City Year Patch

About Chicago

“My first day in Chicago, September 4, 1983. I set foot in this city, and just walking down the street, it was like roots, like the motherland. I knew I belonged here.”
--Oprah Winfrey, Talk Show Host

Chicago is a vast city of nearly 2.9 million people and is rich in cultural diversity. With more than 530 parks, 32 beaches, 3,775 miles of streets and a thriving arts, music and theatre scene, visitors to Chicago and residents alike continue to learn and delight in the city’s diversity.  Divided geographically by the South Side, West Side and North Side (to the east is Lake Michigan!), residents of the Windy City are as proud to be Chicagoans as they are to identify with their neighborhood or community of origin.

 Skyline from Lake Michigan  Unity Rally at Federal Plaza

As a corps member, you can choose to live in various parts of the city—from Lakeview to Rogers Park on the North Side to the trendy Wicker Park on the West Side to Hyde Park on the South Side.  All neighborhoods are accessible by either city buses or the “El,” Chicago’s rapid transit. Chicago has a wealth of social, cultural, and recreational activities for corps members to enjoy during their leisure time.

For more information about what it is like to live in Chicago please visit:

Chicago entry in Wikipedia  
The City of Chicago Web site  
Information about Chicago's neighborhoods  
The Chicago Reader Web site 
Apartment People rental service  
Metromix: Chicago entertainment 
How to get around:

Chicago Transit Authority  

Metra Commuter Rail