The Chicago forum has been a little tired of late. In an effort to perk it up, I'd like to suggest that locals suggest their must-see sites and must-attend events in Chicago. Stuff that will make visitors appreciate what it means to live in and to love Chicago.

My suggestions:

* Check out the Chicago Greeter program, which has two free services for city visitors. The Instagreeter program is a no-reservations service that provides walking tours through the Loop and Millennium Park. It operates out of the Chicago Cultural Center. (Check link for days and hours of operation.) I trained to be a greeter, but didn't pursue it because I just didn't feel as if it's ever reach the knowledge level of the seasoned greeters. But I learned a ton about Chicago, its history and its architecture while training to be a greeter. You can also schedule a visit with a greeter, with an emphasis on any of about 60+ topics (including visits that focus on one of about 25 neighborhoods or 40 particular areas of interest). Because greeter programs exist in countless cities around the world, I found that Chicago's attracts a well-traveled group of both greeters and visitors. The majority of the visitors I met were from outside the US and most of the greeters were very well traveled.

* Skip Taste of Chicago and instead attend the Green City Market BBQ, held on a Thursday night in July in the south end of Lincoln Park. Taste of Chicago doesn't attract a particularly representative group of great Chicago dining establishments. GCM BBQ, on the other hand, supports Chicago's best-known local, organic farmer's market--the one that the city's top chefs shop at. You'll see a who's who of Chicago's best-known chefs at this event, and get sample dishes from dozens of the city's best restaurants.

* Don't want to pay inflated prices to see the city from the observation deck at the Sears Tower or John Hancock? Instead, have a drink at one of the countless rooftop bars that have opened in recent years. You'll probably be about 50-70 stories lower than at the Sears Tower or John Hancock, but you'll still enjoy great views and terrific people watching. Bonus: Your drink will probably cost less than the price of admission to the Sears Tower or John Hancock. I particularly enjoy the Hotel Lincoln (known as the J.Parker). Other popular roof decks include the roof at The Wit, Drumbar, the Terrace at Trump, Vertigo Sky Lounge and the Terrace at the Conrad. Baseball fans might enjoy one of the rooftop terraces overlooking Wrigley Field.

* Frontera Grill, XOCO and Topolombampo are fantastic restaurants, but Chicago has a rich and delicious Mexican culture. Head to Chicago's Maxwell Street Market -- a Sunday flea market, of sorts -- to sample some fantastic Mexican street food. (One tip: Maxwell Street Market isn't actually on Maxwell Street. It's on South Desplaines.)

* There are a lot of boat companies that advertise architectural tours, but everyone agrees: The Chicago Architectural Foundation's boat tour is the best.

* Yes, Chicago's known for hot dogs, deep dish pizza and steaks. No, we don't all eat at Gino's, Giordano's, Gibson's and Hugo's Frog Bar. (In fact, most of us never eat there, even when our out-of-town visitors try to steer us their because their friend who visited Chicago a few months ago said it was fantastic.) Chicago's largely a city of ethnic neighborhoods, with restaurants that cater to the local ethnic populations. So if you go to Lincoln Square for Thai food, you can find way more than pad thai and satay--you'll find Thai food that actual Thai people eat. Ditto for "new" Chinatown, which has a thriving Vietnamese population. (Bahn mi seems to be on the verge of surpassing Italian Beef as Chicago's favorite sandwich.) Whether you want Korean or Polish, Indian or Italian...get away from Michigan Ave. to find the best ethnic eats.

* Speaking of food, you can wash it down with some fantastic local craft beers. Goose Island was our original craft brewery, and even though it's been sold to Anheuser-Busch, its brewpubs are still turning out fantastic beers that will never be bottled and sold in stores. But we have a ton of great craft breweries, including Revolution, Half Acre, Pipeworks, Bergyle, Haymarket, DryHop and more.