Bicentennial Park is a relatively big park in Joliet. It has some notable features to check out…read more Several bridges cross the Des Plaines River. Of course there's plenty of bad things about it. There's lots of homeless people and sketchy characters hanging around all times. It has a lot of history. Look around and there's historical information. There's some nice public artwork to check out. Drawbridges are one of the attractions. Either walking across these or watching them go up. Be sure to pay attention to signals before crossing so you won't get caught on one and fall in. Concerts and events also occur. A lot of fun activities in the summer especially. This is also fun just walking on the riverfront and hanging. Coming here would be much better without a few problems that are common. It often has homeless people sleeping and making a mess. They need to make more shelters.

This place is my new escape... Better views than walking on the lakefront in Chicago in my opinion…read more Easy access from Jefferson / Route 52! It's free to park and there's even a makeshift outdoor theater that's reminiscent of the uphill at the Hollywood Casino Amphitheater (or whatever they call it now) Its got a fountain, things go climb I suppose, plenty of walking, there's a park, open fields, great for picnics. There are some negatives to the place though. Some homeless and shady people do hang out here. There was a naked man drinking Busch and sleeping on the bench. It's not too great on the other side. This place really lacks maintenance and care!

Great trails to do a 5k today for hike for Health. We were able to stay on paved trails for the…read moremost part which limited the amount of mud we had to wade through and the gorgeous weather certainly helped create an enjoyable event.

This green space is only twenty minutes from my home, but never knew it was there. A friend thought…read moreI should check it out and Leroy Oakes did not disappoint. In early May the Forest Preserve was crowded on a weekday, people getting out during the Covid19 crisis I imagine. There's a nature center, miles of trails, a historic home museum and a one room schoolhouse. At the height of the coronavirus all of the buildings were closed, but these should definitely be worth a revisit.

A nice small park with athletic fields. It's next to Naperville Central so the sports teams are…read moreoften playing games here. Knoch Park is pretty big with plenty of stuff. Besides sports, there's clean bathrooms. There's also a pavilion with picnic tables. For a small park it's actually good. It's not exactly a leisurely place. This is ideal for athletic teams. Among the facilities are baseball and softball diamonds. The football stadium is also here. Needless to say it can get busy when there's a game. On the other hand, it can be very quiet when nothing is going on. Good for big gatherings. The kids can run around and play. Best non sports related thing here are bathrooms. It's surprisingly clean. There's usually plenty of parking lot spaces.

Very big space right across Naperville Central.... attended the Indian Independence Day celebration…read morewas fantastic and very well organized ever with good entertainment and food!

Chicago I will always love you!…read more We have some of the most amazing conferences, festivals and shows. In my opinion, absolutely no other city can touch our food scene! Panda Fest had Chicago show up. I told myself to leave early. I know better. My bed held me hostage. When I arrived at 10:15a for my 10:00a timed entrance ticket, the line was wrapped around the block. I don't mind waiting in line for food. The line seemed to move along nicely or I could have been distracted talking to others in line. Either way, it was organized. The smells were amazing. I skipped breakfast in preparation for this. Once at the front, people are yelling to have your tickets visible on your phones and your bags open. Then you are handed a Chicago panda bear pin wearing a Cubs hat, holding a Chicago pizza slice. So cute. Then you are directed to the headband station, a panda bear with a Chicago pizza slice. So cute. Now for the food. My belly was like, "let's go"! My plan was two sweet, two savory and two drinks. I just kept eating. Lol. I had wagyu skewers topped with soy, garlic and onion sauce. Pork and beef dumplings with chili crisp. Lamb skewer with spicy chili powder. Spam musubi, a teriyaki meat pie. Purple yam ice cream, tanghulu, (candied fresh fruit). Passion fruit flavored sugar cane drink. Loved it! Coconut water vanilla ice cream drink. Everything that I ate, I really enjoyed. Belly full. There are plenty of children's activities; face painting, games and inflatables. So bring your babies. Definitely family friendly.

Wow, I hadn't been to Grant Park in over 20 years and the last was for the Taste of Chicago. Well…read moreafter almost 25 years, we went today and it was awesome! Great Friday night to go and Common was performing on the main stage! We are fans of his music so it was great to see him perform in his hometown!

Get some good views from this small park close to Navy Pier that gets overlooked a lot. It being…read moreclose to a big tourist attraction means it gets ignored by most people. Jane Addams Memorial Park is a hidden gem in plain sight basically. Lots to see around here. This is popular with yoga classes and those coming for a workout. A small park located by Ohio Street Beach. It's a small park and there's not much as far as facilities. This used to be called Navy Pier Park. Located not far from the popular tourist area. This was renamed in 1996 to honor the social reformer and Nobel Peace Prize winner. Check out the Jane Addams Hull-House Museum to learn more about her and her activism. This meanwhile is a pretty good place for chilling, or working out as there's many bicyclists and runners around it seems. Has a pretty good location. It's close to a popular area for tourists. There's also sights like the skyline and other good views.

Such a cute, beautiful, and serene park…read more I walked here on top of the snow that I saw for the first time in my life and it was such a beautiful experience. This park has nice trees and benches. Easy to walk and then a little bit farther you can even see the water and the view it's marvelous.

Welcome to Chicago! There's no city like it and the Chicago River is one of many places that…read moreshowcases its exquisiteness and allure. Vast architecture can be found along the path here; Encompassing complete beauty and incredible historic views. Chicago is tenacious, a city that can never be sidelined. Growing up here was the absolute best, and it will always be home.

A charity swim this morning to benefit ALS on the Chicago River. Safety teams in kayaks paddled…read morealongside the swimmers, who were chosen for their open-water swimming experience, while lifeguards lined the Riverwalk to help swimmers who could not complete the course. Only 3 of the 263 swimmers didn't finish. It took some an hour to go a mile through the downtown loop with orange floats gliding across the river. It was funny to see them walking through downtown Chicago in robes with medals around their neck, what an accomplishment! The last time that Chicago sanctioned a group swim in the river was 1927, a tradition thwarted by the loads of industrial and human waste that were routinely dumped in the water. It has taken decades of cooperation between environmental groups and elected officials , including at least four mayors, to clean up the river. I understand there are now dozens of species of fish, eagles overhead & otters playing along the banks now.

We are on a 2015 park visit excursion with the grandbabies. We try to visit a new park weekly and…read morethis one did not disappoint. The playground area is set up for children ages 2-5 on the north end and 5-12 on the south end. The play area is super clean and well maintained. The kids stayed in the north end of the park and didn't tire of the unique climbing wall, and unusual things to climb and swing on. One set was a standing swing which I hadn't seen before but the kids loved it. This park has the usual slides, swings and such, but the unusual sets were well thought out and fun. There also is an area for picnics and a covered area where we saw a large children's party. There are facilities as well, but we never used those. Lots of benches and picnic tables. We will be back. Highly recommend.

I have seen this place before. I've driven by it countless times over literal years, from all…read moresides--Inner Drive, Outer Drive, and Michigan Avenue--but never even thought about it as a park or anything. But I stopped here today and it was actually quite peaceful! The garden has quite a few pollinators though I don't know if it's solely native plants. There's a gazebo near the corner of the Inner Drive and Michigan Avenue, with the courtyard there a beautiful place for photos. A bit further south of the gazebo are 4-6 benches in the grassy area. There are many trees sprinkled around so as I said, it's actually quite peaceful; you can see the skyscrapers surrounding you on two sides, and the traffic rushing by on the Drive is quieted by the trees. Whilst here I saw several European Starlings--a beautiful bird that I've been hoping to see sometime soon, and didn't expect to see it here (maybe not in Chicago at all!). It's distinctive, so when I saw the "stars" on its wings I had a suspicion which was confirmed by my app. The garden was established around 1989, and it commemorates the safe harbor that the Rosenbaum family--Jewish immigrants who faced several obstacles to getting to the United States, yet more than once encountered good fortune on their journey at just the last moment. It's surprising to me to learn that the garden has been here over 30 years; it's so well kept that I thought it was relatively new, within the last decade. I found a really interesting article on the family and the establishment of the garden in Mother Earth Living: https://www.motherearthliving.com/gardening/Holocaust-Survivors-Garden/. There's an underpass that will take you to Oak Street Beach. Parking is available along Inner Lake Shore Drive, which you'll pay for using the ParkChicago app. The minimum amount of time you may park here is 30 minutes.

What does this forty-something yelper have in common with a seventy-something man walking his dog?…read moreAnswer: it ain't a green bag of poop! Today, and at the same moment nearly, he and I were both figuring out the name of this little rose garden in a park. As I walked over to the gazebo-like structure, I saw him looking down at a paver I've never noticed. "So that's the name of it," I say and he replies as if we've known each other a lifetime, "so it is. I never thought about it until now." Longtime fan, first-time reviewer. This is my little oasis between the chaos of Michigan Ave and that of the beach. I enjoy the green space, the benches and the flowers. It's well-manicured and there are some beautiful old trees. Sure, it's still noisy what with the hospital nearby, LSD & Michigan Ave traffic, but just look up and admire the gorgeous views. Honk if you like the view! (Just got an earful of car horns too :-) "City in a Garden" (Chicago nickname first coined in the 1830s) is alive and well. A tip of the hat as thanks to the Rosenbaums!