KATE FRANCES follows in the footsteps of Sinatra and Al Capone with a visit to Chicago – and finds a gleaming 21st century metropolis.

AT the Twin Anchors pub in the Old Town district, our very own Chicago greeter and guide Jean, vouched “this place serves the best BBQ sauce on the planet” and the story goes that Frank Sinatra would come here to enjoy his favourite dish of spare ribs.

We had only been in the city for a morning and already were getting to know it like the locals.

Volunteer guide Jean is one of a dedicated army of Chicago devotees known as “Greeters”, who faithfully offer their services free of charge to introduce visitors to their beloved city.

With Jean’s help, we enjoyed a lesson on how to use the ‘L’ (short for elevated) train and tookawalking tour around the stunning public artworks, showcased in the downtown Loop District, including Picasso’s Chicago, Joan Miro’s Moon, Sun and One Star and Arnish Kapoor’s Cloudgate.

Nicknamed The Bean, British artist Kapoor’s sculpture took its inspiration from liquid mercury and is made from polished steel in the shape of a gigantic coffee bean. Reflecting and distorting the impressive skyline, the sculpture towered above us, providing the perfect opportunity to take photos of ourselves reflected in the shimmering metal.

Later, emerging from a subway station, theLtrain thundering by above us, we half expected Batman to make an appearance (Dark Night was filmed here, turning Chicago into Gotham city).

All of this is set against the backdrop of Lake Michigan, which is so vast it was hard to believe we weren’t right next to the ocean.

The city’s great fire of 1871 killed hundreds and was one of the most significant US disasters of the 19th century. Opportunity then rose from the ashes, creating a blank canvas on which the city’s architects could think big like never before.

Today’s mix of stone and glass skyscrapers ooze confidence, glinting and gleaning in the midday sun and the very best way to appreciate Chicago’s cityscape is to hop on board one of the architecture boat tours. Sally, another local with my best interests at heart and also owner of the Gold Coast bed and breakfast, had made the booking in advance for me, saving me ten dollars to boot.

Our tour took us along the river system getting up close to every significant building; the glazed terra cotta white Wrigley (of chewing gum fame) building, inspired by Seville’s cathedral, and the glass Trump Tower.

At dusk we were bent on getting even closer to some of the city’s incredible buildings, so we took the elevator to the top of Sears Tower, the tallest skyscraper in America, to be rewarded with jaw dropping 360 degree views and a slightly nervous tummy. The Ledge is the latest addition here –aglass floored outcrop that you can walk on to if you dare.

Afterafull day’s sightseeing we arrived back at Sally’s pad, where a welcoming pot of Earl Grey was already brewing, Beethoven played in the background, fresh flowers adorned the bedside table and a slice of home-made marble cake was served up with the tea.

Flooded with natural light, Sally’s 18th century guest house is crammed with books and original artwork, not to mention a fridge full to the brim of delicious treats, which guests can help themselves to at any time of day.

Soon rejuvenated we tookastroll through the small bars and boutiques of the Gold Coast and Old Town and booked to see a show at Second City, a venue renowned for improvised comedy nights.

First though, a deep-pan pizza had to be tried at Lou Malnati’s, another local tip; this place is renowned for the best pizzas in Chicago, and rightly so. Jean and Sally’s top tips proved to be gold dust throughout our stay and included a visit to the magnificent Tiffany dome in the Arts Centre, the encyclopaedic Art Institute and, after one too many hotdogs, a visit to a guilt-free salad bar in the basement of the Board of Trade.

My personal highlight was a visit to the Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio in Oak Park. Declared in 1991 as the “greatest American architect of all time”, Lloyd Wright designed more than 1,000 structures and many of the private homes he was commissioned to work on are the mansions of Oak Park.

Kitted out with headphones and audio guide, we spent a relaxing afternoon walking the tree-lined streets and admiring Lloyd Wright’s buildings, many influenced by Japanese art and nature.

A day dedicated to shopping is a must in the city which introduced the world to the modern day department store. Entrepreneur Marshall Field set up his successful store, which much to the chagrin of locals, now bears the name of Macy’s, after a recent buyout.

Field achieved many firsts including the first dining restaurant in a store. Speciality boutiques now line the “magnificent mile”, which makes up North and South Michigan Avenue.

Laden with gifts to take home, we enjoyed dinner at the Atwood Café; the world’s first skyscraper with an art deco interior; the opulent furnishings and sultry jazz music made me feel as if every table had its own story to tell. And surely, the most famous story of all is that of Al Capone. I had been curious about him ever since arriving in Chicago but seen very little evidence of the gangster during our travels. Even Jean wouldn’t speak of him, though she did venture: “If you really wanted to, you could seek out the Green Mill Bar, one of his haunts, and take an Al Capone tour”.

With only a morning left, Scarface would have to wait for another visit. He clearly didn’t merit our attention according to the locals. Top of our list next day instead was a hearty breakfast at the Wildberry café. Arriving in shorts, designer sunglasses, plenty of bling and with suspiciously wrinkle-free faces, Chicagoans were queuing up to get in; as I plumped for wildberry and strawberry pancakes with an order of bacon on the side.

After breakfast, we joined the locals for a calorie-busting brisk walk along the shore, where sailboats were buffeted by crosswinds, joggers whizzed by pushing babies in prams and cyclists sped by with their dogs struggling to keep up.

The swans, perhaps descendents of those first seen by the European settlers, were still present, heads down, oblivious to this most 21st century of cities, snoozing in the midday sunshine.

Fact File 

• Book a free Chicago Greeter Tour at www.chicagogreeter.com

• The Chicago Architecture Foundation runs one of the best architecture tours

Where To Stay

• Gold Coast guest house, Chicago’s only 3 Diamond Rated B&B www.bbchicago.com

Rates from $169 per night

Where To Eat

• For the best deep dish pan pizza in town head to Lou Malnati’s Safety

• Explore neighbourhoods in daylight - some areas are not safe after dark