City: Chicago, IL

Category: Relocation

Telephone: (312) 744-5000; or dial 311 wi

Address: 121 N. LaSalle St.

Description: A complex, diverse, and metropolitan city demands a comprehensive and comprehensible website to corral all its functions, and Chicago’s does just that. From auto pounds to zoning, you’ll find information about all the necessary evils and the enticing benefits of city living. Apply for—or find out how to apply for—business licenses, building inspections, tax refunds, and even jobs; find or link to your alderman’s office, an architect, the bus schedule, a health clinic, a lost pet, or a warming center; pay for a parking ticket or a water bill; request a recycling cart, graffiti removal, snow removal, or a bike map. The site also has valuable tools and tips for homeowners, job-seekers, people with disabilities, renters, seniors, veterans, volunteers, teens, and ex-offenders. Plus, you can look up a directory of any and all city departments; and programs and initiatives that the city sponsors on topics including education, consumer protection, the Freedom of Information Act, housing affordability, healthcare, taxes, and more. The 311 nonemergency phone service can also help with just about all these things.