Champaign-Urbana, Hub of East Central Illinois

Sister cities Champaign and Urbana, Illinois, are located about 2 ½ hours straight south of Chicago on Interstate 57. Referred to by locals simply as C-U, the cities are best known as the home of The University of Illinois but offer a variety of excellent dining, entertainment and cultural options as well.

Fine Dining abounds in C-U, with every type of cuisine imaginable, from the chic Silvercreek at 402 N. Race in Urbana, to Biaggi's Ristorante Italiano, 2235 S. Neil in Champaign. For fans of Asian cuisine, one can enjoy Miko, 407 W. University Ave. in Urbana, or Kamakura at 715 S. Neil in Champaign. Fans of Mexican fare will love the authentic dishes served at Champaign's Fiesta Cafe, 216 S. First, or Real Hacienda at 912 W. Bloomington Rd. For a more casual (but equally delicious!) dining experience, The Courier Cafe, tucked away at 111 N. Race in Urbana, offers tasty and affordable selections. One of C-U's best-kept secrets is Farren's Pub and Eatery at 308 N. Randolph in Champaign. You just can't find a tastier or more unique, freshly prepared hamburger. Farren's "blink-and-you'll-miss-it" location is well worth the effort of seeking out. The similarly low-profile and casual Crane Alley at 115 W. Main in Urbana offers an extensive selection of beer and wine, fine-restaurant-quality food and four professional-grade pool tables to test your skills! For steak lovers, it's Alexander's Steak House, 202 W. Anthony Drive in Champaign. Choose and cook you own steak if you like or have a chef prepare it for you. Champaign's North Prospect Avenue, directly off of Interstate 74, is lined with restaurants like Lonestar Steakhouse, Red Lobster, Chile's, Applebee's, HomeTown Buffet and Ruby Tuesday's, just to name a few!

If it's entertainment you seek, C-U gives you plenty from which to choose. Contemporary Music fans will be knocked out by venues like The Canopy Club in Urbana and The Highdive in downtown Champaign. Nationally known bands make it a point to schedule tour appearances at these two popular clubs. Bands like Wilco, The Flaming Lips, The Reverend Horton Heat and others too numerous to mention make repeat visits for C-U's music-savvy fans. If it's stadium rock or Broadway shows you want, call the Assembly Hall box office for a schedule of upcoming events. Speaking of the Assembly Hall, The Fighting Illini basketball team calls this arena home and, having gone all the way to the NCAA finals last year, tickets may be hard to come by, but exciting, top-caliber, college basketball will be plentiful! If you can get your hands on an Illini roundball ticket this year, come and experience orange-and-blue mania. "The Hall" will be rockin'!

Marketplace Mall and North Prospect shops (both right off of I-74 with clearly marked exits) offer variety and convenience for those who love to shop-til-they-drop! Marketplace offers a food court and even a restored, functioning calliope for the kids! For those looking for a less congested shopping experience, Lincoln Square Shopping Center at 300 S. Broadway in Urbana is the perfect place to peruse and make your purchases.

Boasting a world-class performing arts center, Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, C-U draws some of the biggest names in music, dance and theater from all over the world. For example, jazz great Thelonius Monk and the renown Munich Symphony Orchestra have performed here in 2005. This state-of-the-art facility, located at 500 S. Goodwin in Urbana, truly rivals major metropolitan performing arts centers.

Local acting talent is highly valued as well and The CU Theater Company and The Station Theater Company put out top-notch local productions on a regular basis in town. The historical Virginia Theater was the site for a recent production and hosts Roger Ebert's Overlooked Film Festival in the Spring. Two multiplexes, Savoy 16 and The Beverly, both in Champaign, offer a comprehensive list of mainstream movies but Boardman's Art Theater, at 126 W. Church in downtown Champaign, is one of the true jewels in C-U's crown, offering independent and foreign films for the true cinema connoisseur.

With a superb variety of quality attractions, Champaign-Urbana is a prime destination for those who enjoy the best of the best!