Alternative Chicago: Unique Destinations Beyond the Magnificent Mile

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Summary: Alternative Chicago is extremely informative & well-written
Review: In Alternative Chicago, the author looks beyond the Sears tower or sightseeing in museums, because everyone probably already owns a travel book that lists those places as hot spots. He takes us into dingy bars where they sell the best beer, the record stores that sell rare vinyl, the book stores that sell nothing but leftist books, and of course the thrift stores where you can find the coolest clothes. This is written in succint, fresh language that other travel books wish they could emulate. You forget that this is a travel book and not your friend jotting down his favorite hangouts. It's much more than that, though. The author has icons to represent the different types of places these are - bars, clubs, record stores, sellers of knicknacks, clothing stores, sex shops, etc, as well as providing maps, hours of operation and telephone numbers to these places. He relates the good and the bad and tells us why. One thrift store is stinky; another sells slightly soiled mattresses. This is the detail that every traveler needs when planning a trip to Chicago. After all, you can't see it all.

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Summary: A unique, off-the-beaten-path travel guide and planner.
Review: Unlike most travel guides on Chicago, Bill Franz's Alternative Chicago is designed for readers interested in what Chicago has to offer the visitor regarding counter-culture and neighborhood eccentric attractions. Franz offers a neighborhood-by-neighborhood exploration of hundreds of distinctively Chicago places like "Smuggler's Row", "Medusa's Circle", "The Ennui Cafe", and "Dr. Wax". This superbly original compendium of addresses, maps, store hours, and telephone numbers will enable the reader to create a truly unique, memorable, off-the-beaten-path trip whether they are an out-of-town newcomer or a long-time denizen and resident.