Oldest Chicago is about the places that have survived the passage of time.

Oldest business: Peacock Jewelers (1838); oldest apothecary: Merz Apothecary (1875); oldest tavern: Schaller's Pump (1889); oldest theater: the Biograph Theater (1914); and oldest drive-in restaurant: Superdawg (1948). In Oldest Chicago, journalist David Witter highlights dozens of the oldest local treasures in Chicago and its suburban and exurban areas. Remarkable for having survived demolition and extinction for decades, these beloved landmarks have also helped define our city's landscape, offering continuity and civic identity across generations. Rather than celebrate the past, many of Chicago's business and political leaders have risen to power by tearing it down. Chicago has lost, and continues to lose, many great civic and cultural landmarks. In recent years, Marshall Field's and Carson Pirie Scott have vanished from the city's landscape. Other structures like the Uptown and Ramova Theaters are also in danger of being permanently lost.Oldest Chicago is a reminder of the value of these familiar places and a call to preserve them for a future sense of place.

But Oldest Chicago isn't only a history book--it's a guide.

Everyone tries the newest...why not try the oldest? Visit the oldest house. Worship at the oldest church. Get on your soap box at the oldest park. Party at the oldest nightclub. Taste the foods that generations of Chicagoans have savored at the oldest hot dog stand, pizzeria, soda pop maker, ice cream parlor, diner, chili vendor, liquor distributor, soul food restaurant, and bakery.

Don't just read about Chicago's history--experience it!

"More than a guidebook, Oldest Chicago presents a new way of looking at the city. It offers a 'lost treasure' map to the city. The next time you explore Chicago--ideally with Oldest Chicago in hand--you will wonder, 'Is that building old?' 'Is this store special?' 'Who sculpted that statue?' 'How many generations of the same family have run this restaurant?' Oldest Chicago will add immeasurably to your enjoyment of the city. It will bring to life many important and delightful places you might have taken for granted ... and make you aware of others that you never noticed before."

--Greg Borzo, author of The Chicago "L"