Ten Cafes in Chicago

Forget about Seattle, Chicago is actually the most caffeinated city in America. With average Chicagoans spending nearly three times the national average at coffeehouses, it's no surprise that the Windy City is home to some unique cafes. For those new to Chicago, you must pay patronage to the java gods by getting your caffeine buzz at least once from this list of Chicago's most aroma-arousing cafes and coffeehouses.

1. Earwax - (1561 N. Milwaukee - Wicker Park) - This un-aptly-named vegan brunch diner is just one of Wicker Park's peculiar places to score some joe. Don't let the name fool you, local hipsters speak highly of Earwax's bottomless cup of coffee. After you get your fix, check out the foreign film rental establishment below.

2. Mercury Cafe - (1505 W. Chicago - East Village) The enormous space within Mercury Café makes it a great place for gatherings of friends or other meetups. Or you can just isolate yourself and enjoy the tea, coffee, and espresso drinks available on their robust menu.

3. Wormhole - (1462 N. Milwaukee - Wicker Park) Make no mistake, this Wicker Park café is hipster-approved and certified. A charming place with an unmistakably funky vibe apparent from the collection of toys and novelty items decorating the walls. The pop-culture savvy will appreciate the humorous references to old-school video games, films, and Internet memes.

4. @Spot Café - (901 N. Larrabee - Noble Square) - A family-owned gourmet food and drink café with award-winning Paninis. This comfortable coffeehouse is a great place to relax and enjoy some local musicians or peruse the art on the walls.

5. Bridgeport Coffee Company - (3101 S. Morgan Street - Bridgeport) Perhaps the best café in Chicago's south side, the Bridgeport Coffee Company is a part of the neighborhood's history. Wi-fi, coffee, sandwiches, and fresh flowers on the tables - what more could you ask for?

6. Unicorn Café - (1723 Sherman Avenue - Evanston) Get away from the hustle and bustle of Chicago and take a trip just north of Chicago to check out this creative café in Evanston. A friendly place with a welcoming vibe may be just what new-in-town Chicagoans need to kick the big city blues.

7. Filter - (1373-75 N. Milwaukee - Wicker Park) It disappeared for some time, but the new and improved Filter has once again found its place as a staple of Wicker Park coffee. Thrift store décor and plenty of couches add to the comfy lounge environment where you can often find patrons with their requisite laptops or groups of friends.

8. Caffe Streets - (1750 W. Division - Bucktown) The wooden interiors give Caffe a rustic vibe perfect for enjoying their specialty coffees from different roasters. There's no Wi-fi, but this only adds to the down-home atmosphere, along with the friendly baristas.

9. Intelligentsia - (3123 N. Broadway - Lakeview) They have multiple locations now, but the most well-known can be found along the busy Broadway Avenue in Lakeview. These guys take coffee seriously, actually developing their own while working alongside growers. But don't let the hoity-toity attitude fool you, this café is just as accessible to the common man.

10.Julius Meinl - (4363 N. Lincoln - Lincoln Square) This international roaster offers a selection of premium coffee blends from all over the world. Known for impeccable service, interesting food, and a vibe of sophistication, this is a great place for intimate conversation.

Seven Things You Might Not Know About Chicago

Most people are somewhat familiar with the great museums, restaurants and cultural opportunities that the city has to offer. Following are 7 things you might not know about Chicago.

1. THE WILLIS TOWER, formerly the Sears Tower, is the tallest building in the United States and the Western hemisphere. It rises 110 stories and stands 1,450 feet tall. The antenna atop the building extends the total height to 1729 feet. The building contains 3.8 million square feet of combined office and retail space. A 104 car, high-speed elevator system is operated with the help of 80 miles of elevator cable. From the Skydeck observation platform, you can see Indiana, Michigan and Wisconsin.

2. THE MERCHANDISE MART is the world's largest commercial building. Built by the Marshall Field family, the building was completed in 1920. It takes up 2 full city blocks, has 25 floors and up until 2008, had its own zip code. Construction of the 4.2 million gross square feet of interior space required 4 million cubic yards of cement, 60,000 tons of steel and 29 million bricks. More than 10 million people visit the building each year.

3. THE CHICAGO RIVER IS DYED GREEN every St. Patrick's Day. In celebration of the holiday, spectators line the river to watch 40 pounds of food coloring turn the river a bright Irish green. There is said to be a little luck of the leprechaun as the orange-colored dye goes into the river and magically starts to turn green. After a few passes of a speed boat, the propeller stirs the dye and produces the bright green effect.

4. THE BOB NEWHART SHOW was a popular situation comedy show of the 1970s. Dr. Bob Hartley and his wife Emily lived in apartment 523. Their building was based on the facade of the Thorndale Beach North Condominiums located at 5901 N. Sheridan Road in the upscale Chicago neighborhood of Edgewater.

5. THE HISTORICAL ROUTE 66 which was the first paved highway across America started at Grant Park across from the Art Institute of Chicago. It ran southwest from Chicago to Los Angeles until it became obsolete when the Interstate Highway System was started under the Eisenhower Administration. Today, portions of Route 66 remain functional and are part of the National Scenic Highway System.

6. THE CHICAGO CUBS have not won a World Series since they beat the Detroit Tigers in 1908. They actually made it to the World Series in 1910, 1918, 1929, 1932, 1935, 1938 and 1945, but came out on the losing end every time. They have not been back to the World Series since - a stretch of 66 years.

7. THE TWINKIE was invented by James Alexander Dewar of the Continental Baking Company in 1930. The original version of the "Golden Sponge cake with Creamy Filling" had a banana filling. During WWII, bananas were in short supply and the iconic pastry switched to a vanilla creme. The name came from a billboard that Dewar saw advertising "Twinkle Toe Shoes." There is no truth to the urban legend that the Twinkie was just as edible if it was consumed in 20 years after it was baked as it was the day after it was baked is probably attributable to the fact that it contains no unstable dairy products. The product may still be edible after a few weeks, but the spongy cake and soft cream will likely be hard and somewhat stale.