Fairly good sized park in the Irving Park neighborhood known for baseball. It also has facilities…read moreand fields for many other things. California Park is certainly a place to get exercise. Has a path along the river if wanting less physical contact when working out. The park also has a large center for hockey and skating. As expected it gets its name from the street next to it. Its beginnings go back to 1917 when the city began purchasing land. The park was completed by 1928, with athletic fields and a fieldhouse, and Illinois' largest outdoor swimming pool. A lot of improvements in the years after. McFetridge Sports Center was a replacement for the original fieldhouse. The park became the first in the city to have an indoor ice rink and indoor tennis courts, and is a popular training facility for figure skating. Later the park was expanded. This goes along the river to the trail so it connects to other places. Great place to train and just get some exercise. It's located by the Addison intersection. There's programs for hockey, skating, and whatever.

I watched some of a wheelchair softball event here today. I was blown away…read more There were volunteers and lots of players. There were balls being tossed and smacked around the concrete field. But that isn't what got me. I saw an older muscular man in a heavy duty, almost Road Warrior looking, wheelchair talking earnestly with young, timid boy. I imagine the boy was attending his first wheelchair softball game, maybe even new to his chair. I couldn't hear what they were saying. It didn't matter. I was moved. I immediately felt guilty for my petty gripes Du jour and was humbled. The field is well kept. There's a nice, slightly raised, grass berm beyond the outfield fence for spectators but what's special about this park is what happens on that field. Check it out man. Seeing all that effort made me a better person... even if only for a moment.

I don't skate. In fact, the last time I had wheels strapped to my feet was 1993 when I worked part…read moretime at a skating rink (and yes, that job was as much fun as you can imagine it would be.) Earlier this year, I was unemployed with a lot of time on my hands. I had so much free time that I would just wander around my neighborhood aimlessly because it gave me something to do. One of my regular stops was the Logan Square Skate Park. It was fun to watch the kids do tricks and skate around. At times I felt like a creepy old lady surrounded by high school kids, but this park was family friendly so a few parents brought their little ones occasionally to skate around. Oh, who am I kidding...I still felt creepy but it was a nice distraction and it got me off my couch and out of my pajamas.

only cool if you: a) live 2 blocks away or less…read moreb) are in high school and trying to get laid c) want to feel like a bridge troll

Large park with nice playground for both small and larger kids, swings, baseball diamonds,…read morebasketball and tennis courts. Fieldhouse with restrooms and outdoor pool.

Big park located in North Center. Hamlin Park is known for its athletic fields. It has a few…read morebaseball diamonds, as well as basketball and tennis courts, along with a pool. Also has indoor facilities like the fieldhouse and the gym. There's also a dog area where they can run around and stuff. A place that's pretty much for the neighborhood but it's still big enough for a crowd. It's best known for the athletic fields. This is a popular place for youth baseball leagues. Also offers lots of fitness programs you can sign up for. There's weightlifting, yoga, and more. It was created in 1909 by the Lincoln Park Commission. The fieldhouse was designed by architect Dwight H. Perkins. It was the most impressive of the fieldhouses he designed. This has two gyms and an assembly hall. Easily among the best places to play sports or just watch others do anything. It's got tons of fields to play on. There's baseball, basketball, and tennis among other things.

Right off, I have a statement to the press: this goofy-footed former skater hasn't skated in years,…read moreworried about my brittle bones potentially ending up outside my skin in a compound fracture, and after having broken a couple ribs from rollerblading too fast for conditions. I also wasn't too excited about a million-plus dollar skate park coming to my neighborhood. That having been said, I love watching the kids learn their tricks and seeing the professionals on the Dew Tour this past weekend. There's something about aficionados putting their noses to the grindstone (or ledge or rail) and working to achieve something that gives me hope for the future. It's nice that they have a place to grind, since they can be quite annoying in public places. And the kids are fit from all the exercise: no faces planted in front of cellphone screens here. Some people say they have no regrets in life: this is a minor one, but I would have loved to have lived near this place in my youth. My only other minor regret is that they don't have a bowl here, but it's not far to go to 34th Street & LSD and get stoked, watching someone catch some sick air after popping his first 180 off the rim of the bowl .

This park opened just in time for some fun before the snow! I came by with a friend who's been…read moreskateboarding for years and he said this is one of the biggest parks in the Midwest, definitely best in the state. I'm posting a picture from opening day, it was crowded, but had a good flow. The pedestrian bridge just north of the part(along 11th St) is great for spectating. All that from a grassy field. Good job Chicago!

Not going to lie, it has been quite a few years... didn't drop in, didn't get air, but I did get…read moreabove transition and carved around. What a great asset to have along the lakefront. Great vibe, good fellow skaters, lots of fun.

I can't skate to save my life but just watching is awesome. I'm surprised there aren't more of…read morethese extremely beautiful concrete bastions around town. The concrete is perfectly smooth and the lip of the pools are molded metal that prevents the edge from chipping. And the skaters thrash it all day here. It's an amazing thing to behold. Just make sure you know the lingo and when to ensure your kid wears a helmet! Is he or she yammering about "dropping into a bowl" the first time? For Pete's sake they should wear a helmet! And hand guards! Even Tony Hawk always has his main gear on. He's the best role model out there. I'm not saying your kids should look like they're wearing a space suit. But only the experienced skaters wear less safety gear. Skating still gets a bad rap. It's a great way to blow off steam, socialize, and it's good exercise. You can tell how much energy and focus it takes when you're less than ten feet away. And if your teenager never evinces charisma about anything other than video games and cutting class, you should be ecstatic if they pick up skating. It's really cool being at the Wilson pools and watching the magic.

Cool skate park and hockey rink. Excellent ramps and…read morejumps. The kids love it. Fence enclosed.

Nice park for all ages. Took my 5 year old and she had fun on the variety of playground equipment…read more Playground is ideal for toddlers to elementary aged. Many sports fields, leagues happening inside/outside throughout the year. Free street parking was easy to find in the middle of a weekday.

Lovely park to have as a neighbor. Lots of trees around the perimeter and wide open space in the…read morecenter. Softball throughout the summer, a nice playground for the next generation, and a field house with a basketball court (limited open gym hours).

Portage Park has become one of my go-to spots to stay active. I jog here pretty regularly, and the…read morepaths are smooth, open, and easy to loop depending on how long I want to run. Early mornings especially are peaceful -- fresh air, open space, and just a solid environment to clear your head. I also play pickleball here, and the courts always have a good energy. They can get active, but I've never had any issues. People are respectful, games rotate smoothly, and it feels like a positive community vibe rather than chaotic. The park is well kept, clean, and just overall reliable. I've been coming here consistently for runs and games and have genuinely never had a problem. It's one of those neighborhood spots you're glad to have nearby.

Come play sports or just chill in this big park in the neighborhood named after it. In this popular…read moregreen space are numerous athletic fields and a playground among other stuff. Portage Park is big enough to go on a pretty long nature walk. Also it's popular for photography and other events. The park has a massive Olympic size swimming pool that has hosted competitions and trials. Best thing about this area is this beautiful green space that's the center of the community. It's got something for everyone. The athletic facilities and fields are the most well known. So many to choose from. These include five baseball fields, two football or soccer fields, and six tennis courts just among the stuff you can find outdoors. Has two fieldhouses. Of course there's also the swimming pool. This has hosted the Pan American Games and also the 1972 Olympic Trials. Also there's an indoor one that's heated. There's an interactive water play area popular in summer. A lot of after school and youth programs are offered. These include gymnastics and woodcraft. Boxing is also a popular program offered here. There's been many who went on to the Olympics and professional careers after being taught. Some come to this park just to get outside. There's a bike path and nature walk if wanting to get easier exercise without using balls and stuff. Good park for all kinds of activities. It's located on Irving Park Road. The CTA station is a ways away, but buses go along this street pretty often, even on weekends.

Used to run the Softball field with LO$. They got ice skating in the winter. Farmers market…read more sometimes they do a haunted house as well. Couple Basketball courts to shoot the rock.

The Zumba Gold Class at Ridgeville Park District in Evanston held on Friday mornings at 10am is…read moreuser friendly for Seniors in all physical conditions! Because the teacher has her own physical challenges she is very patient and encourages the students to participate even if it means sitting in a chair. I was surprised to be sweating while sitting in a chair and I felt great after the class because of such a sense of accomplishment. Anna Christina Nelson

Umm...I'm back to writing more Chicago Park reviews now. I used to review some of city parks when…read more"Pokemon Go" was at its peak seven years ago. Guess what? I'm still playing this mobile game, but nowadays I have my bundle of joy hanging out (two-year old and a two-month old) with me. Whenever we get a chance, we take the two-year old to the playground. "Independence Park" has a relatively new playground that was built during the COVID restriction period. It gets busy after school is let out. However, the floor is cushioned at the playground area and the facility appears clean and well-maintained. "Snix Snacks" food truck is there during the spring, summer, and early autumn seasons. Puerto Rican food is cooked-to-order. They have the American fast-food classics as well, such as hot dogs, mozzarella sticks, fries, and etc. By the way, their coconut shaved ice is a must try! Visitor parking is available behind the park, which makes easier for us since we have to carry two strollers for the kids. A small-scale farmers Market goes on from June to October. I would recommend the Portage Park Farmers Market though. They happen on a different Sunday, yet there are more vendors coming in on the latter one. Overall, a solid park to utilize for your daily walks and runs. I'm not a fan of driving on Irving Park Road, but I do come here with the family during non-rush hours to get some exercise.

The pool is cool. It programs its pool to be kind to elderly people. It has a lot of Adult swim…read morehours that are open swims for adults only. The problem here - as it is in many Chicago pools - is the experience is often ruined by aggressive white lap swimmers who come here to use this particular pool during the open adult swim so they don't have to pay the $15 monthly fee required for lap swimming at other Chicago pools. Lap swimming is *extensively programmed all day long* at every other pool in Chicago. These selfish people ruin this pool for everyone who goes to the pool to relax or do something else besides lap swimming. Which guess what - is a lot of people! These rude swimmers are *always* white women and men. They act like they own every pool they are in. They look like they have money and used to be on swim teams. White people. I'm white. I can say it. I dislike the way my people act. Greedy. Entitled. These white aggressors - both men and women - show up a lot at this pool. I try to swim around them, but sometimes, there are too many of the aggressive white lap swimmers. So I am going to speak to the pool about it, but if they don't help (usually white people get their way - we are so good at that!), I'm just going to stop swimming around the aggressive lap swimmers and they will have to run into me. And then I am going to tell them very loudly that they are in an open swim and they have so, so many other pools they can go to to lap swim. I will confront each and every one of them. Slow them down. Make them think. Take responsibility. They don't like that. Fortunately, I am quite brave at confronting people like this. I suffered decades of sexual and emotional abuse from people like this. I am not afraid to confront a few jerks at the pool anymore. They are just cheap, selfish, lazy, and very, very entitled. White. Sick of it.