Visit the Chicago Neighborhood of Pilsen
Downtown Chicago is known for its business, shopping, and extraordinary architecture. But downtown holds little in the way of truly individualistic expression and a sense of community. For that, you may have to think outside the Loop and the Mag Mile. For that, you can travel a short ways southwest, to the Pilsen neighborhood of […]
Walking Tours of Chicago Questions Answered
We give walking tours of Chicago almost daily to locals and tourists alike. One of the many perks of my job as a tour guide is meeting so many curious people. Encouraging questions as much as we do means getting stumped every once in a while. Here are answers to some of those questions. Is […]
Chicago’s Innovation with Corten Steel
Let’s focus on a seemingly mundane material for a moment – corten steel. A guy named Mark Kurlansky has gotten really into telling history through a mundane commodity, food, or event. He wrote Cod: A Biography of the Fish That Changed the World in 1997 and Salt: A World History in 2002. So why not […]
Visit the Chicago Neighborhood of Andersonville
Andersonville is a Chicago neighborhood with a small-town feel. The neighborhood has everything you need–bakeries, theaters, bars, grocery stores, a gym, a church, and even a taxidermy store–all within walking distance! Many of these amenities are located in historic buildings, which just makes things more exciting. Of course, it’s that historic architecture which I’d like to […]
Three Classic Chicago Books for Summer Reading
I’m often asked “What Chicago books should I read?” Since this question is usually during a tour, it’s fair to say our guests want to learn more. As a lover of literature and an alumna from the History Department of UIC, my studies are based on how we learn history without reading standard, dry history […]
Chicago Blackhawks Past and Present Explained
As the Chicago Blackhawks are doing better and better this season. That means I’m getting more and more questions about them on our Chicago walking tours. Being a non-athletic, bookish girl, I thought I should brush up on my Blackhawks knowledge with a little research on Chicago’s ice hockey scene and share it with all you […]
Friendly Not Freaky Streets for Chicago Cyclists
Ok, it’s still a little freaky to be a Chicago cyclist on Dearborn Street. Those cars just a few short feet away seem to be coming right at you! It will take some getting used to. The opening of this new two-direction bike lane on Dearborn Street in mid-December also seemed unseasonable. We see bicyclists […]
Happy Earth Day: Building Green with the Rebuilding Exchange
With Earth Day today, what better to write about than the new recipient of our Community Giving Program? For the next six months we will contribute half of tour guide gratuities to the Rebuilding Exchange. This institution, dedicated to reuse and green architecture, is one of our favorites in Chicago Chicago Detours Giving Program Starting in […]
April “After Hours” at the Robie House
April is right around the corner and that means April After Hours at the Robie House. You can go the Robie House in Hyde Park any Friday in April to schmooze among other architecture lovers with a beer or wine in hand. Tunes from an acoustic jazz combo will add to the ambiance. You can […]
Frederick Law Olmsted’s Riverside: the First Planned Suburb
When I think of “planned community,” pristine lawns, curving curbs, and happy little driveways come to mind. Maybe it’s even a “gated community” with three or four house designs repeated along the block. Interestingly the roots of the ‘burbs came from mastermind of landscape design Frederick Law Olmsted (think 1893 World’s Fair or NYC’s Central […]
