Chicago's extensive transit system first started in 1859, when horsecars ran on rails in city streets. Cable cars and electric streetcars came next. Where new trolley car lines were built, people, businesses, and neighborhoods followed. Chicago quickly became a world-class city. At its peak, Chicago had over 3,000 streetcars and 1,000 miles of track--the largest such system in the world. By the 1930s, there were also streamlined trolleys and trolley buses on rubber tires. Some parts of Chicago's famous "L" system also used trolley wire instead of a third rail. Trolley cars once took people from the Loop to such faraway places as Aurora, Elgin, Milwaukee, and South Bend. A few still run today.
From the publishers of The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World "A Tourist's Best Friend!" —Chicago Sun-Times "Indispensable" —The New York Times The Top 10 Ways The Unofficial Guide to Chicago Can Help You Have the Perfect Trip: Information that's candid, critical, and totally objective Hotels reviewed and ranked for value and quality—plus secrets for getting the lowest possible rate More than 70 restaurants reviewed and profiled, with listings for dozens more A complete guide to Chicago's sights—museums, architecture, ethnic neighborhoods, and more Complete information on Chicago's lakefront beaches and parks The inside story on shopping—where to get the best for less, on and off the Magnificent Mile All the details on Chicago's nightlife—jazz and blues clubs, dance clubs, concerts, theater, and more The best places to play golf and tennis, ride a bike, go boating, and work out Tips on enjoying Chicago with your kids Advice on how to plan and make the most of your business trip Get the unbiased truth on hundreds of hotels, restaurants, attractions, and more in The Unofficial Guide to Chicago—the resource that helps you save money, save time, and make your trip the best it can be.
(Applause Books). This comprehensive guide to every major entertainment and sports venue in the Chicago/Milwaukee metropolitan area makes attending performing arts, dance, music and sports events incredibly easy and entertaining. The second volume in the Seats series places seating plans, theatre district maps, transportation, hotel, and seasonal festival information right at your fingertips. A full seating plan, colored-coded by price, is provided for each venue, along with all ticket ordering information. The book also includes insider tips on Chicago/Milwaukee theatres featuring Off-Beat Seats, Theatre Companies, Seats for Kids & Students, and Four Seasons of Free Seats. Whether you want to catch the opera at the Civic Opera House, some laughs at Second City, a performance at the historical Pabst Theater or the Cubs at Wrigley Field, Seats: Chicago is your guide to the best seats in the house! Also available: Seats: New York (00314598) Praise for Seats: New York : " Seats is a clear, informative and beautiful guide for those seeking the best seats in New York theatres and halls." Richard Nelson, Tony Award-winning playwright "I know how important a good seat can be for the enjoyment of a classical performance. Concert hall seat selection is usually complicated and confusing, but Seats makes it easy." Maestro Robert Craft, author and conductor, associate of Igor Stravinsky
Offers a history of the world famous Chicago "L," the elevated railroad that has operated since 1892 and has been ridden by more than ten billion people.
Years ago, when Frank Sinatra sang the praises of "my kind of town," he was saluting Chicago. Chicago is still a truly vibrant and eclectic city that constantly reinvents itself. Cosmopolitan yet not elitist, sophisticated in some ways yet refreshingly brash in others, Chicago is wonderfully entertaining and welcoming. There’s plenty to do and this guide clues you in with the latest info on: Four options for exploring the city Five day trips to nearby attractions Accommodations, ranging from three of the world’s best luxury hotels to wonderful historic getaways with modern amenities A shopping guide that covers power shopping along the Magnificent Mile and bargain hunting in unique shops The action and attractions, ranging from Soldier Field or Wrigley Field to the Hancock Observatory to Navy Pier Restaurants, including everything from elegant to family-style, and from Chicago’s famous deep-dish pizza to all kinds of ethnic cuisine Intriguing architecture and incredible museums, including the Adler Planetarium, the Shedd Aquarium, the Field Museum of Natural History, and the Art Institute of Chicago Fantastic outdoor attractions, including Millenium Park, Grant Park, North Avenue Beach, two great zoos, and more What to do when the sun goes down, whether you like the blues, ska, or hip-hop… the hot night spots or great theater Culture, ranging from Lyric Opera and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra to The Second City and Improv Olympics Sports—baseball, football, basketball, hockey, and more—in a city of notoriously passionate fans Like every For Dummies travel guide, Chicago For Dummies, 4th Edition, includes: Down-to-earth trip-planning advice What you shouldn’t miss — and what you can skip The best hotels and restaurants for every budget Handy Post-it Flags to mark your favorite pages With this friendly guide to help you choose from the best sites and attractions, Chicago will surely be your kind of town.
Chicago's system of elevated railways, known locally as the "L," has run continuously since 1892 and, like the city, has never stood still. It helped neighborhoods grow, brought their increasingly diverse populations together, and gave the famous Loop its name. But today's system has changed radically over the years. Chicago's Lost "L"s tells the story of former lines such as Garfield Park, Humboldt Park, Kenwood, Stockyards, Normal Park, Westchester, and Niles Center. It was once possible to take high-speed trains on the L directly to Aurora, Elgin, and Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The L started out as four different companies, two starting out using steam engines instead of electricity. Eventually, all four came together via the Union Loop. The L is more than a way of getting around. Its trains are a place where people meet and interact. Some say the best way to experience the city is via the L, with its second-story view. Chicago's Lost "L"s is virtually a "secret history" of Chicago, and this is your ticket.
Written by locals, Fodor's travel guides have been offering expert advice for all tastes and budgets for 80 years. Fodor's Chicago is the perfect companion for a trip to this quintessential American city. With colorful features and the most updated information, Fodor's Chicago gets straight to the best of what this city has to offer, everything from art to architecture to shopping, baseball, jazz, and the very best deep-dish pizza. Our in-depth coverage also includes top reasons to visit the culturally and historically rich suburbs of Chicago, including Frank Lloyd Wright's Oak Park home studio, the Mallott Japanese Garden at the Chicago Botanic Garden, and the Brookfield Zoo. This travel guide includes: · Dozens of full-color maps · Hundreds of hotel and restaurant recommendations, with Fodor's Choice designating our top picks · Multiple itineraries to explore the top attractions and what’s off the beaten path · Major sights such as Skydeck Chicago at Willis Tower, John Hancock Center, The Magnificent Mile, Navy Pier, Art Institute of Chicago, Field Museum, Shedd Aquarium, and Millennium Park · Day Trips from Chicago including West of Chicago and North of Chicago · Coverage of The Loop; Near North and River North; Lincoln Park and Wicker Park; Lakeview and the Far North Side; Pilsen, Little Italy, and Chinatown; Hyde Park
The battle between St. Louis and Chicago to be the Midwest's leading city long predates the one between the Cardinals and the Cubs. Chicago won the fight to be considered part of the nation's first transcontinental railroad, and the Gateway City's delay in building a railroad bridge over the Mississippi River kept St. Louis in second place railroad service in the Midwest. But while Chicago had the Pullman Car Company, St. Louis featured more of the most important manufacturers in the rail industry, including American Car & Foundry and the St. Louis Car Company. St. Louis was dotted with historic rail structures ranging from its grand Union Station to depots built just after the Civil War, and a number of its suburbs were born of rail lines serving the area, with streets that still wear the names of the railroads they paralleled. In Trains and Trolleys of St. Louis, you have a ticket to hop aboard and travel across nearly two centuries through what the city built, operated, and preserved for the railroad. Hear the stories of the great-grandfathers who worked the rails, or take a walk down memory lane and a streetcar ride down to Gaslight Square. Local author and locomotive enthusiast Molly Butterworth carefully catalogues the history and significance of St. Louis' connection to its railroad days. Through the years, many of the railroad stations and streetcar stops have gone by the wayside, but their stories have lived on. Read about the ones you can still go enjoy, included in the many wonderful secrets shared among the pages of Trains and Trolleys of St. Louis.
The Jewett Car Company was born in the heyday of the electric railway boom in the 1890s. The company gained an excellent reputation for its elegant, well-built wooden cars for street railway companies, interurban lines, and rapid transit service. Cities large and small used Jewett cars, including New York, Boston, Chicago, and San Francisco. Many Jewett cars found their way to Indiana and many of the interurban lines employed the graceful, arch-windowed wood interurban that Jewett was famous for.Automobile competition and the problems of competing with much larger car builders, such as J.G. Brill and the St. Louis Car Company, signaled the beginning of the end. The company was offered the opportunity to produce munitions for World War I, but refused. The reason: the major source of finance for Jewett was a German nationalist banker from Wheeling, West Virginia, who refused to have the company do anything to harm Germany. As a direct result of that action, the Jewett Car Company failed.
