You Will Love This Creative New Chicago Neighborhood Guidebook
Belt Publishing, a Midwest-based independent book label, is publishing its new Chicago Neighborhood Guidebook on September 10th. They’ll host a launch party at The Hideout on September 11th at 5:30pm. We hope to see you there because The Chicago Neighborhood Guidebook is awesome. Led by editor Martha Bayne, the contributors to The Chicago Neighborhood Guidebook […]
Best Neighborhoods for Historic Chicago Pub Crawls
We love good Chicago historic pub crawls. Just ask the guests from our Historic Chicago Walking Bar Tour. Or the 1893 World’s Fair Tour with Bars. Or the Big Shoulders Historic Bar and Food Bus Tour, which takes guests through the working-class neighborhood of Bridgeport for stops in historic bars. Seems safe to say that […]
Three Chicago Musicians of Maxwell Street
As the weather gets nicer, I get excited for the open air markets in Chicago, chief among them the Maxwell Street Market. With the Chicago Blues Festival just around the corner and our annual custom private tours in full swing, tour guests often ask me, “Who are famous blues musicians from Chicago I should know?” […]
Before Lincoln Yards: Chicago Mega-development History
Lincoln Yards, the controversial mega-development on the North Branch of the Chicago River, is just one of many enormous projects across the city. The sites, built by private developers with infusions of public money, aim to build entire neighborhoods from scratch. Obviously, these are “no little plans” as Daniel Burnham might say, and they have […]
Where’s the Historic Marker for the Infamous 1968 DNC?
The 1968 DNC (Democratic National Convention) is among the most infamous and miserable events in Chicago’s history. Cops beating protestors. “The whole world is watching!” Mayor Daley sweating bullets and cussing out politicians. The DNC felt, still feels, like the culmination of an era. Post-war America ended in a sweaty convention hall and the contentious […]
What’s the Difference Between Chicago Community Areas and Neighborhoods?
As a tour guide in Chicago, I spend much more time talking about Chicago as “city of neighborhoods” than a “city of community areas.” Yet the City of Chicago doesn’t officially acknowledge those neighborhoods. Instead, officially, we have Chicago community areas and aldermanic wards. These subdivisions are sociological and political, created in a think tank […]
Why Our Guides Support Albany Park Theater Project
Albany Park Theater Project (APTP) is the current recipient of the Chicago Detours Giving Initiative. APTP is “a multiethnic, youth theater ensemble that inspires people to envision a more just and beautiful world.” The guides at Chicago Detours donate 50% of their tips on public tours to support this positive and creative vision. That’ll ultimately be several thousand […]
Three Tips for Planning a Chicago Family Reunion
Planning a Chicago family reunion can be tricky. With multiple days, multiple age groups, and multiple guests with multiple opinions. At Chicago Detours, we’ve arranged many a Chicago family reunion. We’d like to share with you a little of the knowledge we’ve learned. Here are three tips that will help you plan a memorable Chicago […]
Best Tours to Get to Know Chicago for New Chicagoans
We welcome you new Chicagoans to Chi-town. The Second City. The City of Big Shoulders. The City That Works. Urbs in Horto. The Windy City. Any city with that many names contains multitudes of experiences. It’s probably impossible to ever fully know Chicago, but Chicago Detours offers public tours that you can individually sign up for, […]
Our New Neighborhood, Food & Bar Tours
We are excited to bring you three new private Chicago neighborhood tours. Chicago is, after all, a city of neighborhoods. Each of these tours explores the history, architecture, and food created by the people who live in these distinct, though ever-changing, areas. Think outside of downtown. Think outside of deep-dish and Italian beef. Heck, think […]
