CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Chicago has been named the No. 1 big city to travel to, again, by readers of a travel magazine.
Condé Nast Traveler announced Tuesday that Chicago was voted the best large city in the United States in its annual Readers' Choice Awards. It’s the fourth year in a row that Chicago has been named the Best Big City by Condé Nast Traveler.
"This never-before-seen, four-time accomplishment is truly a testament to the resilience and rich diversity of our City," said Mayor Lori Lightfoot, in a statement. "Despite the challenges that COVID-19 has presented, our communities and businesses found innovative ways to strengthen our recovery efforts while still giving residents and visitors access to all our great City has to offer. I want to thank the entire team at Condé Nast Traveler and its readers for honoring Chicago with this award for yet another year and I look forward to safely welcoming people from near and far as we continue to reopen."
The magazine said it’s no wonder Chicago is topping the list again, stating that Chicago is a world-class destination known for its impressive architecture, first-rate museums, brilliant chefs, and massive brewing scene.
Traveler writes, no matter where you go in Chicago, "you find some of the most pleasant people you’ll find anywhere."
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The magazine said it would take several repeat visits to get through the list of must-dos in the city of Chicago because it has 77 neighborhoods with cutting-edge restaurants, chilled-out corner bars, and more.
"For Chicago to be voted as best big city to visit by the savvy and knowledgeable readers of Condé Nast Traveler is in itself significant, not to mention the incredible honor of four consecutive years," said David Whitaker, President & CEO of Choose Chicago. "We have seen these past few months how much people miss traveling, and this recognition simply reinforces how vitally important the connection between travelers and their destinations is and the incredible potential Chicago offers. As we welcome visitors back, it is even more important that we welcome them back responsibly; all the while sharing with them the experiences that have resulted in achieving this recognition the past four years."
Condé Nast Traveler Readers' Choice Awards are the longest-running and most prestigious recognition of excellence in the travel industry. More than 715,000 Condé Nast Traveler readers participated in the voting period from April through June, submitting tens of thousands of responses rating their travel experiences to provide a full snapshot of where they travel and what they enjoy.
The best small city (with 250,000 or fewer people) is Charleston, SC.
The top ten big cities:
10. St. Petersburg, Florida
9. Tucson, Arizona
8. Nashville, TN
7. San Diego, CA
6. New York, NY
5. San Antonio, TX
4. New Orleans, LA
3. Boston, MA
2. Washington, D.C.
1. Chicago, IL