Rain or shine, sun or snow there are so many things to do in Chicago. Even when the city is cold, many unique and adventurous places are open in Chicago. Its unique and vast neighborhoods along with hole-in-the-wall spots make Chicago one of the best places to shoot. Here are some reasons to shoot in Chicago:

Walking City

Chicago is an easily accessible city. The trains and buses are everywhere, but Chicago is also a very walkable city. The streets are in a grid, preventing you from getting lost and making finding addresses easy to find. Since there are so many hidden spots in Chicago, just walking down one street can give you many different locations all within a few minute walk from each other. If there is too far of a walk, trains and buses will easily take you where you want to go and are clearly marked.

Diverse Neighborhoods

Each neighborhood has unique spots and vibes to it. While there’s downtown, which is a business district, there’s other neighborhoods that fit whatever style you’re aiming for. Trendy neighborhoods such as Wicker Park or Logan Square will provide you with unique coffee shops, trendy stores and people of all walks of life walking around. While other neighborhoods like Gold Coast and West Loop give you vintage inspired unique buildings to shoot in front of.

New and Old Spots

While the neighborhoods are diverse, they’re always expanding. There are old places that have been around for years, along with new shops and amenities popping up all over town. The city is constantly expanding and growing while maintaining its original charm. Neighborhoods like Pilsen are the perfect example of what it means to combine the old with the new. Pilsen maintains its traditional charm with small family-owned Mexican restaurants, while including new art galleries, trendy stores and artwork lining the streets.

Always an Event to Attend

Chicago is a large city with a close connection of networks, meaning there’s always an event going on. Even when there is 15 inches of snow on the ground, like this year, there’s always an excuse to go out and shoot or network. In the winter, there are meetups at various ice skating rinks, like the new Maggie Daley Park, or even shooting pictures in an alley during a snowfall. When it’s summer, there’s always a rooftop party, networking dinner or meetup to attend. For fun things to do, summer or winter, downtown in the Loop is a great place for a meetup or shoot. The coffee shops, city lights and overall bustle of the middle of the city allows you to jump between historic buildings to new shops with ease.

Hosting your own event, when you can’t find one, is a great way to bring people out. Starting off hosting events with your friends, like drunk bowling for women in the industry, is a great way to bring out your friends while letting everyone link up with each other. When you’ve hosted enough events, or have a large enough network, hosting meetups is also a fun way to bring everyone out.

Chicago is a city with a rich history and diverse group of people. While maintaining its big city status, it feels like a small tight-knit community with something always going on. There’s so much room for personal and professional growth, along with the ability to make close friends that’ll last a lifetime.