LOGAN SQUARE — A Logan Square author hopes to take you back in time, then back to the present day, when her book “Discovering Vintage Chicago” is released Thursday.
Amy Bizzarri’s new book puts a spotlight on “the charming stories that tell you what each place is like now and how it got that way,” the Logan Square resident and mother of two said.
Author Amy Bizzarri hopes to take you to some of Chicago’s most beloved establishments. [Provided]
The book offers an inside look into some of Chicago’s most beloved establishments, including a few Logan Square and Humboldt Park-area favorites such as Roeser’s Bakery, Fireside Bowl, Rainbo Club and the Logan Theatre.
Each spotlight features interviews with the shop owners and employees who lived the history of their establishments.
“I'm a huge Chicago history buff, so when Rowman Publishing contacted me and asked me if I was interested in covering Chicago for the Discovering Vintage series, I jumped at the chance,” said Bizzarri, a freelance writer who also covers travel for the Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau. “I love exploring Chicago, especially by bicycle.”
That love of the city fit well within her plans for “Discovering Vintage Chicago” as the she spent the last year visiting every one of the highlighted vintage spots featured in her book — by bicycle — in an attempt to document the unique storefronts and shops that make Chicago one of a kind.
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The book also includes indexes that let readers choose the places they want to visit by neighborhood, by category and era, making it easy to enjoy a self-guided journey through the city.
“These are the Chicago classics that everyone has to visit,” Bizzarri said of the featured shops, many of which are family-owned and have resided in Chicago for more than 50 years.
“Every single place celebrates the spirit of Chicago, recalling people, events, or historic moments that have defined our city,” she said, noting that her own family — a family of Italian, English and Irish immigrants to Chicago — was a main inspiration for her exploration. It's a legacy she says she hopes to pass down to her own children.
"Discovering Vintage Chicago" takes you to classic restaurants, shops and other establishments that still thrive today and evoke the unique character of the city, according to a promotion for the book.
They’re all still around—but they won’t be forever — and “Discovering Vintage Chicago” aims to ensure they maintain a place in Chicago’s cultural memory.
Click here for more information on "Discovering Vintage Chicago" and to preorder a copy of the book.
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