Customer Reviews

Not for Tourists Guide to Chicago

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This handy and highly portable guide does have a lot of maps -- maps for every single neighborhood in Chicago. And while a GPS might be more practical once you are actually out and about, these maps are invaluable for helping to chart your course. No other city guide covers the entire city of Chicago border to border (it also includes Evanston, Skokie, and Oak Park). Restaurants and shops and nightlife are all suggestions by people who actually live and work in the neighborhoods. And the book is very sturdy. I've used it faithfully over the years (and I've lived inChicago fro 20 years) and never had a book fall apart on me. I've also used Atlanta (found a great soul food restaurant off the beaten track that I'd have never known about otherwise), in New York, and in Los Angeles (where the maps are especially useful). Great for people new to a city, visitors, people who live in the suburbs but come in for work or special events, and for those city dwellers who enjoy urban exploration.

I bought this book on recommendation from a coworker before moving to Chicago. I've been commuting from Milwaukee for now, but will be moving here soon. This book has been invaluable when searching for apartments. Its helped to look at the distance to my work, train lines, restaurants, night life and more when deciding on an area to live.

This review is a bit premature as I haven't moved to Chicago yet, but for anyone who is considering a move to Chicago I highly suggest you get this.

Once I make the move and utilize the book more, I'll update this review with my final thoughts.

UPDATE: 9/2/10
Over one year later, I continue to reside in Chicago and this book has continued to sit on my shelf unused. However, the only reason for that is that I extensively used it when learning the locations of places around me. I use my iPhone to delve deeper into reviews of places using Yelp after looking through my NFT book. For the price, this book can't be beat for people moving to Chicago.

Great book; has a lot of information that is very useful to a first time explorer in Chicago; good maps and easy index help a confused first timer navigate buses, trains, and walking paths through the city

Highly useful, especially for those relocating to Chicago. However, to access all this excellent information, you'll have to navigate through various typos (e.g., for East Lakeview, "Boystown due to its highly visable gay community"). Visable?

I bought this book for friends who moved to Chicago and when I paged through it, I realized that is was NOT what I was looking for. Don't let the "edgy" cover deceive you-- this is, pure and simply, a MAP BOOK. I just returned the book and ended up gifting the other 2 books we ordered for them: walking guide (I think it was called) to Chicago and a 2009 restaurant and bar guide. Both for "explorers" of Chicago, not researchers.

NFT should be called: Map Addict's Map-Book of Chicago. There are maps and more maps of various areas in Chicago with a small list in the margin of each (if you are lucky) of a few places in the area-- no descriptions or reviews of the areas or the places listed... just little maps and little lists... um...have fun! If you are looking to buy a house "somewhere", find a friend's place who lives "somewhere" or see if there is a restaurant that exists "somewhere" near where you broke down or got lost, this is for you unless, of course, you have an iphone. I recommend you make a query on the internet or at AAA instead of buying this book. Oh and it is "sturdy" soft cover, so if you DO like maps and use it often-- it is sure to fall apart.