Prescott Carlson of About.com:Chicago Travel points out that the Lonely Planet Travel Guide has named the Windy City one of the top 10 cities in the world in their upcoming book Best in Travel 2009 — Chicago was the only U.S. city that made the list. He says there is no argument from him as Chicago is home to magnificent architecture, world class restaurants, luxury hotels, a gorgeous lakefront, and tons of things to do and free things to do.  I found a great website resource for all you Chicagoans and visitors alike called Free Things to Do in Chicago.

As the only American city to make the competitive cut, the globe-trotting experts at Lonely Planet sited Chicago’s business, art, architecture, food, music, theater and overall culture as the winning criteria. McDonald’s and Oprah originate here, along with other ubiquitous, historical and random landmarks alike, including jazz and blues festivals, the St. Patrick’s Day Parade, the Green Mill, the Chicago Theater, and Picasso outdoor art. According to destination-expert author Karla Zimmerman, “If you want your finger on America’s pulse, don’t head to New York or LA. The heart beats in Chicago.”

But the Lonely Planet also nods their hats to what has yet to come, perhaps facilitating our bid for the 2016 Olympics; as if our array of world-renowned sports teams (Bears, Bulls, Cubs, Sox, Blackhawks, etc.) weren’t enough.

While Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2009 released last month, Zimmerman scooped the city before Obama could scoop the President-elect title. This is just one more piece of evidence that points to Chicago’s bright future. Despite our inferiority complex to cities like New York, it’s nice that the “Second City” is finally getting some recognition among the first cities of the world. Other global cities on the list you’ll need to visit this year include Antwerp, Beirut, Glasgow, Lisbon, Mexico City, Sao Paulo, Shanghai, Warsaw and Zurich.