chicago/Lakefront, IL.

Yahoo! Chicago offers a people search for telephone numbers, addresses, email addresses, or home pages.

Transportation

What about a site that gives you real-time traffic information from the Illinois Department of Transportation? Chicagoland Expressway Congestion Map describes traffic conditions from no congestion to extreme, road construction and closure, and inbound and outbound traffic featuring minutes to and from loops.

At theSubway System of Chicago, you can plug in departure and arrival stations and the site will compute your route and give your travel time.

Visit the world's busiest airport, Chicago O'Hare International, where you'll find terminal maps and phone numbers, parking information, and facts on the airport itself. Did you know that approximately 180,000 travelers pass through O'Hare every day? Or, that the total airport complex covers over 7,700 acres?

The Internet is an immense powerhouse of information. Have fun using it to find what you need or want to know about Chicago.

This article was published in the Chicago Internet WebPages Newspaper on 7/23/97.

Robin Nobles is a freelance writer who can be reached at robinnobles@robinsnest.com.

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