Original subtitles

♪

Narrator: IT TOWERS OVER THE AMERICAN MIDWEST...

WITH ENGINEERING MARVELS THAT BOGGLE THE MIND

AND WORKERS WILLING TO RISK THEIR LIVES

HIGH IN THE SKY.

BUT AWE-INSPIRING HEIGHTS ARE JUST PART OF A DAY IN THE LIFE

OF THE CITY OF CHICAGO.

THERE ARE ALSO STUNNING WATERS THAT LIE AT ITS FEET...

BEACHES THAT BLANKET ITS SHORES...

AND THE PARKS THAT MAKE CHICAGOANS PROUD.

THERE MAY BE NO CITY IN AMERICA

THAT’S HAD GREATER COMEBACKS SINCE THE DAY IT WAS FOUNDED

THAN CHICAGO.

♪

FROM THE GREAT FIRE THAT NEARLY BROUGHT IT TO ITS KNEES...

TO A MORE THAN CENTURY-LONG CURSE

THAT PLAGUED ITS FAVORITE TEAM.

BUT THROUGH IT ALL,

THE PEOPLE OF CHICAGO HAVE PROVEN TO BE

SOME OF THE TOUGHEST ON EARTH.

THEY TURN OUT BY THE THOUSANDS, NO MATTER WHAT THE SCORE...

AND WORK HARD EVERY DAY TO KEEP THEIR METROPOLIS RUNNING 24/7

WITHOUT A HITCH.

THERE’S NO END TO WHAT YOU CAN DISCOVER

WHEN YOU SPEND A DAY IN THE SKIES OVER CHICAGO.

♪

ART THAT CAN TRANSPORT YOU TO THE CLOUDS.

TRAIN SYSTEMS THAT ARE UNLIKE ANY OTHER IN THE WORLD.

EVEN BREATHTAKING COLORS OF WATER AND SKY.

AND EVERY NIGHT, THIS CITY TRANSFORMS

INTO A DAZZLING FEAST OF LIGHT.

WHETHER YOU’RE PEERING DIRECTLY DOWN INTO ITS STREETS,

OR SOARING ABOVE THEM, HIGH IN THE SKY,

IT’S ALL POSSIBLE, IN JUST ONE DAY,

IN THE CITY OF CHICAGO.

♪

♪

♪

THERE’S NO BETTER WAY TO KICK OFF

A DAY IN LIFE OF CHICAGO

THAN THIS:

CATCHING SIGHT OF THE SUN

WHEN IT FIRST APPEARS OVER THE WATERS OF LAKE MICHIGAN.

THIS IS THE ONLY MAJOR AMERICAN CITY

THAT TOWERS OVER THE GREAT LAKES.

IT’S HOME TO MORE THAN TWO AND A HALF MILLION PEOPLE...

AND IT SERVES AS THE HEART

OF THE REGION KNOWN AS "CHICAGOLAND."

THAT’S THE NAME PEOPLE USE

TO DESCRIBE THE VAST METROPOLITAN AREA

THAT SPREADS OUT FROM THE CITY OF CHICAGO

TO THE NORTH, WEST, AND SOUTH.

WHEN PEOPLE SAY "CHICAGOLAND,"

THEY’RE REFERRING TO THE THIRD LARGEST METRO AREA IN THE NATION

AFTER NEW YORK AND LOS ANGELES.

IT COVERS ROUGHLY 11,000 SQUARE MILES

AND EVEN EXTENDS INTO SOUTHERN WISCONSIN

AND NORTHERN INDIANA.

♪

EVERY MORNING,

HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF COMMUTERS

FROM ACROSS CHICAGOLAND

MAKE THEIR WAY INTO THE HEART OF THE CITY.

MANY GET HERE ON CHICAGO’S LEGENDARY EL TRAINS.

STATIONS LIKE THIS ONE, IN A SUBURB KNOWN AS LAKEVIEW,

ARE USUALLY PACKED EVEN BEFORE THE SUN IS UP.

BUT NOT EVERYONE IN CHICAGO

STARTS THEIR DAY WITH A COMMUTE TO THE OFFICE.

ESPECIALLY NOT THESE TWO CHICAGO TWINS.

♪

FOR THE LAST 70 YEARS,

JENNIE AND JULIA PAPILLI

HAVE BEEN COMING DOWN TO CHICAGO’S LAKESHORE

FOR A MORNING SWIM IN LAKE MICHIGAN.

BY JULY, THE WATER TEMPERATURE IN THE LAKE

IS STILL A CHILLY 61 DEGREES.

BUT THAT DOESN’T STOP THE PAPILLIS.

♪

AS SOON AS THEY’RE IN THE WATER, THEY GET INTO FORMATION,

AND THEN START THEIR DAILY TWO-MILE SWIM.

THE TWINS BOUGHT THEIR FIRST BATHING SUITS

WITH POCKET MONEY WHEN THEY WERE 12,

AND THEY HAVE BEEN SWIMMING HERE ALMOST EVERY YEAR SINCE.

THEY’RE SUCH A COMMON SIGHT,

THEY’VE BEEN CALLED "LEGENDS OF THE LAKE."

BUT WHEN THEY STARTED THEIR MORNING RITUAL,

CHICAGO DIDN’T LOOK ANYTHING LIKE THIS.

THE TALLEST BUILDING AT THE TIME WAS 44 STORIES.

SINCE THEN,

THE CITY’S SKYLINE HAS MORE THAN DOUBLED IN HEIGHT.

BY THE 1970s,

CHICAGO WAS HOME TO THE TALLEST BUILDING IN THE WORLD,

THANKS TO THE SEARS TOWER--

NOW KNOWN AS THE WILLIS TOWER.

♪

SINCE 1946,

CHICAGO HAS GONE THROUGH TEN COLORFUL MAYORS,

AND SENT A SENATOR TO THE WHITE HOUSE.

IT WAS HERE IN A LAW FIRM IN CHASE TOWER, IN 1989,

THAT A YOUNG LAWYER NAMED MICHELLE ROBINSON

MET BARACK OBAMA.

THEY WERE LATER MARRIED HERE, ON THE SOUTH SIDE.

AND WHEN IT WAS TIME FOR OBAMA

TO GIVE HIS ELECTION VICTORY SPEECH

ON NOVEMBER 4, 2008,

HE DID IT HERE,

TO AN AUDIENCE OF MORE THAN 200,000,

IN CHICAGO’S GRANT PARK.

BY THE TIME MICHAEL JORDAN

WAS FIRST DRAFTED BY THE CHICAGO BULLS,

THE PAPILLI TWINS

HAD ALREADY BEEN COMING DOWN TO LAKE MICHIGAN

FOR ALMOST FOUR DECADES.

AND SINCE JORDAN’S RETIREMENT,

THEY HAVE GONE ON SWIMMING FOR NEARLY 20 MORE YEARS.

♪

BUT WHILE SOME CHICAGOANS START THEIR DAY IN THE WATER,

OTHERS ARE ALREADY AT WORK,

HIGH IN THE SKY.

FELIPE BERMAN AND EFREN SALAS ARE TWO OF THEM.

BY 7:00 A.M., THEY ARE BEGINNING THEIR SHIFTS

1,128 FEET ABOVE LAKE MICHIGAN.

THEY ARE PREPARING TO DO

ONE OF THE MOST TERRIFYING JOBS IN CHICAGO--

WASHING THE WINDOWS

AT THE VERY TOP OF ONE OF THE CITY’S TALLEST SKYSCRAPERS.

♪

THE BLACK TAPERED TOWER THEY’RE PERCHED ON

IS KNOWN AS THE JOHN HANCOCK CENTER.

IT RISES 100 STORIES OVER THE STREET.

AND BECAUSE OF ITS UNIQUE DESIGN,

ALL OF ITS WINDOWS HAVE TO BE CLEANED INDIVIDUALLY, BY HAND.

THERE ARE MANY SKYSCRAPERS IN CHICAGO,

BUT THE ENGINEERING OF THE JOHN HANCOCK CENTER

WAS REVOLUTIONARY WHEN IT WAS COMPLETED IN 1970.

AT THE TIME, THE WORLD’S TALLEST BUILDINGS

WERE BUILT AROUND INTERIOR CORES.

BUT WHEN A STRUCTURAL ENGINEER NAMED FAZLUR KHAN

DESIGNED THIS SKYSCRAPER,

HE CAME UP WITH AN ENTIRELY NEW WAY

TO ENGINEER TALL BUILDINGS.

HE DESIGNED IT AS A GIANT TUBE.

THE STEEL BEAMS, OR TRUSSES,

THAT ARE VISIBLE ON THE OUTSIDE OF THIS TOWER

ARE ACTUALLY WHAT HOLD IT UP.

THEY’VE MADE THE JOHN HANCOCK CENTER

ONE OF THE MOST RECOGNIZABLE SKYSCRAPERS IN CHICAGO.

KHAN HAS BEEN CALLED THE GREATEST STRUCTURAL ENGINEER

OF THE 20th CENTURY,

AND HIS TUBULAR DESIGNS ARE NOW COMMONLY USED

ON SUPER TALL BUILDINGS AROUND THE WORLD.

♪

BUT BECAUSE THE WINDOWS OF THE JOHN HANCOCK CENTER

LIE BEHIND ITS EXTERIOR SKELETON,

THE ONLY WAY TO CLEAN THEM IS THE OLD-FASHIONED WAY--

ONE WINDOW PANE AT A TIME.

♪

AFTER THEIR SAFETY CHECKS ARE DONE,

FELIPE AND EFREN LOWER THEMSELVES OVER THE EDGE

SO THEY CAN GET TO WORK.

THEY’LL SPEND THE ENTIRE DAY OUT HERE,

DROPPING LOWER AND LOWER

AS THEY SQUEEGEE CLEAN 100 STORIES OF GLASS.

WIND AND WEATHER CAN MAKE THIS JOB DANGEROUS,

BUT SO TOO CAN FALCONS.

THESE BIRDS OF PREY OFTEN NEST IN THE TOWER’S FACADE

AND HAVE BEEN KNOWN TO THREATEN FELIPE AND EFREN

WHEN THEY GET TOO CLOSE.

♪

IF YOU LOOK UP AT THE TOP OF CHICAGO’S SKYSCRAPERS

IN THE MORNING,

CHANCES ARE YOU’LL SEE DARING WORKERS

DANGLING IN THIN AIR.

BUT IF YOU PEER UP AT THE HIGHEST BUILDING IN CHICAGO,

YOU MIGHT CATCH SIGHT OF A ROBOT INSTEAD.

THERE ARE 16,100 WINDOWS ON THE WILLIS TOWER,

AND IT TAKES SIX ROBOTIC WINDOW WASHING MACHINES

TO KEEP THEM ALL CLEAN.

JUST AFTER DAWN, THEY EMERGE FROM THEIR PARKING GARAGES

ON THE VARIOUS ROOFTOPS OF THIS SKYSCRAPER

AND CRAWL ON TRACKS, SLOWLY, TO THE EDGE.

AFTER A QUICK INSPECTION BY A TECHNICIAN,

THESE MACHINES THEN DEPLOY DOWN THE SIDES OF THE BUILDING.

STEEL TRACKS BUILT INTO THE FACADE OF THE WILLIS TOWER

ARE WHAT KEEP THEM ON COURSE.

THEY ONLY WASH ON THE TRIP DOWN.

SPRAYERS, SQUEEGEES, AND VACUUMS ON BOARD

CLEAN EACH WINDOW AS THEY PASS IT BY.

♪

ROBOTS LIKE THESE ONLY WORK ON TOWERS WITH FLAT FACADES.

UNLIKE HUMANS,

THEY CAN DO THEIR WORK IN UP TO 30-MILE-PER-HOUR WINDS,

AND THEY’RE NOT AFRAID OF HEIGHTS.

AFTER THEY REACH THE GROUND FLOOR,

THEY RETURN AUTOMATICALLY TO THE LEDGE WHERE THEY STARTED

SO THEY CAN BE RE-POSITIONED

AND THEN BEGIN CLEANING ALL OVER AGAIN.

♪

IN 1986,

FILM DIRECTOR JOHN HUGHES CREATED WHAT HE CALLED

A LOVE LETTER TO THE CITY OF CHICAGO.

HIS MOVIE, "FERRIS BUELLER’S DAY OFF,"

BECAME A CULT CLASSIC.

IT TELLS THE STORY OF A CONFIDENT YOUNG TEEN,

PLAYED BY MATTHEW BRODERICK,

WHO SKIPS OUT OF SCHOOL TO SPEND A DAY HAVING ADVENTURES

ALL ACROSS THE CITY AND ITS SUBURBS.

THE FILM DOESN’T JUST PAY TRIBUTE TO CHICAGO;

IT CELEBRATES ALL THAT’S POSSIBLE IN THIS CITY,

IN JUST ONE DAY.

HUGHES IS SAID TO HAVE BASED THE MOVIE

ON HIS OWN TEENAGE HIJINKS

WHILE HE WAS A STUDENT HERE AT GLENBROOK NORTH HIGH SCHOOL,

IN THE CHICAGO SUBURBS.

TODAY, FANS STILL RECREATE SCENES FROM THE FILM

AT MANY OF THE LOCATIONS WHERE THEY WERE SHOT.

THIS SET OF STEPS AT GLENBROOK NORTH HIGH

IS ONE OF THEM.

IN ONE OF THE FILM’S MOST MEMORABLE SCENES,

FERRIS ROLLS UP TO THE FRONT OF THESE STEPS

IN HIS BEST FRIEND’S DAD’S FERRARI

AND PICKS UP HIS GIRLFRIEND, SLOANE,

RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE PRINCIPAL.

THANKS TO THAT SCENE,

THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS MOVIE LOCATIONS IN CHICAGOLAND.

♪

WHEN FERRIS, SLOANE, AND THEIR FRIEND CAMERON

HIT THE ROAD AND HEAD DOWNTOWN,

THEY DO WHAT MANY CHICAGOANS MIGHT DO

IF THEY, TOO, COULD TAKE A DAY OFF

AND SPEND IT HOWEVER THEY WANTED.

AFTER ARRIVING IN TOWN,

THE THREE FRIENDS RACE UP THE STEPS

OF THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO,

WHICH LIES ON THE WEST SIDE OF GRANT PARK.

INSIDE THEY CONTEMPLATE A SERIES OF PAINTINGS

THAT HUGHES HIMSELF ONCE ADMIRED

DURING HIS OWN VISITS TO THIS MUSEUM--

A PLACE THAT HE ONCE DESCRIBED AS HIS REFUGE IN THE CITY.

LATER, THE FRIENDS TAKE AN ELEVATOR

TO THE TOP OF THE SEARS TOWER.

WHEN THE FILM WAS SHOT,

THIS SKYSCRAPER WAS STILL

THE TALLEST BUILDING IN THE WORLD.

AS THEY PRESS THEIR FACES AGAINST THE GLASS,

FERRIS, SLOANE, AND CAMERON PEER DOWN ON THE STREETS BELOW.

THEY DESCRIBE THEIR CITY AS PEACEFUL.

♪

IT’S TRUE

THAT WHEN YOU LOOK DOWN ON CHICAGO FROM HIGH ABOVE,

THE NOISE AND BUSTLE OF LIFE HERE

OFTEN SEEMS TO JUST FADE AWAY.

AND IT’S POSSIBLE TO DISCOVER NEW WORLDS

THAT YOU CAN’T SEE FROM THE GROUND.

CHICAGO HAS 5 MILLION SQUARE FEET OF GREEN SPACE

ON ITS ROOFTOPS.

IT BLANKETS MORE THAN 350 OF ITS BUILDINGS.

THERE ARE EVEN ELABORATE ROOFTOP GARDENS

THAT HOVER OVER THE STREETS BELOW.

YOU MIGHT NEVER KNOW THEY EXIST UNLESS YOU GET UP HIGH.

BUT THERE’S ONE ROOF IN CHICAGO THAT’S NOT LIKE THE OTHERS.

♪

THIS ODDLY SHAPED STRUCTURE DOWNTOWN

IS THE CITY’S METROPOLITAN CORRECTIONAL CENTER.

EVERY MORNING, PRISONERS START FILLING THE EXERCISE YARD

THAT LIES ON TOP OF THIS CHICAGO SKYSCRAPER.

IT’S ONE OF THREE EXPERIMENTAL PRISONS ACROSS THE COUNTRY

THAT WERE BUILT IN THE 1970s.

ARCHITECT HARRY WEESE DESIGNED IT AS A TRIANGLE

SO EACH CELL COULD HAVE ITS OWN FLOOR-TO-CEILING WINDOW.

HE ALSO TURNED THE PRISON’S ROOF INTO AN EXERCISE YARD.

♪

EVERY OTHER DAY,

PRISONERS ARE ALLOWED TO SPEND UP TO TWO HOURS HERE

IN THE OPEN AIR ABOVE THEIR CELLS.

MANY OF THE PEOPLE DOING TIME IN THIS HIGH-RISE JAIL

HAVEN’T BEEN CONVICTED OF A CRIME.

THEY ARE PRE-TRIAL DETAINEES,

WHICH MEANS THEY EITHER CAN’T AFFORD OR WERE NOT GIVEN BAIL

AS THEY WAIT FOR THEIR NEXT DAY IN COURT.

IN 2005, A WOMAN NAMED PIPER KERMAN

WAS HOUSED HERE BRIEFLY

AFTER HER CONVICTION FOR MONEY LAUNDERING.

HER MEMOIR OF LIFE IN PRISON,

TITLED "ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK,"

WAS THE INSPIRATION FOR THE POPULAR TELEVISION SERIES

ON NETFLIX.

WORKERS, ROBOTS, AND PRISONERS

ARE ALL USED TO SPENDING LONG DAYS UP HIGH

OVER THE STREETS OF CHICAGO.

BUT EVERY MORNING, STARTING AT 9 A.M.,

OTHERS PAY FOR A CHANCE TO LOOK DOWN ON THIS CITY FROM ABOVE.

THEY COME HERE,

TO THE 94th FLOOR OF THE JOHN HANCOCK CENTER,

FOR A RIDE CALLED TILT.

AFTER SHELLING OUT ABOUT $25,

THEY STEP INTO ONE OF EIGHT WINDOWED COMPARTMENTS

AND MAKE SURE THEY’RE HOLDING ON TIGHT.

♪

THEN, THE ENTIRE WINDOW AND FLOOR THEY’RE STANDING ON

TILTS OUT OVER THE SIDEWALK,

1,000 FEET BELOW.

♪

THIS IS HOW SOME EXPERIENCE

THE AWE-INSPIRING ENGINEERING OF CHICAGO SKYSCRAPERS.

BUT FOR OTHERS,

IT’S A RACE TO THE TOP OF THE TALLEST BUILDING IN TOWN.

♪

EVERY YEAR, THOUSANDS OF ATHLETES

COMPETE IN A RACE TO CLIMB THE 2,109 STEPS

THAT LEAD FROM THE STREET

TO THE 103rd FLOOR OF THE WILLIS TOWER.

THE BEST RECORDED TIME SO FAR

IS 13 MINUTES 9 SECONDS.

FROM A DISTANCE,

ALL THE WINDOWS OF THIS SKYSCRAPER LOOK THE SAME.

BUT UP ON THE 103rd FLOOR, A FEW STAND OUT.

♪

THEY’RE ACTUALLY GLASS BOXES

THAT EXTEND JUST OVER FOUR FEET FROM THE BUILDING’S FACADE.

THEY ARE KNOWN AS "THE LEDGE."

THE FLOORS OF THESE 1,500-POUND CUBES

BOTH THRILL AND TERRIFY.

THAT’S BECAUSE THERE’S NOTHING UNDER YOUR FEET

BUT CLEAR GLASS AND THIN AIR.

WHEN YOU STAND ON THE LEDGE,

YOU CAN SEE FOR MILES

OVER ILLINOIS’S FAMOUSLY FLAT LANDSCAPE

AND LOOK OUT ALL ACROSS CHICAGOLAND.

BUT YOU CAN ALSO LOOK DOWN ON THE FASCINATING RAIL SYSTEMS

THAT YOU CAN ONLY FIND IN CHICAGO.

♪

IT’S 10:30 A.M. ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF CHICAGO.

HERE AT A STATION KNOWN AS ASHLAND/63rd,

EL TRAIN OPERATOR LACHELLE JENKINS

IS JUST STARTING HER SHIFT.

THE LAST STOP ON HER RUN ON THIS GREEN LINE TRAIN

WILL BE HARLEM STATION, WEST OF DOWNTOWN.

LACHELLE HAS BEEN OPERATING EL TRAINS FOR TWO DECADES.

SHE’S RESPONSIBLE FOR MOVING

HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF PASSENGERS A YEAR

SAFELY ACROSS CHICAGO.

AS HER TRAIN SCREECHES AND RUMBLES

THROUGH NEIGHBORHOODS LIKE THIS ONE,

SHE HAS A SPECTACULAR FRONT-ROW SEAT

TO DAILY LIFE IN THIS GREAT AMERICAN CITY.

♪

WHEN AUTHOR NELSON ALGREN WROTE HIS FAMOUS BOOK ABOUT CHICAGO,

HE DESCRIBED "GREAT TRAINS HOWLING FROM TRACK TO TRACK."

IF THERE’S ANY SOUND

THAT’S FAMILIAR TO CHICAGOANS ON THE STREET,

IT’S THE CLATTER OF THE EL PASSING OVERHEAD.

♪

BUT IT’S NOT THE ONLY FAMILIAR SOUNDTRACK

TO DAILY LIFE IN THIS CITY.

♪

CHICAGOANS ALSO KNOW WELL THE SOUNDS OF WAVES AND SEAGULLS

ON THE MANY BEACHES THAT LINE THE LAKE...

[SEAGULL SQUAWKING]

THE SOUND OF WIND RACING THROUGH ITS URBAN CANYONS...

[WHOOSHING]

AND THE CRACK OF A BAT AGAINST A BALL...

[CRACK]

AT WRIGLEY FIELD.

[CHEERING]

BUT THERE’S ONE SOUND

THAT’S MOST OFTEN ASSOCIATED WITH CHICAGO,

ESPECIALLY HERE ON THE SOUTH SIDE.

♪

AND THAT’S THE SOUND OF THE BLUES.

IN 1943,

AN ARTIST NAMED MUDDY WATERS ARRIVED IN CHICAGO BY TRAIN

FROM THE MISSISSIPPI DELTA.

HE WAS ONE OF ROUGHLY

HALF A MILLION AFRICAN AMERICANS FROM THE SOUTH

WHO JOURNEYED NORTH TO CHICAGO

DURING WHAT’S KNOWN AS THE GREAT MIGRATION.

THEY CAME LOOKING FOR JOBS IN STEEL, MEAT PACKING,

AND OTHER INDUSTRIES ALL AROUND THE CITY.

BY THE 1950s, THIS BRICK ROW HOUSE

HERE ON SOUTH LAKE PARK AVENUE WAS MUDDY’S HOME.

IT WAS IN CHICAGO

THAT HE PLAYED THE ELECTRIC GUITAR

FOR THE FIRST TIME.

FROM HIS BASEMENT STUDIO,

HE HELPED FORGE A NEW URBAN BLUES STYLE

THAT CAME TO BE KNOWN AS CHICAGO BLUES.

WITH LEGENDARY SONGS LIKE, "I’M YOUR HOOCHIE COOCHIE MAN,"

"GOT MY MOJO WORKING"

AND "ROLLIN’ STONE,"

MUDDY WENT ON TO WIN NINE GRAMMYS

AND A PLACE IN THE ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME.

♪

SINCE THEN, NEW MUSIC LEGENDS HAVE RISEN TO FAME

HERE ON THE SOUTH SIDE.

THIS SMALL HOUSE ON SOUTH SHORE DRIVE

IS EASY TO MISS,

IF YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT IT IS.

IT WAS ONCE THE CHILDHOOD HOME OF HIP-HOP ARTIST KANYE WEST,

WHO MOVED TO CHICAGO WITH HIS MOM FROM GEORGIA

WHEN HE WAS THREE.

KANYE NEVER FINISHED COLLEGE,

BUT HIS 2004 DEBUT ALBUM TITLED "COLLEGE DROPOUT"

WENT TRIPLE PLATINUM.

♪

WHEN YOU SPEED ACROSS CHICAGO ON THE EL,

THERE’S COLORFUL HISTORY

IN JUST ABOUT EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD THAT PASSES BY,

JUST AS THERE’S HISTORY ON THE RAILS YOU RIDE.

LACHELLE’S GREEN LINE TRAIN

RUNS ON THE OLDEST EL TRAIN TRACKS IN THE SYSTEM.

IT WAS ON A SECTION OF THIS LINE THAT THE FIRST EL TRAIN EVER,

MADE OF WOODEN COACHES PULLED BY A STEAM ENGINE,

JOURNEYED ACROSS CHICAGO IN 1892.

TODAY, THE GREEN LINE IS ONE OF 8 DIFFERENT COLOR-CODED LINES

THAT CRISSCROSS THE CITY.

WHAT MAKES CHICAGO’S TRANSIT SYSTEM

DIFFERENT FROM OTHER CITIES

IS THAT 5 OF THESE 8 LINES

END UP RUNNING ON THE SAME SET OF TRACKS

WHEN THEY REACH DOWNTOWN.

THE REASON THAT THE HEART OF CHICAGO IS KNOWN AS "THE LOOP"

IS BECAUSE OF THIS 2-MILE CIRCLE OF ELEVATED TRAIN TRACKS.

ONLY TWO OF CHICAGO’S EL TRAINS, THE BLUE AND RED,

RUN IN TUNNELS UNDER THE CITY.

PEER DOWN ON THE LOOP FROM ABOVE,

AND IT LOOKS LIKE A CAREFULLY CHOREOGRAPHED DANCE

OF TRAINS BELOW.

HUNDREDS ENTER AND EXIT THE LOOP EVERY DAY.

IN 1977,

A COLLISION ON THESE TRACKS

CAUSED FOUR CARS OF ONE TRAIN TO JACKKNIFE

AND THEN CRASH DOWN TO THE STREET.

11 PEOPLE DIED AND 180 WERE INJURED.

IT WAS LATER DISCOVERED

THAT THE OPERATOR OF ONE OF THE TRAINS

HAD USED DRUGS PRIOR TO THE COLLISION.

♪

TODAY, NEW SAFETY RULES

AND SKILLED OPERATORS LIKE LACHELLE

KEEP THE TRAINS AND CHICAGOANS MOVING SAFELY,

WITHOUT A HITCH.

BUT CHICAGO WAS A RAILWAY TOWN

LONG BEFORE EL TRAINS

STARTED MAKING THEIR TURNS THROUGH THE LOOP.

♪

THE VERY FIRST TRAIN HERE,

PULLED BY A STEAM ENGINE CALLED THE PIONEER,

HEADED WEST OUT OF TOWN IN 1848,

AND CHICAGO HAS BEEN A MAJOR AMERICAN RAIL HUB

EVER SINCE.

BY 11 A.M., WORKERS AND CRANES ARE ALREADY BUSY LOADING CARGO

AT CHICAGO’S CORWITH RAIL YARD.

EVERY DAY, CLOSE TO 1,300 TRAINS PULLING ALMOST 40,000 RAIL CARS

ROLL THROUGH CHICAGOLAND.

THERE ARE 40 RAIL YARDS LIKE THIS ONE

TO MANAGE ALL THE TRAFFIC.

WHEN IT WAS BUILT IN 1887,

THIS YARD WAS THE LARGEST IN THE WORLD.

FOR DECADES,

OPEN TRAIN CARS PACKED WITH LIVESTOCK

FROM AS FAR AWAY AS SOUTHERN TEXAS

ARRIVED HERE EVERY DAY TO SUPPLY CHICAGO’S SLAUGHTERHOUSES.

NOW IT’S IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE

WHAT KIND OF FREIGHT PASSES THROUGH THIS CITY,

BECAUSE MOST OF IT TRAVELS INSIDE

LONG STANDARDIZED SHIPPING CONTAINERS.

ONCE TRAINS ARE LOADED,

THEY ROLL OUT ON THE NEARLY 4,000 MILES OF RAILWAY TRACK

THAT CRISSCROSS CHICAGOLAND.

♪

MANY OF THE CITY’S OLDEST RAIL LINES

ARE STILL IN USE.

BUT NOT THIS ONE.

AT LEAST NOT BY TRAINS.

IT’S 11 A.M. ON THE 606.

THAT’S THE NAME FOR THIS ELEVATED PARK

THAT RUNS ALMOST 3 MILES ACROSS THE WEST SIDE OF CHICAGO.

IN THE EARLY 1900s,

A TRAIN TRACK KNOWN AS THE BLOOMINGDALE LINE

RAN RIGHT DOWN THE MIDDLE OF THIS CHICAGO STREET.

BUT THAT LED TO FATALITIES

SINCE TRAINS OFTEN APPEARED SUDDENLY OUT OF NOWHERE.

TO KEEP CHICAGO RESIDENTS SAFE,

THE BLOOMINGDALE LINE WAS RAISED ABOVE THE STREET IN THE 1910s.

BY THE 1990s, CITY PLANNERS STARTED IMAGINING

HOW THEY COULD REPURPOSE THIS OLD TRAIN TRACK

FOR PUBLIC USE.

THAT PROJECT WAS NAMED THE 606,

AFTER THE ZIP CODE PREFIX THAT ALL CHICAGOANS SHARE.

IT TOOK ALMOST 18 YEARS TO PLAN AND FUND.

BUT IN 2015, IT FINALLY OPENED TO THE PUBLIC.

SINCE THEN, THE 606 HAS BECOME

ONE OF CHICAGO’S MOST POPULAR PLACES TO WALK, RUN, AND BIKE.

♪

IT’S IMPOSSIBLE TO IMAGINE A DAY IN THE LIFE OF CHICAGO

WITHOUT ITS TRAINS,

AND WITHOUT THE VAST AND STUNNING WATERS

OF LAKE MICHIGAN

THAT LIE AT ITS FEET.

WHEN THE SUN’S OUT,

MANY HERE FLOCK TO THIS ARC OF SAND

KNOWN AS NORTH AVENUE BEACH,

NOT FAR FROM DOWNTOWN.

IF THERE’S ONE THING THAT MAKES CHICAGOANS

PARTICULARLY PROUD OF THEIR MIDWESTERN CITY,

IT’S THEIR LAKEFRONT.

♪

TODAY, THERE ARE AT LEAST 24 BEACHES, BIG AND SMALL,

INSIDE THE CITY LIMITS.

AND WHERE THERE AREN’T BEACHES,

THERE ARE PARKS, HARBORS, AND MARINAS

THAT DOT THE SHORELINE,

AND AN 18-MILE TRAIL THAT WINDS ALL ALONG THE LAKE.

♪

BUT THERE WAS A TIME WHEN RESIDENTS OF CHICAGO

WERE FEARFUL OF THE WATERS IN THEIR RIVERS AND LAKE.

BACK IN THE LATE 19th CENTURY,

SEWAGE AND INDUSTRIAL WASTE FILLED THE CHICAGO RIVER.

WHEN IT RAINED,

WATERBORNE DISEASES WASHED INTO THE LAKE

AND POISONED THE CITY’S WATER SUPPLY.

CHOLERA EPIDEMICS PLAGUED CHICAGO.

TO FIX THE PROBLEM,

ENGINEERS CAME UP WITH A DARING IDEA.

THEY PROPOSED TO PERMANENTLY REVERSE THE FLOW

OF THE CHICAGO RIVER.

INSTEAD OF DIRTY RIVER WATER FLOWING OUT INTO LAKE MICHIGAN,

FRESH CLEAN LAKE WATER WOULD FLOW IN AND THROUGH THE CITY,

CLEANSING IT OF POLLUTANTS.

PULLING IT OFF REQUIRED

ONE OF THE LARGEST ENGINEERING AND EXCAVATION PROJECTS

IN THE NATION’S HISTORY:

A 28-MILE CHANNEL

KNOWN AS CHICAGO’S SANITARY AND SHIP CANAL.

THE CANAL WAS NEEDED

TO SEND WATER COMING FROM THE LAKE SOUTH,

TOWARDS THE MISSISSIPPI.

♪

IT TOOK MORE THAN 8 YEARS TO COMPLETE

AND WAS SUCH A MARVEL IN ITS DAY

THAT CHICAGOANS OFTEN FLOCKED HERE ON THE WEEKENDS

TO SEE THIS ENGINEERING WONDER FOR THEMSELVES.

THE EARTH-MOVING TECHNIQUES DEVELOPED HERE

WERE LATER USED TO BUILD THE PANAMA CANAL.

TODAY, MORE THAN A CENTURY LATER,

THE CHICAGO RIVER STILL RUNS BACKWARDS THROUGH THE CITY.

WHEN THE GATES OPEN

AT THIS MASSIVE LOCK AT THE MOUTH OF THE RIVER,

FRESH WATER FROM LAKE MICHIGAN FILLS UP THE LOCK

AND THEN FLOWS THROUGH CHICAGO.

AND CHICAGOANS AREN’T TAKING ANY CHANCES

WITH THEIR WATER SUPPLY.

IN 1968, THEY COMPLETED THIS,

THE JARDINE WATER PURIFICATION PLANT.

IT’S THE LARGEST OF ITS KIND IN THE WORLD.

IT PROCESSES UP TO A BILLION GALLONS OF WATER A DAY

AND IS CAPABLE OF DELIVERING CLEAN DRINKING WATER

FROM LAKE MICHIGAN TO FAUCETS IN CHICAGOLAND

IN JUST 8 HOURS.

♪

THIS FACILITY IS ONE OF TWO LARGE PIECES OF LAND

THAT JUT OUT FROM CHICAGO INTO THE LAKE.

THE OTHER LIES JUST SOUTHEAST OF DOWNTOWN.

IT USED TO BE A BUSY AIRPORT KNOWN AS MEIGS FIELD.

IT WAS BELOVED BY LOCAL PRIVATE PILOTS

SINCE IT WAS SO CLOSE TO TOWN.

BUT IN 2003, CHICAGO MAYOR RICHARD M. DALEY

DECIDED THAT HE WANTED THE AIRPORT GONE

TO CREATE A NEW PUBLIC PARK.

ON MARCH 30th, IN THE DEAD OF NIGHT,

HE ORDERED AN ARMY OF BULLDOZERS TO GOUGE GIANT Xs

RIGHT INTO THE MIDDLE OF THE RUNWAY.

MORE THAN A DOZEN PLANES WERE LEFT STRANDED ON THE TARMAC.

IT WAS THE END OF MEIGS FIELD...

AND THE BEGINNING OF A NEW CHICAGO PARK

THAT’S KNOWN TODAY AS NORTHERLY ISLAND.

NOW CHICAGOANS BIKE AND SUNBATHE

RIGHT WHERE JETS USED TO MAKE THEIR FINAL APPROACHES

INTO CHICAGO.

♪

TODAY, NORTHERLY ISLAND LOOKS NEARLY EMPTY,

BUT THAT MAY BE BECAUSE IT’S ALMOST 1 P.M.,

AND THAT’S KICKOFF TIME AT NEARBY SOLDIER FIELD,

THE LEGENDARY HOME OF THE CHICAGO BEARS.

THE LAST TIME THE BEARS WON THE SUPER BOWL WAS 1985,

BUT THAT HASN’T DENTED THE ENTHUSIASM

THAT FOOTBALL FANS IN CHICAGO HAVE FOR THEIR HOMETOWN TEAM.

FOR HOURS BEFORE THE GAME GETS UNDERWAY,

THE PARKING LOTS THAT STRETCH SOUTH FROM SOLDIER FIELD

FILL UP WITH TAILGATERS.

IT’S ONE GIANT ORANGE AND BLUE PARTY.

WHEN AN ICY COLD WIND BLOWS IN FROM THE LAKE,

BEARS FANS ARE KNOWN TO SIMPLY BUTTON UP THEIR COATS,

PUT ON THEIR HATS AND GLOVES,

AND KEEP THE BEER FLOWING.

IT’S ALL PART OF THE RITUAL

OF GETTING READY TO WAGE BATTLE AT SOLDIER FIELD.

♪

THERE ARE MAJOR STADIUMS ALL OVER CHICAGO,

WHICH IS EVIDENCE OF JUST HOW IMPORTANT

PROFESSIONAL SPORTS ARE TO CHICAGOANS.

JUST SOUTH OF DOWNTOWN

LIES THE HOME FIELD OF THE CHICAGO WHITE SOX.

IT GETS RENAMED EVERY TIME A NEW CORPORATE SPONSOR

PAYS FOR NAMING RIGHTS.

MANY WHITE SOX FANS STILL CALL IT COMISKEY PARK,

OR "THE CELL,"

FROM THE YEARS WHEN IT WAS U.S. CELLULAR FIELD.

BUT CHICAGO’S OLDEST AND MOST TREASURED STADIUM

LIES NORTH OF DOWNTOWN.

♪

IT’S BEEN HOME TO THE CHICAGO CUBS SINCE 1914.

OVER THE YEARS,

CHICAGO HAS RACKED UP VICTORIES

IN PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL, BASKETBALL, AND EVEN HOCKEY,

BUT BASEBALL HAS BEEN A VERY DIFFERENT STORY.

AFTER WINNING TWO WORLD SERIES BACK TO BACK IN 1907 AND 1908,

THE CHICAGO CUBS CAME UP EMPTY

FOR THE REST OF THE 20th CENTURY.

MANY FANS BELIEVED THAT THEIR TEAM WAS CURSED

BY A MAN WITH A GOAT.

IT ALL STARTED IN 1945,

WHEN A LOCAL BAR OWNER NAMED WILLIAM SIANIS

SHOWED UP TO A GAME AT WRIGLEY FIELD

WITH A LIVE GOAT,

WHICH WAS THE MASCOT OF HIS BILLY GOAT TAVERN.

WHEN THE GOAT WAS DENIED ENTRY INTO THE STADIUM,

SIANIS IS SAID TO HAVE MUTTERED THE WORDS,

"THE CUBS AIN’T GONNA WIN NO MORE."

THAT WAS THE BILLY GOAT CURSE.

SURE ENOUGH, FOR YEARS AFTERWARDS,

THE CHICAGO CUBS HAD ONE OF THE WORST RECORDS

IN PROFESSIONAL BASEBALL.

BUT THE CUBS’ MOST DEDICATED FANS

HUNG IN THERE,

GAME AFTER GAME, DECADE AFTER DECADE,

TO CHEER ON THEIR FAVORITE TEAM.

THEIR SUPPORT FINALLY PAID OFF IN 2016,

WHEN THE CHICAGO CUBS LAUNCHED A SPECTACULAR COMEBACK

AND MANAGED TO WIN THEIR FIRST WORLD SERIES

AFTER 108 YEARS.

♪

THERE MAY BE NO CITY IN AMERICA

THAT’S HAD GREATER COMEBACKS THAN CHICAGO.

♪

ONE REASON CHICAGOANS ARE PROUD OF THEIR CITY TODAY

IS BECAUSE THEY KNOW THAT THE RICHNESS OF DAILY LIFE HERE

HAS BEEN HARD-EARNED, EVERY STEP OF THE WAY.

AND EVERY TIME THEY SEE

THE CHICAGO FIRE DEPARTMENT IN ACTION,

IT’S A REMINDER OF CHICAGO’S BIGGEST COMEBACK EVER,

AFTER TERRIFYING EVENTS THAT NEARLY DESTROYED IT

MORE THAN A CENTURY AGO.

WHEN YOU LOOK UP

AT THE GLIMMERING SKYLINE OF CHICAGO TODAY,

IT’S HARD TO IMAGINE THAT 150 YEARS AGO

THIS CITY LAY IN RUINS.

IT ALL BEGAN ON OCTOBER 8, 1871.

SOMETIME AROUND 8 P.M.,

A SMALL FIRE STARTED TO BURN NEAR A BARN

AT WHAT’S NOW WEST DEKOVEN STREET.

HIGH WINDS FUELED THE FLAMES,

AND FLYING EMBERS SPARKED NEW FIRES

THAT QUICKLY GOT OUT OF CONTROL.

WITH THOUSANDS OF STRUCTURES BURNING,

THE FLAMES LEAPT THE CHICAGO RIVER

AND FORCED RESIDENTS TO SEEK REFUGE

ON THE SHORES OF LAKE MICHIGAN.

IT WAS ONLY BECAUSE OF RAIN, TWO DAYS LATER,

THAT THE GREAT CHICAGO FIRE CAME TO AN END.

BUT BY THEN, 4 SQUARE MILES IN THE HEART OF THE CITY

HAD BEEN BURNED TO THE GROUND.

NEARLY 100,000 RESIDENTS HAD LOST THEIR HOMES,

AND ALMOST 300 WERE DEAD.

THE DEVASTATION WAS CATASTROPHIC,

AND MANY ACROSS THE COUNTRY

THOUGHT CHICAGO WOULD NEVER RECOVER.

BUT EVEN AS THE ASHES OF THEIR HOUSES SMOLDERED,

CHICAGOANS WERE ALREADY BACK AT WORK,

VOWING TO RESTORE WHAT THEY HAD LOST

AND FORGING A NEW VISION FOR THEIR CITY

THAT WOULD MAKE IT TALLER AND GRANDER THAN EVER BEFORE.

TODAY,

CHICAGO HAS SOME OF THE TOUGHEST FIRE CODES IN THE NATION

AND A FIRE DEPARTMENT THAT IS SECOND TO NONE.

THEY TRAIN EVERY DAY

TO MAKE SURE THEY’RE READY FOR THE CITY’S NEXT MAJOR BLAZE.

THIS PUBLIC HOUSING PROJECT

SLATED FOR DEMOLITION ON THE SOUTH SIDE

IS OFTEN USED AS THEIR TRAINING GROUND.

BUT FIREFIGHTERS IN CHICAGO

AREN’T JUST REQUIRED TO PLAN FOR DISASTERS ON LAND;

THEY ALSO SERVE AS FIRST RESPONDERS

ON LAKE MICHIGAN.

SPECIAL UNITS ON THE WATER

TRAIN FOR EVERYTHING FROM MAJOR FIRES ON CARGO SHIPS,

TO BOAT COLLISIONS,

TO DROWNING VICTIMS.

AND THEY OFTEN COORDINATE WITH UNITS ON LAND.

IN 2016 ALONE, AT LEAST 20 PEOPLE DROWNED IN CHICAGO.

AND "THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE" HAS REPORTED THAT LAKE MICHIGAN

IS THE DEADLIEST OF THE GREAT LAKES,

WITH AS MANY DROWNINGS AND WATER RESCUES

AS THE FOUR OTHER GREAT LAKES COMBINED,

SINCE 2010.

THAT’S WHY FIREFIGHTERS

HAVE TO BE PREPARED TO PLUNGE INTO THE LAKE,

EVEN IN THE DEAD OF WINTER.

OFTEN, LIFE AND DEATH IN CHICAGO’S WATERS

IS DECIDED IN A MATTER OF SECONDS,

AND BY WHETHER THE PATIENT CAN BE REACHED IN TIME

AND PULLED TO SHORE BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE.

♪

WHEN THE CLOCK STRIKES NOON IN CHICAGO,

THE CITY OFTEN LOOKS LIKE THIS--

A CROWDED FOREST OF SKYSCRAPERS THAT SEEM TO TOUCH THE CLOUDS.

BUT WHEN YOU GET UP CLOSE,

YOU REALIZE THAT A VAST AREA OF PRIME REAL ESTATE IN CHICAGO

HAS BARELY BEEN BUILT ON AT ALL.

THIS IS GRANT PARK,

OR WHAT MANY HAVE CALLED "CHICAGO’S FRONT YARD."

WHEN CHICAGO WAS INCORPORATED AS A CITY IN 1837,

A STRIP OF LAND ALONG LAKE MICHIGAN

WAS PRESERVED AS PUBLIC GROUND.

THAT GROUND WAS THE ORIGIN OF GRANT PARK.

AFTER THE GREAT CHICAGO FIRE IN 1871,

LARGE AMOUNTS OF DEBRIS FROM THE FIRE

WERE USED TO EXPAND THE PARK,

AND OVER THE DECADES THAT FOLLOWED,

MASSIVE ENGINEERING PROJECTS

EXTENDED THE CHICAGO SHORELINE FURTHER,

OUT INTO THE LAKE.

BUT MUCH OF THE MATERIAL

THAT WAS USED TO DEVELOP CHICAGO’S GRANT PARK

ACTUALLY CAME FROM BENEATH THE CITY ITSELF.

♪

CHICAGO IS WELL KNOWN FOR THE TRAINS

THAT RUN ON ELEVATED TRACKS ABOVE ITS STREETS.

BUT WHAT MANY PEOPLE DON’T KNOW IS THAT THERE IS

AN ENTIRELY DIFFERENT NETWORK OF RAILWAY LINES

HIDDEN DEEP UNDER THE CITY.

IF YOU COULD X-RAY CHICAGO,

YOU’D REVEAL THE BONES OF A 60-MILE TUNNEL SYSTEM

THAT LIES 40 FEET UNDER MUCH OF DOWNTOWN.

IT WAS ORIGINALLY BUILT AT THE TURN OF THE 20th CENTURY

FOR TELEPHONE CABLES,

BUT WAS SOON TRANSFORMED

INTO A COMPLEX UNDERGROUND RAIL SYSTEM

FOR TINY FREIGHT TRAINS.

THEY WERE OFTEN USED TO REMOVE CLAY AND OTHER DEBRIS

DURING THE CONSTRUCTION OF NEW CHICAGO BUILDINGS.

ON THE SOUTHEAST SIDE OF THE CITY,

THE TRACKS RAN ALMOST UP TO THE LAKEFRONT.

OVER DECADES,

THIS FREIGHT TUNNEL SYSTEM WAS USED TO CARRY LANDFILL

TO THE CITY’S LAKESHORE.

THE FIELD MUSEUM, SOLDIER FIELD, AND GRANT PARK

WERE ALL BUILT ON SOIL

THAT ONCE LAY UNDER DOWNTOWN CHICAGO.

♪

SINCE ITS HUMBLE ORIGINS,

GRANT PARK HAS GROWN TO COVER MORE THAN 300 ACRES.

IT’S NOW ONE OF THE MOST VISITED SITES IN THE MIDWEST.

EVERY YEAR, MILLIONS COME HERE, TO MILLENNIUM PARK,

WHICH LIES INSIDE GRANT PARK,

TO VISIT THIS.

IT’S A GIANT SCULPTURE

THAT WAS INSPIRED BY THE SHAPE AND SURFACE

OF A DROP OF MERCURY.

IT WAS CREATED IN 2006

BY AN INDIAN-BORN BRITISH ARTIST NAMED ANISH KAPOOR.

HE NAMED HIS WORK "CLOUD GATE"

SINCE ITS SHAPE AND SURFACE CONNECTS PEOPLE WITH THE SKY.

INSIDE CLOUD GATE

IS AN ELABORATE STEEL AND WOODEN STRUCTURE

THAT GIVES IT ITS SHAPE.

BUT ON THE SURFACE,

168 STAINLESS STEEL PANELS HAVE ALL BEEN WELDED TOGETHER

INTO A SEAMLESS SKIN.

WHAT MAKES IT SO POPULAR WITH TOURISTS AND CHICAGOANS ALIKE

IS THE CHANCE TO SEE THEMSELVES, AND CHICAGO,

MIRRORED ON ITS FRESHLY POLISHED SURFACE.

♪

WHEN THE MID-DAY SUN SHINES DOWN

ON THE STREETS AND ELEVATED TRAIN TRACKS OF CHICAGO,

WORKERS AND OTHERS FLOOD OUT OF THE CITY’S SKYSCRAPERS

FOR THEIR LUNCH BREAKS.

BUT WHEN IT COMES TO LUNCH ITSELF,

NOTHING UNITES CHICAGOANS LIKE THE HUMBLE HOT DOG.

APPRECIATION FOR THIS FAST FOOD HERE

CAN REACH AN ALMOST RELIGIOUS FERVOR,

WHICH EXPLAINS WHY THERE ARE 1,800 HOT DOG VENDORS

IN THE CITY ALONE.

ONE OF THE MOST LEGENDARY IS BYRON’S.

FOR MANY, THIS IS LIKE A HOT DOG SHRINE.

IT’S BEEN HERE ON THE NORTH SIDE SINCE 1975.

THERE ARE MANY DIFFERENT WAYS TO SERVE HOT DOGS IN CHICAGO,

BUT BYRON’S IS FAMOUS FOR THEIR "CHICAGO DOG."

IT’S PREPARED SIMPLY,

WITH INGREDIENTS THAT INCLUDE ONIONS, HOT PEPPERS, RELISH,

CELERY SALT, TOMATOES, AND MUSTARD.

SOME PEOPLE SAY THAT IF YOU PUT KETCHUP ON A CHICAGO DOG,

THEN YOU’RE NOT A TRUE CHICAGOAN.

♪

TO UNDERSTAND HOW HOT DOGS

GOT THEIR LEGENDARY STATUS IN CHICAGO,

ALL YOU HAVE TO DO

IS JOURNEY BACK TO A DAY IN THE LATE 19th CENTURY

ON THE CITY’S SOUTHWEST SIDE.

STARTING IN 1865,

THE AIR HERE WAS FILLED WITH THE STENCH, DUST, AND HAZE

OF STOCKYARDS, SLAUGHTERHOUSES, AND MEAT PACKERS.

AT ONE TIME, MORE THAN 80% OF AMERICA’S MEAT

WAS PROCESSED IN CHICAGO.

POET CARL SANDBURG FAMOUSLY CALLED THE CITY

"HOG BUTCHER FOR THE WORLD."

BUT CATTLE WERE ALSO SLAUGHTERED HERE

IN STAGGERING NUMBERS.

THIS FORMER UNION STOCK YARDS GATE

IS ONE OF THE ONLY ORIGINAL STRUCTURES STILL STANDING.

IT WAS GERMAN IMMIGRANTS

WHO ORIGINALLY GAVE CHICAGO THE FRANKFURTER,

BUT IT WAS CHICAGOANS WHO TURNED HOT DOGS

INTO THE NOW LEGENDARY ALL-BEEF "CHICAGO DOG."

CHICAGO’S MEAT PACKERS WERE FAMOUS

FOR LEAVING ALMOST NO PART OF AN ANIMAL WASTED,

WHICH IS HOW THEY CAME TO BE KNOWN AS "DISASSEMBLY LINES."

LEGEND HAS IT

THAT HENRY FORD OBSERVED THIS PROCESS HERE IN CHICAGO

AND GOT THE IDEA TO REVERSE IT,

TO MAKE CARS.

HE PUT THE IDEA TO WORK IN CHICAGO IN 1924

WHEN FORD OPENED A NEW ASSEMBLY PLANT HERE

ON TORRANCE AVENUE.

WHEN IT STARTED OPERATIONS,

IT WAS THE SECOND BIGGEST PRODUCER

OF FORD’S LEGENDARY MODEL-T.

TODAY, MORE THAN 4,000 WORKERS IN THE PLANT

CRANK OUT THE COMPANY’S LATEST MODELS.

EVERY HOUR, ABOUT 58 NEW CARS EMERGE

FROM THIS HISTORIC FACILITY.

MOST ARE EXPLORERS,

THE COMPANY’S BLOCKBUSTER-SELLING S.U.V.

NEW FORD VEHICLES AWAITING TRANSPORT ACROSS THE NATION

ARE PARKED IN LOTS ALL AROUND THE PLANT.

BUT A LITTLE FURTHER TO THE EAST,

AT CHICAGO’S PORT,

IS ANOTHER VAST FIELD OF CARS

THAT’S BEEN HIDDEN ON PURPOSE FROM PUBLIC VIEW.

♪

THEY ARE EVIDENCE OF ONE OF THE BIGGEST CORPORATE FRAUDS

IN AMERICAN HISTORY.

IN 2016,

VOLKSWAGEN ADMITTED TO INSTALLING HIDDEN SOFTWARE

ON CLOSE TO A HALF A MILLION CARS IN AMERICA

IN ORDER TO DEFEAT EMISSIONS TESTS

AND SELL MORE VEHICLES.

WHEN THE COMPANY WAS FORCED TO BUY BACK THESE DEFECTIVE CARS

FROM CONSUMERS ACROSS CHICAGOLAND,

THOUSANDS OF THOSE VEHICLES ENDED UP HERE,

IN THIS HARD-TO-SPOT LOT.

THERE’S A CHANCE THAT SOME OF THESE CARS

WILL BE FIXED AND RE-SOLD,

BUT MANY WILL LIKELY END UP IN THE SCRAPYARD.

♪

IT’S 4 P.M.,

AND A LUFTHANSA CARGO JET IS MAKING ITS FINAL APPROACH

TO RUNWAY 10-LEFT

AT CHICAGO’S O’HARE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.

THIS IS THE THIRD LARGEST AIRPORT IN THE U.S.,

AND IT HAS ONE OF THE BUSIEST CARGO TERMINALS IN THE WORLD.

BUT TODAY IS NOT A USUAL DAY AT THIS CHICAGO HUB.

A TEAM OF BIOLOGISTS IS SUITED UP

AND WAITING FOR A VERY SPECIAL SHIPMENT.

MOTHER AND DAUGHTER ORANGUTANS

ARE ABOUT TO ARRIVE FROM A ZOO IN HANNOVER, GERMANY.

HERE AT O’HARE,

CARGO PLANES USE THE AIRPORT’S LONGEST RUNWAYS,

ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE FIELD.

[TIRES SCREECH]

LUFTHANSA’S CARGO OPERATIONS IN CHICAGO

HANDLE SOME OF THE MOST EXPENSIVE AND EXOTIC SHIPMENTS

ON EARTH.

WHENEVER THEY FLY,

LIVE ANIMALS ARE USUALLY OFFLOADED FIRST.

[BEEPING]

AS SOON AS THE FORWARD CARGO HATCH OPENS,

THE MOTHER AND DAUGHTER ORANGUTANS GET ROLLED OUTSIDE.

A CARGO LIFT WILL DELIVER THEM DOWN TO THE TEAM BELOW.

THESE TWO GREAT APES MADE THEIR JOURNEY TO CHICAGO

IN SEPARATE SPECIALLY ENGINEERED CRATES.

BUT HOLES IN THE SIDES ALLOW THE MOTHER AND DAUGHTER

TO COMMUNICATE WITH EACH OTHER DURING THEIR FLIGHT.

TODAY, ORANGUTANS ARE ONLY FOUND IN THE WILD IN INDONESIA,

AND THEY ARE HIGHLY SUSCEPTIBLE TO HUMAN DISEASES.

THAT’S WHY EVERYONE ON THIS CARGO TEAM

HAS TO WEAR A BIO-HAZARD SUIT.

JUST LIKE MILLIONS OF OTHER PASSENGERS

WHO LAND AT O’HARE EVERY YEAR,

THESE TWO GREAT APES ARE JUST TRANSITING THROUGH CHICAGO.

BUT THEY ARE ON THEIR WAY TO THE FORT WORTH ZOO IN TEXAS,

WHICH IS PART OF A SPECIAL INTERNATIONAL BREEDING PROGRAM

FOR ORANGUTANS.

NOW THAT THE MOTHER IS SAFELY IN THE VAN,

HER DAUGHTER WILL JOIN HER.

FROM O’HARE,

THEIR FIRST STOP WILL BE THE MILWAUKEE COUNTY ZOO,

WHERE THEY’LL REMAIN IN QUARANTINE FOR AT LEAST 45 DAYS,

WHILE VETS MAKE SURE THEY ARE HEALTHY ENOUGH

TO CONTINUE ON TO TEXAS.

IT’S ALL JUST PART OF A DAY IN THE LIFE

OF THE CITY OF CHICAGO.

♪

BACK IN TOWN, IT’S ALMOST 6 P.M.,

AND A UNIQUE GROUP OF URBAN GARDENERS

IS HEADING OUT ON THE NORTH BRANCH OF THE CHICAGO RIVER

BEFORE THE SUN SETS.

THIS HAS LONG BEEN ONE OF THE MOST INDUSTRIALIZED

AND POLLUTED WATERWAYS IN CHICAGO.

BUT THESE KAYAKERS ARE HOPING TO CHANGE THAT

BY USING THE POWER OF PLANTS.

♪

THEY’RE BUILDING A SERIES OF FLOATING GARDENS

ALONG A TWO-MILE STRETCH OF SHORE,

JUST EAST OF GOOSE ISLAND.

THEY USE ONLY NATIVE ILLINOIS SPECIES

THAT THRIVE IN WET ENVIRONMENTS.

THE IDEA IS THAT, OVER TIME,

AS THE PLANTS ABSORB RIVER WATER THROUGH THEIR ROOTS,

THEY WILL HELP CLEANSE THE RIVER OF TOXINS.

THEY’RE ALSO HOPING THAT THE GARDENS

WILL LURE BIRDS, FISH, AND OTHER CREATURES

TO CREATE A NEW, HEALTHY ECOSYSTEM

ALONG THIS STRETCH OF RIVERFRONT.

♪

TODAY, THEY’RE INSTALLING A NEW BRIDGE

TO HELP TURTLES CLIMB UP INTO THE GARDEN FROM THE WATER.

THIS PART OF CHICAGO IS CHANGING RAPIDLY.

OLD INDUSTRIAL BUILDINGS ARE BEING REBORN.

NOT LONG AGO, PEOPLE AT THIS CAFE

LOOKED OUT ON A RIVERBANK OF RUSTED STEEL.

NOW THEY PEER DOWN OVER A TIDY GREEN FLOATING GARDEN.

IF THIS PILOT PROJECT IS A SUCCESS,

THESE GARDENERS HOPE TO CREATE MORE GREEN SPACE

ALONG THIS INDUSTRIAL WATERWAY

AND TO TAKE THEIR CHICAGO EXPERIMENT

TO OTHER CITIES AROUND THE WORLD.

♪

THE WATERS IN AND AROUND CHICAGO

CAN TELL MANY RICH TALES ABOUT DAILY LIFE IN THIS CITY,

ESPECIALLY THE WATERS OF LAKE MICHIGAN.

ON THE BED OF THIS LAKE, JUST OFFSHORE,

LIE AT LEAST 100 AIRCRAFT FROM THE DAYS OF WORLD WAR II.

THEY’RE HERE BECAUSE OF THIS--

CHICAGO’S NAVY PIER.

STRETCHING 3,300 FEET OUT FROM DOWNTOWN,

THIS ICONIC CHICAGO STRUCTURE WAS BUILT IN 1914

AS PART OF A MASTER PLAN FOR THE CITY’S WATERFRONT.

IT WAS ORIGINALLY USED AS A DOCK FOR FREIGHTERS,

AND EVEN HAS A GRAND BALLROOM ON ITS TIP.

BY THE 1940s, NAVY AIRMEN WERE USING THE PIER

AND AIRCRAFT CARRIERS THAT DOCKED HERE

TO TRAIN FOR WORLD WAR II.

BUT DURING TRAINING,

100 NAVY PLANES CRASHED INTO THE LAKE,

WHERE THEY STILL LIE TODAY.

BY THE 1970s,

THIS MORE THAN HALF-MILE-LONG STRUCTURE

WAS FALLING INTO DISREPAIR

AND WAS READY FOR A CHICAGO-STYLE COMEBACK.

IT WAS REBORN

AS AN ENTERTAINMENT VENUE AND PUBLIC PARK

THAT’S NOW THE MOST VISITED SITE IN THE CITY.

♪

AND WHEN THE SUN STARTS TO SET OVER ILLINOIS,

NAVY PIER TRANSFORMS INTO ONE OF CHICAGO’S

MOST DAZZLING NIGHTTIME SPECTACLES.

♪

AFTER DARK, FROM ABOVE,

CHICAGO IS A FEAST OF LIGHT.

WHETHER YOU’RE SOARING PAST STADIUMS

THAT ROCK INTO THE NIGHT,

VAST RAIL YARDS THAT NEVER GO TO SLEEP,

OR ITS AIRPORTS,

WHERE THE LIGHTS OF PASSENGER JETS ON APPROACH

LOOK LIKE STARS DESCENDING OUT OF THE SKY.

BUT WHEN YOU PEER DOWN ON THE CITY ITSELF,

ALL YOU SEE IS A CAREFULLY DIVIDED GRID

OF RECTANGLES AND SQUARES.

ONE MAPMAKER CALLED CHICAGO

A CITY THAT LOOKS LIKE A SHEET OF GRAPH PAPER.

UP UNTIL THE EARLY 20th CENTURY,

THIS GRID WAS ANYTHING BUT ORDERLY

IF YOU WERE ON THE STREET BELOW.

THERE HAD NEVER BEEN A SYSTEM IN PLACE

FOR GIVING STREETS NAMES OR NUMBERS,

WHICH LED TO CHAOS.

IT WAS EASY TO WALK THE CITY AND GET COMPLETELY LOST.

BUT IN 1909, THE CITY OF CHICAGO

APPROVED A COMPLETE MAKEOVER OF ITS STREETS.

TO DO IT, PLANNERS FIRST PICKED AN INTERSECTION

AT STATE AND MADISON, IN THE HEART OF DOWNTOWN.

THEN, STARTING FROM THIS POINT,

THEY GAVE ALL THE STREETS NEW PREFIXES,

BASED ON THEIR DIRECTION OF TRAVEL--

EAST, WEST, NORTH, OR SOUTH.

FINALLY, ALL THE HOUSES ON THESE STREETS

GOT NEW NUMBERS:

ODD NUMBERS FOR BUILDINGS ON THE SOUTH AND EAST SIDES;

EVEN NUMBERS FOR ONES ON THE NORTH AND WEST.

TODAY, THANKS TO THIS URBAN MAKEOVER,

CHICAGO IS OF THE MOST EASILY NAVIGABLE CITIES IN THE WORLD.

♪

WHEN YOU SPEND A DAY IN THE SKIES OVER CHICAGO,

THIS MIDWESTERN METROPOLIS COMES ALIVE IN SURPRISING WAYS.

WHETHER IT’S THE ROBOTS THAT POLISH ITS TALLEST TOWERS,

THE WORKERS WHO RISK THEIR LIVES UP HIGH,

OR THOSE WHO BRAVE THE FREEZING WATERS

OF THE GREAT LAKES

TO KEEP THEIR FELLOW CHICAGOANS ALIVE...

THERE’S SIMPLY NO PLACE IN AMERICA

LIKE THE CITY OF CHICAGO.

♪

[BLUES MUSIC PLAYING]

♪

♪