lsanderson | 36 Hours in Chicago

Gilt Bar in the River North neighborhood takes its food seriously. More Photos » By FRED A. BERNSTEIN
Published: September 22, 2010

ALL cities have their ups and downs, but Chicago has been on the rise by playing to its strengths, adding parks, architectural crowd pleasers and public art. Much of this has happened on the watch of Mayor Richard M. Daley, who, after 21 years in office, announced this month that he would be stepping down. How will the city fare without him? Just fine, probably, thanks to the raft of improvements that has left Chicago fortified both by 19th- and 20th-century public spaces brimming with 21st-century attractions. More