Chicago, also known as the Windy City is now officially being considered for the nomination by the International Olympic committee (IOC) to host the 2016 Olympic games. Since the 1893 hosting of the Worlds Fair, Chicago has been regarded as one of the ten most influential cities in the world, and if selected to host the Olympics in 2016 the city of Chicago will once again demonstrate its suitability and passion to host the world's greatest events. Located at the site of a portage between the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River watershed, the Windy City is the largest city in the Midwest. It is the anchor of the Chicago metropolitan area, sometimes called Chicagoland, which boosts a population of over 9.7 million people in Illinois, Wisconsin and Indiana, making it the third largest metropolitan area in the U.S. Attracting 44.17 million people in 2006 from around the nation, perhaps the most distinctive features of Chicago is a section of Michigan Avenue called the Magnificent Mile. Frequently referred to as the shopper's Paradise, the Miracle Mile ranges from Disney and Niketown to Bloomingdales and Saks Fifth Avenue. Also on Michigan Avenue one can find the John Hancock building, the Tribune Tower, Wrigley building which marks the end of the Magnificent Mile and last but not least, the Old Water Tower. The Old Water Tower is significant for the people of Chicago because it is the lone survivors of the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, thus making the Old Water Tower the embodiment of Chicago's resilience. A testament to that resilience can be seen when one looks at the Sears Tower which is still the tallest building in the United States.
Whether you came to Chicago for business at the McCormick Place convention center, located just south of Soldier Field, or the fantastic deals on the Magnificent Mile, Chicago also offers its millions of visitors equal amounts of relaxation to accompany your day. The Navy Pier on Lake Michigan near Streeterville, close to Chicago's downtown is just such a place. Housing retail, restaurants, museums, exhibition halls, auditoriums and a 150-foot tall Ferris wheel, the 3,000 feet long Navy Pier, is north of Grant Park on the lakefront and is one of the most visited landmarks in the Midwest, attracting about 8 million people annually. Considered by Chicagoans as the crowning glory of their city, the 24.5-acre Millennium Park includes the reflective Cloud Gate sculpture (known locally as "The Bean"). Two tall glass sculptures make up the Crown Fountain. The fountain's two towers display visual effects from LED images of Chicagoans' faces, with water spouting from their lips. Additionally Frank Gehry's detailed stainless steel band shell, Pritzker Pavilion, hosts the classical Grant Park Music Festival concert series. Behind the pavilion's stage is the Harris Theater for Music and Dance, an indoor venue for mid-sized performing arts companies, including Chicago Opera Theater and Music of the Baroque. Finally a Millennium Park outdoor restaurant also transforms into an ice skating rink in the winter to accommodate the colder climate.