Description:
Big cities like Chicago are impressive and intimidating. You can sample the goods, taxiing about to The Second City club and the Art Institute of Chicago, and get a piecemeal feel for the city, or you can put leather to asphalt and make Chicago yours. Walks in Chicago spells out 11 walking tours--past landmark architecture and historic homes, through ethnic neighborhoods, along lakefront paths--that make for rewarding outings for both tourists and residents. The walks are theme-oriented. The Loop is for architecture hounds. From Sears Tower (the nation's tallest building) to Harold Washington Library Center (world's largest municipal library), this 2-3 hour stroll encompasses Chicago's financial, cultural, and governmental downtown heart, playground to the country's most gifted architects. Or take a different Loop route for the Sculpture Tour, passing works by Pablo Picasso, Joan Miró, Alexander Calder, and 18 more. The Magnificent Mile is totally urban, full of skyscrapers, shopping centers, hotels, mansions, and commercial giants, while the Gold Coast trail takes you down tree-shaded stretches of historic luxury homes along Lake Michigan. There are directions (including local transit) for each walk, good maps, and rest stop suggestions for coffee and a snack. It's a slim book, easy to pop in a back pocket, and it offers personal, tactile introductions to a great city. --Stephanie Gold
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