Had so much fun at a concert at Northerly Island this weekend! We were in the lawn for Vampire…read moreWeekend and it was a beautiful summer evening in Chicago. The grass was lush and green from all the rain we've been having recently. Getting into the facility couldn't have been easier, and the security team did a great job keeping folks moving along. There was BBQ, pizza, and taco food options in there, along with some bar tents. All the hard alcohol is through live nation, and I learned that everyone working are volunteers, and all their tips go to a non-profit which is great. They have large screens so you're able to feel like you're closer than you really are, and the sound is great. We had so much fun! Such a perfect evening.

Northerly Island gets its name from its part in Daniel Burnham's Plan of Chicago, because it was…read moreenvisioned to be the northern most in a chain of islands that spanned between Grant Park on the northern end and Jackson Park on the southern end. It's the only one of the islands that was ever completed. Northerly Island was the site of the 1933 Century of Progress World's Fair, the second World Fair held in Chicago. Once upon a time, a single-runway airport called Meigs Field existed at this site for about 50 years, right in the middle of the city. It was the busiest singlet-runway airport in the city for a time. The air traffic control tower still exists here--an odd homage to what one was here--but the airport was destroyed overnight by the second Daley mayor and the park created shortly thereafter. Although It's present day use is that of a nature sanctuary. There's a nice view of the city from here, and there's a variety of events that take place taking advantage of the nature sanctuary. I was surprise to find that the amphitheater isn't as large as I imagined. Parts of the park may be closed during, or on the days surrounding, an event at the music venue that's here so it may not be the most reliable of parks.

Such a beautiful park and the Japanese garden it's so beautiful and I suppose in May when the…read morecherry blossoms. I totally recommend to visit this little and gorgeous park .

I can't believe this amazing garden in the middle of the city considering that we have eight months…read morebad weather to have this many beautiful plants is amazing.

The way the surrounding park is set up is a bit odd. There's only one entrance and the rest is…read morefenced off (which google maps didn't seem to understand); it has this kind of exclusive vibe and yet signs say it's open to the public, so I somewhat awkwardly walked in, passing a golf course, a magisterial building hosting some fancy reception, a picnic area hosting some considerably less fancy gatherings, a small beach, and finally a small stretch of trail which circles through a bird-filled woodland. It's much like Montrose Point on the north side of the city, but smaller and less accessible. Having said that, the birds were signing and the views were quite splendid, so far be it from me to dissuade anyone from going.

03/14/21 - This Bird & Butterfly Sanctuary is just another hidden gem that is part of Chicago's…read morelakefront. The sanctuary is located within the South Shore Cultural Club & is accessible to the public. There is a metered parking lot set back for public use and a beach adjacent to it. It's a beautiful little gem hidden where you can get away and reflect while enjoying nature. This morning I was rewarded w/a gorgeous sunrise in the lake. It's so peaceful & quite as you walk along the path by the lake and the rough the grasslands set aside for the birds. This morning I saw a pair of mallards, seagulls & a few geese flying by. So beautiful it's nice to come out early and see the sunrise & walk through a natural habit along the lake. Peace out.

I love Chicago. I also love finding new things to see and do. Heard about this trail and took…read moreadvantage of this beautiful day. This flat paved trail was a safe easy walk. Lots of flowers and trees in the midst of the city. Its about 2.5 miles 1 way or 5 round trip. Whether you are walking, biking, or pushing the kiddos in a stroller. Very nice walk.

The 606 is such a fun concept. My daughter and I visited last week and had a fun walk…read more I was a bit worried about visiting with a four year old but we made it fun. The trail is clean and pretty. We only would have asked for a bathroom or two available on the trail. I saw a local race advertised and would love to participate if we were local, but alas we are not. This is a great trail for runners or bikers too. I would frequent this trail if I were a resident. The 606 is worth a visit but to best get enjoyment from your time, it's best to be a walker, runner, or bike it.

Good people maintain this natural area. It has a pretty interesting history. Dunning Read is…read morelocated next to a mental hospital if you can believe it. Pretty crazy this is located in a fairly boring area with strip malls. The area has a few trails. An interesting history about it. It's a grassy area that's kept natural. This has many native plants and wildlife. Before this area was just pretty much nothing. The mental hospital opened up here and there was still this open space. Basically the Parks Department bought it. This has been restored to a natural area by bringing in native plants and letting these grow naturally with as little maintenance as possible. Check this out while around the Portage Park area. It's located near the intersection of Harlem and Irving Park. This is a good opportunity to get close to natural vegetation.

"For many generations of Chicago children, bad behavior came to a halt with a stern warning: "Be…read morecareful, or you're going to Dunning." The prospect sent shivers down the spines of youngsters, who regarded it as the most dreaded place imaginable." - Perry Duis, Challenging Chicago. The sprawling stretch of land north of Irving Park and west of Oak Park is one of the most storied, but presently forgotten, sites in Chicago. Opening in 1854 as a "poor farm," it initially served people who had fallen on hard times. By 1870 an Insane Department was added to the site- on the premise that keeping the mentally disturbed isolated and away from the city's stress would be beneficial. Over time, the site which also featured sprawling expanses of cemeteries for over 38,000 bodies, became chronically overcrowded. Patients were abused and neglected, their food full of weevils. "You could think of this place as the prototypical evil dark asylum of literature," Joseph J. Mehr notes in his book, "An Illustrated History of Illinois Public Mental Health Services." Today, the fringes of the site are covered by box stores and residential development. But the stretch by the northeast intersection of Irving Park and Oak Park is one of the most sublime and tranquil settings in Chicago, containing some ancient remnant wetlands. This place is so underutilized that you're just as likely to come across a zombie corpse as a member of the living. But I've seen a garter snake, heard tell of a coyote sighting, and once almost stepped on a possum. If you walk past the medical center to the south you can find an expanse of woodchip trails, mostly unmarked, which may mysteriously lead you *behind* a No Trespassing sign at the neighboring Streets and Sanitation complex. This park is neither part of the Park District nor the Forest Preserve. If you want to be a part of restoring the area, Friends of the Parks hosts volunteer days every Thursday and every Second Saturday from March through November.

Before I thought this was just a part of North Avenue Beach. Fullerton Beach is apparently its own…read moreone according to maps. It actually doesn't seem like much of one because there's not even any sand. Apparently there used to be, but now this is just all concrete. There's pretty good views of the skyline and city though. Apparently erosion has ruined it, so that's why it's not much of a beach. It's been replaced by concrete. The good thing is you can go home without an ass full of sand. A bad thing is how hard the ground is. This is concrete after all, so it's not comfortable to lay on. Also the ground gets hot. Hard to believe anyone would rather come here to sunbathe than on a sandy beach not far away from this. A few good things are around here. The Theater On The Lake is a good play to watch a play. Go to a better beach. It's just to the north of one of the city's best and most popular. This also isn't that far from other stuff in Lincoln Park, and you can lie in grass there, and still be able to chill and sunbathe.

02/04/22 - it's been months since I've been out here by the lake. Just another day in paradise…read moreknown as Chicago w/our magnificent Lake Michigan. Today it's a relatively warm day in February. It's a balmy sunny 24 degrees. The left over snow from a few days ago is floating & freezing on the lake. It's cold but absolutely magnificent. This morning there was some moron walking on the lake near promontory point about 1/2 mile off of the shore. WGN TV was filming this moron walking on the lake. The Chicago Police were called to ask him to come in off of the lake. This is what I call a very dim light that's pretty low on the evolutionary scale.

Found this amazing place in Lincoln Park that not a lot of people know about. It feels like it's…read moresecluded even though it's along the Lakefront Trail. Chicago Peace Garden is exactly what it is. Has a rock garden and native plants. There's even a little waterfall. A small but mighty garden. It's 0.3 acres so there's not a lot. This is a creation of the Park District working with Greenpeace Great Lakes and other community members in Uptown. Basically it was a renovation of an existing rock garden. They also put in native plants. Can be easy to miss even if looking for it. It's located along the Lakefront Trail by the Buena Avenue tunnel. The park is a good place to take a break and think amongst yourselves.

A Chicago historic treasure, the beautiful Peace Garden is located along the lakeshore bike and…read morewalking/running path at Buena Avenue. Designed by landscape architect Ernst G. Schroeder, and built in 1933, this lovely space was originally called the Rock Garden. Walls, seating areas and a cascading fountain all built of rock, mix with thousands of native plants and a lush center lawn, to create a restful place to read, picnic, contemplate a beautiful day, or to meet a friend. You'll often see people exercising on the lawn or kids dangling their feet in the lily pond at the base of the fountain. After many years of neglect, in 1986, Mayor Harold Washington, along with Greenpeace International, had a ceremony to dedicate it as an International Greenpeace Garden...which was later shortened to the Peace Garden. At the dedication, Mayor Washington said that the garden symbolizes, "the diversity of life on earth growing and adapting to common ground" and the Buena Park and Uptown neighborhood's "rich ethnic and cultural diversity." Since that time, the garden has been cared for by the Friends of the Peace Garden and the Chicago Park District. The Peace Garden is a wonderful place to spend a few minutes or a few hours relaxing and enjoying nature and the gently cascading waterfall.

A nice place to relax and take it all in while the boats go by…read more I highly recommend a visit at sun rise and sum set.

I had to look up the name of this park, but it's still one of my favorite places to take a quiet…read morewalk with someone in the summer months. It has a lot of park benches to stop and sit on, you can easily watch the river traffic or the emerging new skyline across the river. So far, it's relatively undiscovered, too, so you won't have to fight your way through crowds to have a pleasant conversation. There are trees and the railing has better detailing than some. Some people might think it's too sterile, but I think that's only because it's such a young park - such a young neighborhood for that matter. The whole area is no older than 20 years, and i think in time it will develop more character. Until then, it's still a great place to have a quiet, romantic walk with someone.