Customer Reviews

Walking Chicago: 31 Tours of the Windy City's Classic Bars, Scandalous Sites, Historic Architecture, Dynamic Neighborhoods, and Famous Lakeshore

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I would strongly suggest this book is not useful to Chicago visitors.

It has 31 tours, more than a typical visitor can do in a few days, but does not offer effective ways to prioritize/connect. The walks are poorly indexed (yes, they are numbered from South to North and there is a "per theme" index, and a minimalistic "connecting walks" line at the end of each tour, but that is all).

I've tried to use 5 different tours during a short first time visit and not once I finished the walk as recommended (because the routes are not efficient in covering the interesting parts of the city).

There are enough typos and mistakes (swapping "right" for "left" and "51st St" for "55th St" - try to follow the Washington Park or Hyde Park tours, for example) sprinkled all over. Not a big deal in a regular guide, but crucial in a walking tour.

Try to walk half mile across Washington Park "in the Southeast direction", without any reference and a bad map and end up exactly where the tour picks up on the other side (where the book assumes you are at a very exact place, but you have no idea where it is).

The access/transit info is mostly correct, but minimalistic enough to be useless.

Even when the author is "witty", it is at the expense of function. Millennium Park is one of the most touristy places in Chicago (no need for directions) but he spends several pages making up names for the landmarks and mixing real and "funny" names. What does the reader win in exchange for the confusion? Viagra fountain jokes. Then, in the same walk, crossing Grant Park, when there is opportunity for a guide book to add real value, the text is vague and sparse.

I don't mean to say it is all garbage. But the purpose of a walking tour book is to be read while you use it walking the city. For that purpose, in a city as easy to walk as Chicago, you would be better off with regular travel book and common sense than trying to follow the tours in this book.

I've lived in Chicago for 20 years, and I learned heaps of new things from Ryan Ver Berkmoes' guide. Who knew the area around Jazz Record Mart once housed Chicago's first white settler, John Kinzie, who murdered a man on the spot? Who knew there was a Lakeview store with a Nun Fantasy Department? And ain't it sweet to know where in Hyde Park the Obamas shared their first smooch? Not only does Ver Berkmoes know his sights, he knows his booze. Food and drink recommendations accompany the walks, so you'll be well-fortified along the way.

I have another book in this series, "Walking Brooklyn," by Adrienne Onofri. As a Brooklyn resident I am very impressed with that book and what it has to offer not just to visitors but also to residents. Her book is so detailed that I'd almost recommend it more for the resident than the tourist. (For example, she has a walk dedicated to Green-Wood Cemetery, and others in distant parts of the borough, far from where any Manhattan visitor would normally go.)

Based on her close perspective in her Brooklyn walks, I downloaded "Walking Chicago" (by a different author, I should clarify) onto my Kindle for a free day on a business trip. Staying in a downtown hotel above the river, I chose two walks for one day that were doable. I did a walk combining the Gold Coast and Old Town, and I also did one combining the Loop and a small section called Printer's Row.

I was impressed with what I saw on the Gold Coast/Old Town tour, it provided a lot of variety... but I couldn't help but feel that there were a lot of details and architectural insights which were being omitted. (I was wondering if I shouldn't have tried buying something like an American Institute of Architecture guide to complement.) And as another reviewer mentioned, there were some inaccuracies in directions and names, as well as verbs I was unfamiliar with (twice I was told to take a "jog;" should I trot off through the park to find the street whose sign I couldn't see?) I also couldn't help but wonder if the Gold Coast portion couldn't have been longer: the two neighborhood walk, together, was only two to three miles long. But all in all it helped me through a neighborhood I really wouldn't have known how to tour otherwise, so kudos.

The tour through the loop was pretty good at covering the basics I knew from prior visits, and while it did meander, I thought that was part of the point, enabling me to see a wide variety of special buildings. And a lot of the buildings which a tourist such as me SHOULD see.

I should also add, I was surprised at one effort at humor. In describing failed building projects at one site in the loop, a snarky comparison was made to failed rebuilding efforts in the recent Iraq war. I thought this was surprisingly out of place, even if you agree with the point.

Long and short, I haven't done enough of the walks in this book to be committed to it. I've already seen some pluses and minuses though, and unlike "Walking Brooklyn," I don't think this is for the resident; I think it's more for the tourist. I really don't believe that a resident would need this book to spark their interest in visiting Oak Park, for instance.

I had a wonderful time using this book when I visited Chicago earlier this fall. It would also make a great gift for anyone who lives in Chicago and is even remotely active. I'm not especially sporty, and I thought the walks were perfect -- not too long, very interesting, with good recommendations for places to stop for a snack or drink along the way. The author is entertaining and witty. Bonus: OBAMA sites!

Really helps you appreciate the city. A must have for any visitor or local that wants to get out and see the city on their own.

I received this book as a gift for Christmas in 2008. My friends and family all knew how much I loved all-things-Chicago. When I moved to the city this past summer, it was an incredible resource to me in many ways. Not only have I loved the tours and the writer's sense of humor, but it was one of the few things I could afford to do since I was a job seeker for a few months. With a very limited knowledge of the layout of the city, I started doing some of these tours with my boyfriend since my budget didn't allow me to attend the shows or sporting events that this city is famous for. I looked forward to each weekend and the next tour we would do! We even found a number of other unique historical sites and cute restaurants/shops that weren't even listed in the tour, but we might never have seen them if it hadn't been for this book. In Wicker Park, we met a wonderful local resident who also provided us with more history and book recommendations on Wicker Park itself. Even though I am now employed, I am still working to get through all of the tours, and I've used it to entertain some friends when they have come to visit. Everyone I share it with loves this book, and I happen to know that it will be a holiday present for a number of people this year (shhhh! you didn't hear that from me). A great experience...a wonderful gift...these tours always leave me wanting more and falling even more in love with this city.

One of America's most culturally rich cities, Chicago has much to offer the person out on the town. "Walking Chicago: 31 Tours of the Windy City's Classic Bars, Scandalous Sites, Historic Architecture, Dynamic Neighborhoods, and Famous Lakeshore" is a travel guide showing what one can really enjoy in Chi-town when exploring the historic city on foot. The nightlife, history, beautiful views, and so much more are advertised, making a trip to Chicago very appealing. "Walking Chicago" is an absolute must companion to the Chicago traveler.

Got this book for my sister for Christmas - she and her husband read through parts of it right away and are looking forward to when the weather gets a bit better so we can head into the city and try out some of the tours. Looks like fun!

Walking Chicago: 31 Tours of the Windy City's Classic Bars, Scandalous Sites, Historic Architecture, Dynamic Neighborhoods, and Famous Lakeshore