If Chicago was a woman she'd be a sport-loving, beer-swigging, jazz-listening all-American good time gal.

Chicago's character has been shaped by its diverse immigrant population and its unrivalled love of sports, hearty food, jazz and blues, making it one of the brashest and best American cities.

Sam H Harris' aptly named 1926 play Chicago put the city's name on everyone lips. Produced by George Abbot the play was written during the roaring twenties and tells the story of 'jazz babies' Roxie Hart and Velma Kelly as they jitterbugged their way through a tale of greed corruption, adultery and violence.

The twenties may be over but Chicago has managed to maintain some of the 'razzle dazzle' that makes it the good-time city it is today.

Founded by the Canadian explorer Louis Jolliet in 1673, the city's location at the mouth of the Chicago River in the state of Illinois made it a valuable trading post since it connected with the Mississippi River.

In the 1830s its population reached 4,170 and it was made a city. A year later, however, the city was burned to ground in the Great Chicago Fire, which destroyed almost 18,000 buildings.

Chicago's architecture today is a result of the rebuilding efforts after the fire. The new city contained wide boulevards and parks and was nicknamed Paris on the Prairie.

A building designed by William le Baron Jenney in 1885 is regarded as the world's first skyscraper and served as an architectural epiphany to all architects of the period. Chicago's skyline is dominated with enough of the glittering towers to rival New York.

Also known as the Windy City, Chicago is as famous for its skyscrapers and good times as it is for its jazz.

Jazz made Chicago a major music centre in the 1920s. The evolution of jazz charts the city's history from the migration of southern blacks to Chicago before World War One to the smoky clubs and speakeasies of the latter years.

Today, Chicago is still jammed full of jazz clubs and there is no better way to spend a Chicago night than to dine in one of its world-class restaurants and then languish in the corner of a smoky club with a Bloody Mary in hand. Legend has it that a Chicago hotel, the Ambassador East, sparked the craze of serving Bloody Mary's with celery after a celebrity grabbed a stick of the vegetable to stir his drink when he was not given a stirrer.

By day stroll along the riverfront from Oak Street Beach to the Gold Coast and Soldier Field. The Chicagoland suburbs will guarantee that you are never bored. Try your luck at the riverboat casinos or see a band at one of its many concert venue.

For world-class shopping take a wander down the modestly named Magnificent Mile, stopping off for a famous Chicago hotdog, beef sandwich or deep-dish pizza.

A good city break should mean good food and lots to do and see. Chicago quite simply has it all and hasn't slowed down since the roaring twenties. Flappers, architectural wonders and world-famous universities make Chicago an all-round great city. Revered by its inhabitants and keen to please its guests, Chicago is one American city you don't want to miss.