I want to visit the Chicago Metropolitan area I have seen a lot about it and want to go there and see it
It's definitely been hailed as one of America's more "active" cities, especially because it has an MSA population of 9.5 million and a CSA population of 9.9 million. That amount brings it up to being the third biggest metropolitan area in the US. So much activity going on with a population of that size.
Kind of like a runner up to New York city I am thinking
Yeah, you could view it that way, if you want. But it has its own style, too. It's no slouch, especially economically, with one that is incredibly large and diversified, having more than four million employees, with more than a $561 billion annual gross regional product generation. We're talking 400 major corporate headquarters, with 31 of them in the Fortune 500. Chicago deserves credit.
I live in a rural area and can not imagine four million employees in one city! I have to go see it now for sure!
Well, you can live in the suburbs and still be close to Chicago, if you ever wanted to move there. You'd have your choice of the counties of Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake and will, as well as Lake County in Indiana. You have options, and don't have to imagine just living immediately in the New York City-style life.
Oh I want to visit but don;t think I could handle living that close to that many people, makes me claustraphobic to think about it 
I can understand that. Chicago itself is at least worth a visit, though. Especially if you're into architecture--it's known as a global architecture capital, and I've already mentioned how important it is as a business center on the world stage. But there's many historical Chicagoan things to appreciate simply because of the fact that it's been around since 1837.
The only concerns I have about visiting is the crime rate which I only read about in the news
I could understand that concern; it's valid. The city of Chicago's crime rate, including the violent crime rate, is usually higher than the US average every year, and in 2016 it was responsible for nearly half of 2016's increase in homicides despite the nation trending toward lower crime rates. So, there is cause for concern. But it's still worth a visit, if you stick to the more policed, safer areas.