Chicago Ranked 7th Best City in The World — And That’s Good News For Kane County
Chicago has been named the seventh greatest city on the planet — and that’s good news for Kane County, IL.
The recent rankings are a big deal because they come from Resonance, among the world’s leading advisors in real estate, tourism and economic development.
Kane County Development & Community Services Department Director Mark VanKerkhoff says the news resonates for economic development here, as well as the Windy City.
“It shows that the Chicago region — which includes us — is attracting national and global companies, attracting world class employees, growing tourism and creating jobs,” he said. “Many Kane County residents work in Chicago, and just about everyone here enjoys access to the city for culture and recreation. Any time Chicago succeeds in economic development, Kane County succeeds, as well.”
Chicago ranked sixth in the “product” category, seventh in the “culture” category, ninth in the “nightlife” category and 11th in the “programming” category.
Why Chicago Is World Class
This photo (also the feature photo of this article) is an amalgamation of the world’s best cities. (CREDIT: Resonance)
The Windy City’s two centuries as the heart of a nation coursing talent, materials and energy to its distant extremities give it a natural big-city swagger, Resonance says in its report.
“It boasts some of best-developed infrastructure in North America — what we call the ‘hardware of a city’ that makes up our product category — one of the most difficult in which to score high,” the report says.
Museums, airports and public transit take years to build and are expensive to maintain, but they are vital for livability, urban exploration and empowering a city’s visitors to immerse themselves in a place like locals.
Companies like Amazon love Chicago — it was the only city that the e-commerce giant reportedly visited twice in its search for a second HQ, and its $500 billion in related investment.
And Chicago, which spends a lot of time wooing tech giants, succeeds year after year because a lot of young people want to live in vibrant neighborhoods with great dining and drinking options, good public transit and stellar museums. As it happens, Chicago has all of the above in spades.
Perhaps more important for companies looking to hire, the city has some pretty impressive higher education institutions.
The city finished in the top five globally for local university rankings, and its convention center, and its 150 years of high and bold architecture get their due at the Chicago Architecture Center (formerly the Chicago Architecture Foundation), “home to everything architecture in Chicago,” which opened in August 2018 in a building originally designed by Mies van der Rohe.
Visitors today can cozy up to iconic American architecture like never before, courtesy of several new hotels.
Across from Millennium Park on North Michigan Avenue is Hotel Julian, a $75 million development that preserves many of the original components of the iconic Benjamin Marshall-designed building.
Found Hotel recently opened on River North’s Well Street, turning an old 1910 Olympia Building into affordable lodging for the modern explorer.
Chicago finished second only to New York among U.S. cities for Programming, a strong indicator of a city’s magnetism and appeal to both residents and visitors that spans Shopping, Nightlife, Culinary and Culture.
The city finished No. 7 globally for Culture and No. 9 for Nightlife, fueled by its legendary blues bars, live shows and music festivals that span genres and the calendar. (Remember, Lollapalooza was born here.)
But where the city is really ascending is in its food scene, currently ranked No. 22 in the world.
Chicago has delivered James Beard Foundation winners in 23 out of 24 years. In fact, after 25 years in New York, the foundation selected Chicago in 2015 as the new host city for its elite awards ceremony. Chicago is slated to host the Beard Awards until at least 2021.
“Chicago’s relentless and distinctive restaurant scene, as vibrant and fearless as its citizens, is catching up to its celebrated nightlife and music,” Resonance says.
Iconic music venue Schubas Tavern is no longer just about live bands. After extensive renovations, its adjoined restaurant recently reopened as the beautiful Tied House featuring a sophisticated menu from James Beard Award-winning chef Debbie Gold.
On the North Side is Band of Bohemia, quite possibly the first Michelin-starred brewpub, where tasting menus are paired with creative beer selections brewed on-site.
