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.

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!

If you want the stability of true suburban living without giving up your Chicago address, Norwood…read morePark is the definitive answer. What sets this Northwest Side gem apart is its rock-solid consistency... it's always been the real deal. You'll find solid, beautifully kept homes and a deep-rooted community where families proudly stay for generations. You don't find this kind of lasting quality in many city neighborhoods anymore. ​The best feature is the genuine, low-key charm. The local public schools are highly rated, and the overall safety and police presence are top-tier. The distinct street layout, which avoids the harsh city grid and features winding roads, contributes to a quiet, almost protected feel. That commitment to maintaining a true residential sanctuary is why it's considered the Gold Standard. ​For all that peace, you are absolutely not isolated. The Metra station is an absolute blessing for getting downtown fast, and the proximity to the Kennedy Expressway makes life easy for errands and travel. When you need a break, the area connects directly to the large, natural space of Caldwell Woods. Take a walk, grab a coffee at one of the enduring local spots, and remember that you found the perfect Chicago neighborhood... tried, true, and dependable.

Came across this small park while going by on a bicycle. It has many access points to The 606, the…read morebicycle trail that goes along Bloomingdale Avenue in the Humboldt Park neighborhood. Julia De Burgos Park is one of the parks along this. Even though it's a pretty small one, it still has a lot. The playground includes a spider sculpture and a climbing web among other stuff. A convenient stop along this hip bicycle trail that goes along Bloomingdale Avenue. It's one of the many parks that access it. The park is known for the playground. Has a lot to play on. This was named after one of the greatest Latin American poets. She was born in Puerto Rico, and published 3 books of poetry in 1938. Then she moved and worked menial jobs, but she continued to write. It's not a park that has a ton of features, but there's some pretty cool ones. This is one of the city's newest parks. Land was acquired in 2009, and it opened pretty soon after. This park was renamed after her a bit later. Good way to get here is on a bicycle. It's also a good place for area residents to bring children. There's a pretty well taken care of playground.

This is a cute little Park that is off the Beaten Track…read more In the middle of the park is a spider web-like structure with a small trampoline in the middle. I have seen children and adults alike using this as their playground. Thankfully the ground underneath is a cushioned rubbery surface so anyone who may tumble out of this is not likely to get hurt. There also is a small climbing structure that can be very popular at times. During the week this part is not that crowded, acid is mostly used by locals in the neighborhood. Unfortunately, there is now an entrance and exit to the 606 Bloomingdale trail, so a lot of runners, walkers, bicyclists and disrespectful pet owners have discovered it. If you want to enjoy the park come during the week, forget about the weekends as it is overrun with too many people who do not respect or clean up after themselves or their pets.

I love this little park in Printer's Row! It's really warm and inviting, with multiple paths and…read morelots of seating. It's a nice place to sit and enjoy the trees. I like to read here. Lots of people pass thru with their cute dogs. It's a relaxing and positive vibe.

Cool small park located in the South Loop. Dearborn Park is also in the neighborhood of the same…read morename. It has a few features including a fitness course and a playground. Mostly exists for the residents around it. This is next to the large housing complex, and most people here are from there. A redevelopment of a former train station resulted in the creation of this green area. It's the former site of the Dearborn Street Railroad Station. The architecture firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill laid out the residential complex in the 1970s, and the park is the centerpiece of this. Among the features is a fitness course. The neighborhood and park are named after General Henry Dearborn, who was also a Secretary Of War. He served as this for Thomas Jefferson. The park has a pretty modern playground Good place for people who live here to hang around. It's also close to the Chicago Curry House if you get hungry. There's a few other places around to eat or whatever.

Wonderful place for the kids! There's a lot of fields, the mountain is fun to explore.read more

Best Hill to sled down in the north burbs, holler at this place when you have kids, don't show up…read moredrunk on a broken piece of plastic and flail down the hill. Easy street parking, they used to slang hot cocoa, but no mo'. Thanks for the memories, I will be creating more with my kids. Love.

Evans Field is part of the Des Plaines River Trail (South Section) located in River Forest, IL…read more It's one of the smaller parks near a residential area. It has a pavilion and restroom facilities. The trail is gravel, but you find smaller dirt trails along the way. Once you start heading east on the trail, it joins up with the north/south part of the trail that goes along the river. Dog friendly park, but you must keep them leashed.

My discovery of Sunset Bridge Meadow came after I took an alternate run route because the underpass…read moreheaded north towards Schiller Woods South was blocked off due to flooding. And since then, I have been slowly moving further south with hopes of locating paths that lead to Thatcher Woods which I hope to eventually start off at in the future to train for marathon runs as I have done before, but at Fullerton Woods trailhead. What I like about this trailhead is that its parking lot is spacious, and highly visible being that it sits along a highly driven on W North Ave. And on top of it having a spacious parking lot, it has a huge open field that is perfect for activities outside of outdoor picnics at the grove. Out of the trailheads in this area which are Fullerton Woods and Jerome Huppert Woods, I recommend this one for safety and security purposes due to its location if you plan to be on the Des Plaines River Trail for more than an hour exploring. Because with its location being in a highly visible area along W North Ave anything suspicious will be easily identified. And also there are a decent number of visitors in-and-out. Once you enter the Des Plaines River Trail, it is a whole different world where you can easily escape reality and be one with nature that covers an estimated total of 28.4 miles. And if you are lucky you will encounter some of the wildlife that live within the preserve too. On the Des Plaines River Trail, you will encounter hikers, dog walkers, mountain bikers and trail runners which all are friendly from what I have experienced. Most encounters with mountain bikers can throw your pacing off depending on how many there are in a pack which most of the time are no more than four. I do recommend taking the encounters as the time for a short break to hydrate or gather yourself until they pass by on whatever portion of the trail you may be on if there is not enough room. And lastly, a tip on how to not get off track on this trail is to stay along the Des Plaines River, which will end up on your left hand side once you cross the bridge. If you cannot see the river then you may have went in the wrong direction, but I assure you it is not hard to miss. And the further north you go towards the state line of Wisconsin the more the trail disconnects. ~Blessings~ Thomas G