A Native's Guide to Chicago's Northwest Suburbs [Paperback]

Martin A. Bartels (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 10, 1999 | Series: Native's Guide

The villages surrounding Chicago are no longer the sleepy little hamlets of yesteryear, but vibrant cultural, social, and corporate communities whose offerings rival anything in the city. So whether you're a lifelong resident, new in town, or just passing through, let "A Native's Guide To Chicago's Northwest Suburbs" be your personal tour guide to the best this region has to offer. With reference information on village histories, statistics, anecdotes, municipal services, community organizations, schools, hospitals, parks, libraries, houses of worship, hotels and motels, and singles groups. Visit nature centers, forest preserves, theme parks, golf courses, and bowling alleys. Enjoy quirky museums and local historical societies, sleek galleries and lush gardens, Irish pubs and cognac lounges, hard-rock juke joints and popcorn palaces, jazz with coffee and blues with brews, comedy clubs and musical theater. Dine at country bistros, Japanese steakhouses, beloved greasy spoons, ethnic delis, tea rooms, and neighborhood bars. Savor Hackney burgers and fresh seafood, bayou cooking and ribs with a view, gourmet Chinese and Chicago's best French, tapas and tacos, pasta and paella, steaks and chops. Full of the fascinating sights, places, and facts that sometimes even locals don't know about, "A Native's Guide To Chicago's Northwest Suburbs" equips you with everything you need to enjoy and navigate the suburbs like a true insider. From the original Golden Arches of McDonald's to a Japanese shopping mall, from forest preserves to strawberry preserves, from the Dick Tracy Museum to Sci-fi bookstores, the "Native's Guide" is your essential guide to Chicago's Northwest Suburbs.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Martin A. Bartels is a journalist and free-lance travel writer whose work has appeared in numerous publications, including the Jerusalem Post, the Greenville News (South Carolina), and the 53 papers of suburban Chicago's Pioneer Press Newspapers, Inc. Both music and literature were inseparable parts of Bartels' childhood. In addition to being a writer, he is a songwriter whose first instrumental jazz composition, "No Need to Trouble Yourself," debuted on Waukegan, Illinois's WKRS-AM radio in April 1999. Born in a northern suburb of Chicago, Bartels moved to the mountains of Colorado at the age of seven. He remained there until he graduated from college in 1982, when he returned to the Chicago area to pursue a career in journalism. As a community news reporter, news editor, and entertain-ment editor at Pioneer Press, he has covered more than 20 suburban villages, many of which he has also called home. Bartels' interests in wine, music, food, and culture make him a natural for travel writing. As a freelance writer, he has traveled extensively to locales including Italy, Southern France, Central America, the Eastern Caribbean, Mexico, Hawaii, Alaska, and 20 of the "lower 48" states. He lives in the Chicago area with his wife, Robin, where he is working on a screenplay and a novel.

Product Details

• Paperback: 315 pages
• Publisher: Lake Claremont Pr; 1st edition (August 10, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1893121003
• ISBN-13: 978-1893121003
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,605,050 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Martin A. Bartels is an established writer whose travel and lifestyle stories have appeared in dozens of newspapers and websites around the world, including the Jerusalem Post, the Chicago Sun Times, Pioneer Press Community Newspapers, and AOL CityGuide, to name just a few. His poems have appeared in several publications, including "Verse Wisconsin" and the UK-based, Poetry24.

Passionate about food, wine, and locally sourced products, he works as a design and brand consultant. Additionally, he has held several nonprofit leadership positions, applying his marketing and communications expertise to transforming lives. He currently lives in northern Virginia with his wife and two daughters.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

0 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Invaluable guide, August 27, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: A Native's Guide to Chicago's Northwest Suburbs (Paperback)

This is the book you need if you're new to this area, or even if you're not.