Chicago is the broad-shouldered, bustling capital of the Midwest. It's an ethnically diverse metropolis of nearly three million people and the nation's third largest city. And its grand skyline rising high above the shores of Lake Michigan serves notice that it is a major center for commerce. By day its commodity markets draw the attention and money of investors from around the world. And by night its clubs play host to some of the best blues and jazz musicians in the country.

Of course, not everything is perfect in the Windy City. Traffic can be a nightmare, and the streets can be mean. More than 10% of the population lives in poverty. And in 2004 there were more than 400 murders, placing the city in the top 25 in terms of per-capita murder rates in the United States.

All these things, good and bad, make Chicago what it is. They define the city's image and its reality. They make it unlikely that people would confuse Chicago with, say, Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

With a population of about 130,000 that is 90% white, Sioux Falls doesn't make the list of the 150 largest cities in the United States. Its hilly skyline on the banks of the Big Sioux River is defined more by church steeples than skyscrapers. Two Interstate highways run through the area, but traffic is not a great concern. And although violent crime happens there as it does everywhere, it's not common.