Visiting an unfamiliar city is usually best when you have a guide, a knowledgeable local pal who can show you the hidden treasures of his or her hometown. In the most ideal scenario, this friend would be motivated by sensibilities similar to your own–which is why so many traditional travel guidebooks, with their emphasis on well-trod landmarks and obvious institutions, are of such limited utility to travelers with offbeat tastes. But this is no typical guidebook. Abundantly illustrated and...
