Secret Chicago: The Unique Guidebook to Chicago's Hidden Sites, Sounds, and Tastes

by Sam Weller

Ah, the thrill of discovery. It’s exhilarating to unearth new favorite haunts. But how do you discover them if you never stray from the pack? There are thousands of tourist guides but it’s no secret that they’ll steer you towards safe, predictable, well-trodden places. Secret™ Chicago is all about leaving the herd behind and making the Windy City your own. It’s a treasure map to the arcane, the cool, and the hushhush hot spots that the locals love. Beautifully illustrated with original photos, Secret™ Chicago celebrates Chicago’s diverse ethnic population. Sam Weller will take you to a rowdy beer garden, a Persian bakery, and a Vietnamese grocery. And he’ll be your guide to the city’s many traditions and quirky oddities. Go to downtown blues and comedy clubs, participate in Chicago’s annual “smelt season,” and visit the country’s only holograph museum. It’s all here, written by a no-nonsense local from the city renowned for telling it like it is.  Ditch the crowds and discover your Secret™ Chicago ― completely revised and updated for 2002.

Genres: Travel

260 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2000

About the author

Sam Weller is the author of The Bradbury Chronicles: The Life of Ray Bradbury (William Morrow, 2005) winner of the Society of Midland Author's Award for Best Biography of 2005. The book was also a finalist for the prestigious Bram Stoker Award. Sam is the former Midwest Correspondent for Publishers Weekly. He is a contributing writer for the Chicago Public Radio program, 848 and his work has appeared on the National Public Radio program, All Things Considered. Sam is a regular contributor to the Chicago Tribune Magazine, a frequent literary critic for the Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times, as well as Punk Planet magazine. During his tenure as managing editor of Columbia College's Gravity, the publication was given Newsweek magazine's Robert Sibley award for best college magazine. As a staff writer for the Chicago alternative weekly, Newcity, Sam was the recipient of the Peter Lisagor Award for arts criticism. Sam is also a frequent lecturer. In 2006, he spoke across the country as part of the National Endowment for the Arts "Big Read" initiative. He is the author of Secret Chicago: The Unique Guidebook to Chicago's Hidden Sites, Sounds & Tastes (ECW Press) and his short fiction has appeared in Spec-Lit. He received his MFA in Fiction from Columbia College Chicago. Sam lives in Chicago with his family.

Reviews

[Andy Lind · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have lived in Illinois for 90% of my life, but I have never actually "explored" Chicago.

I found this book very helpful when it comes to finding those hole-in-the-wall places no one really knows about.

I will have to make visiting some of these places a priority the next time I am in the city.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great tips and insights for the traveler to a premier American city (alright I'm a little biased since this is my hometown). I was pleased to find so many treasured Chicago spots listed. It makes me feel as if my special secrets of the city will not be forgotten.

[Marcia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not too many secrets here. Just the normal tourist sights for the most part.