Williamsburg Square Park is a fairly obscure and hidden park on the north edge of Northbrook and…read moreadjacent to and just to the east of Northbrook Court Mall.  They do have a single softball field and a couple of tennis courts and a playground for the kiddos.  The softball field is what brought us up here during a busy playoff time for the Northbrook girls softball league.  I can't rate it as highly as other excellent Northbrook parks mainly because the parking situation is a little inconvenient, the well maintained softball field only has spectator stands on one side (so a lawn chair may be needed for a game), and it is a pretty modest park relatively speaking.  But it is well kept and clean and that's always a big plus.  The closest parking is actually on the grounds of the Northbrook Court Mall (about a block away) as there is no parking on the adjoining and close by Rudolph Dr. Still a quite nice park overall and it got the job done for us.

This year, 2026, the Cinco de Miler 5 mile race moved to Union Park. I absolutely loved this move…read more It has historically been at Montrose Harbor, but the new route was amazing and showed off a neighborhood rarely seen during popular Chicago races. I would argue that the parking was better here, as it can be a bit of a cluster now with the parking gates newly installed at the harbor. You just have to find street parking and walk on over. I loved that we ran by popular restaurants, the corridor of murals and ended in a park that is centralized in the city. The burritos were fantastic this year. Stuffed and fresh (it's a breakfast burrito, so it's egg and potato), you throw a little of the Cholula hot sauce packets they give you and it's GREAT. They give you a little cup of horchata too. I have to say, this year's race rekindled my love for the Cinco de Miler.

This is an excellent spot to have a coffee, maybe a short date, or just a quick reconnect with…read morenature. I bet dogs love it. It's wonderful, first of all, but I guess I was expecting it to be a little longer, like maybe a mile, but it's a little guy, maybe a big block. Wild life was spotted -- saw a turtle and a family of ducklings. And the mechanics of it are fascinating. I guess i also wasn't expecting it to face the waste management facility, but just try not to look at that really. I'm glad it's here and i look forward to more. I hear they are having a wildly successful impact on the cleanliness of the river; a tip taught to the city by the indigenous who absolutely know what they are doing.

Chicago has its own floating gardens! "Wild Mile" is a built island, home to local plants and…read morecritters. We just walked around checking it out, and we heard there are various events, little concerts, yoga, what-have-you. This wild mile is the razzmatazz!

Whiting is a city located in the Chicago Metropolitan Area in Lake County, Indiana, which was…read morefounded in 1889. Their cities website assisted me in learning local history, like the fact that the name "Whiting" predates the city of Whiting. In 1869, when "Pop" Whiting, an engineer, ditched his heavy freight train so a fast passenger train behind him could have the right of way. Not many signs of human habitation could be found at the site and the railroads had brought what settlers there were. In 1880, the Census Bureau counted 115 people in Whiting. Standard Oil Company began quietly buying up land along the lakefront in March and April of 1889. In 1923, Standard Oil Company provided land and funding for the Memorial Community Center, which became the hub of city life with its social and athletic facilities. By this time the refinery employed over 4,000 workers, and the city numbered approximately 10,000. The city is located on the southern shore of Lake Michigan. It is roughly 16 miles from the Chicago Loop and two miles from Chicago's South Side. The activity that brought me here, the Mascot Hall of Fame, boasts on their website that the Midway Airport, the South Side of Chicago, and Downtown Chicago are all located within a 30-minute drive of Whiting. With such a rich history of the city itself, I wasn't surprised to find everywhere I went, or looked up with intention to go but was unable to, was full of history. From the Mascot Hall of Fame, the downtown buildings, all the way to the beaches, the city is full of amazing history. If you enjoy good food, mascots, and beaches, but don't want to deal with the crowds of Chicago, Whiting is a good spot to stop.

On my first visit to Whiting, I enjoyed a concert at their Lakefront Park. What a beautiful venue!…read moreParking is pretty easy and the concerts are free. Lovely views of the lake and city, and the pavilion is gorgeous.

Lovely gem sitting in the South Berwyn Area. Located West of Oak Park Ave, east of Kenilworth…read moreAvenue. This beautifully maintained and well landscaped park, offers nice playground equipment for children. The plastic slides, so they don't burn their little legs on those old metal ones on those hot days in Chicagoland. They have nice swings for all ages. I love that they welcome dogs and do have clean up after your dog bags- which promotes cleanliness in the neighborhood and good values. Kids spaces and pet spaces are important. So cool. How cool, built in cement outdoor seating. Well polished and maintained nicely. Built in checker / chess board. So Asian / Euro/ NYC Vibes! Fun! Beautiful little park in this nice neighborhood just 1 block West of MacNeal Hospital Loyola Medical Cancer Center. A wonderful place to take a break and relax. Plenty of places to grab a bite nearby and bring. Familiar Fresh Market, They are directly across the street, from the Hospital on Oak Park Avenue, and have a cafe and prepared take away food items. Bargain prices! Beautiful area. Pace Bus stops 1 block Away on Oak Park Avenue. Metra Train stops 2 blocks away.

This is a great race that visit some of the great west side parks that are [art of the Chicago…read moreBoulevard system. Much of the race runs along these boulevards visiting Humbolt, Garfield and Douglas Park. This is a different view than the Chicago Marathon. The 13.1 race has improved since its first running. It was great to see Carey Pinkowski starting us on and cheering a little before the half way mark. In 2025 it was great to see Ted Metellus in the finish line VIP area after he ran the race. The start was well organized and there was no trouble with crowding. The signage was a little misleading making you take a roundabout way of getting to the bag drop. Found water stations plentiful, course easy to follow and crowd and runner support great. The postrace activities were better than the Chicago Marathon's. The music and the party were great. The only trouble I had this year was not signing up before they closed the registration. I think it closed early because many signed up for the benefit of completing the distance classic and guaranteeing a Chicago Marathon bib the following year. It would be nice to allow bibs to Chicago marathon legacy runners.

I just had to register for Bank of America Chicago 13.1 being that the start/ finish line is in my…read moreneighborhood. In time we will see how much this event grows but the opportunity to run this inaugural event was hard to pass up. The course also runs through some of the parks on Chicago's West Side that I am very familiar with like Garfield Park, Humboldt Park, and Douglass Park. The health & wellness expo was held within the Roosevelt Collection Shops, a beautiful location in the south loop of Chicago. The expo was very organized with the main stations highlighted. With it being organized, it did not appear too congested in the process. The volunteers were very helpful and kind at this expo. Packet pick-up went smooth after I identified the corral letter sent via email. After that, I went to the booth section with that particular letter to pick-up my shirt and bib number. Prior to the day of the run, I smiled every time I looked at the t-shirt because it reminded me that this is an inaugural event. Running an inaugural event is something that nobody can take away from you. Starting in Garfield Park, the course ran through Garfield Park, Humboldt Park, and Lawndale neighborhoods. My favorite highlights along the course were of course seeing the Garfield Park Fieldhouse, running through a peaceful Humboldt Park, and seeing locals on their porches waving. I adored the older women nearby Garfield Park on their porches waving, cheering, and greeting us with "Good morning!" as we ran towards Lawndale neighborhood. It is a memory of this event that I will always remember and cherish. There were a decent number of spectators and supporters along the course. Most were there to cheer on their supported runner whether it be friends, family, or runners' part of their particular running club which were mostly from either Three Run Two, or Chicago Road Runners. The majority of the course was flat with a slight decline and incline mostly within the viaducts along the course, but nothing too excruciating. I have to say the rough parts for me where the mental games started were from mile 8 to 12. There was a lack of spectators in the majority of the area plus I felt a nagging pain in my left ankle at the time. The course had enough medical personnel and police officers along it. There were also plentiful water stations with a combination of Nuun Hydration followed by water! And both were identifiable! It warmed my heart seeing the 'Biofreeze' set-up along the course which I just had to run through; running through it helped ease the pain I felt in my left ankle. I would definitely run Bank of America Chicago 13.1 again because its presence brings positivity to Chicago's West Side, plus, I would love to see and be part of the event's growth in time. ~Blessings~   Thomas G

Oaklane Park is such a nice, modern place! Everything feels new, clean, and well-maintained. There…read moreare basketball and pickleball courts, plus cute little spaces to sit and relax. It's a great place to spend some time outdoors, especially with family. I really enjoyed the atmosphere and will definitely come back!

Generic lakefront 10K course, but worth checking out if you are into Big Ten competition as most…read morerunners show some school spirit during the run. Fun event at the end with free beer and sausages. Nice finisher medal for a 10K.

I ran this run in 2015, and will be running it again in 2016. It's a competitive, and huge race;…read morealong with a dream come true for any Big Ten sports fan. As long as I'm living in Chicago I plan on running this every year, because I love the environment. This race combines my first love (running), with the Big Ten. It's a great feeling representing your favorite sports team in the Big Ten; wearing their colors and competing against other Big Ten fans. Many post race activities with the mascots on stage, games, and plenty of opportunities to take a picture with your favorite Big Ten mascot or cheerleaders. This race is crowded, so if you're a competitor you might want to get there early to reserve a spot near the front. The course is out-and-back, and gets crowded near the finishline due to there being two races on course; the 5k and 10k. Enjoy!