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 is an excellent Morton Grove neighborhood park with a basketball court, two t-ball fields, a…read moreplayground, and a sandlot (with little excavators for kids). It's very friendly for dogs and short walks, given that they have both a doggie bag and disposal area as well as a tree-lined path that spans around a block in a paved circle. There are little park benches dotting the path. The playground has one set for younger toddlers, and a gigantic area for more daring, older kids. (Some of those tube slides go insanely fast, and I can see the repeated slide appeal). The area is really well maintained, and I've seen the park district come by to refill mulch and powerwash the playground equipments. There's even a "free ditial game" app learning board to help guardians set up digital games, if needed. Lovely little park with something for everyone.

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 a gorgeous little park near the University of Illinois at Chicago. My son lives in the area…read moreand brought me here and it's a great little green oasis in the middle of the city. Lots of mature trees and shade and very tastefully laid out. Perfect for a nice walk or relaxing in the shade. Just walking through here is therapeutic!!

I wasn't much in the mood to run at any of my usual run spots within the city. However, while…read morebrowsing through my Yelp collection of run trails & paths the thought of running at Arrigo Park intrigued me because it was a new experience. The park was also a well needed breath of fresh air to get me outdoors for a workout. I advise you to pay attention to the signs before you park because there are certain times of the day & days when parking is authorized. Only vehicles with a zone 5 permit are exempted at any time. A good thing about the park is that you have a good visual of your vehicle as you are doing loops around whether it be walking or running. So if anything happens for example like you being ticketed or a boot being placed on your vehicle then you can handle the situation beforehand. The park has a peaceful yet classy like vibe and it certainly feels safe. In my opinion it has a similar vibe to Palmer Square which is a park located in Chicago neighborhood Logan Square except its path is paved rather than dirt. As for its features there aren't any features like a playground, baseball diamond, basketball or tennis court, however you can play football or soccer on the field which is as lengthy for those activities. It does have that vibe of being the perfect spot to throw a frisbee with friends or with a pet. The park used to have a statue of Christopher Columbus, but the statue was removed out of safety concerns after police clashed near the Grant Park statue with protesters who wanted to tear it down. I love the visual of Willis Tower which appears very close. Its appearance gives that reminder that you are in the city of Chicago which I personally can never get enough of. Four laps around on its paved path will put you at one mile. There is no actual direction posted if you are either walking or running. I say this because while on my run I was headed in the direction head on of those walking. I went with the direction that was comfortable for me, but as long as I wasn't in anyones way I saw no issues with it. If you are looking for a nice peaceful park on the Near Southwest Side of Chicago then look no further than Arrigo Park. I am quite positive that I will return now that I have gotten a feel of it. ~Blessings~ Thomas G

This is a nice well kept large enjoyment area under the Illinois department of conservation in the…read moreCity of Cicero. Nice fenced in splash pad for children , 2 large playgrounds for children with modern equipment, tennis courts with futbol goals as well and a basketball court as well on the South end of Park. Located in a quiet residential area. Please read park rules that are posted and be respectful of residents. There is a new and nice 5/3 Bank just a block South. Located just North of Cermak Road, many places to eat , shop and enjoy along Cermak Road and surrounding areas.

It was a breath of fresh air the evening I decided to run at Miller Meadow Forest Preserve. Being…read morethat I work nearby as well as drive along Roosevelt Ave where I pass by Miller Meadow - North, it was only a matter of time that I would conduct some form of an activity at Miller Meadow. I entered off 1st Ave which is labeled as Miller Meadow - South; and the first feature that immediately caught my eye was its off-leash dog area which was huge. As a fitness enthusiast that has been running for years, I would categorize the difficulty level of Miller Meadow - South as moderate because the terrain is not entirely flat. Distance markings are marked along the path, a loop style path totaling 1.70 miles per loop. I encountered mostly walkers, a few joggers, and a couple of recreational bike riders along the path. At one point during my loop, there was a woman who caught and overtook me as I ran. We went back-and-forth with me overtaking her and her overtaking me which brought competitiveness during my time on the path. I spent no more than forty-minutes during my initial run on the path but could have easily gone longer if I had the time. While well into the path, I felt that sense of being in nature as well as engulfed by tall grass in certain parts. I also felt that feeling of being secluded, but there were always nature's animals within sight that kept me in the moment. I could not help but enjoy the beautiful sounds of birds chirping, glimpses of the red-winged blackbird throughout the entire path, and I even saw a deer from afar in the woods. There are a variety of activities you can conduct within the path of Miller Meadow - South; some of those activities I can certainly see are hiking, running, walking, biking, in-line skating, or even bird watching. The area can also be used to conduct large gatherings, or picnics; and its large field is perfect for many recreational activities you can partake in. The area is well-maintained, consisting of benches with tables located in shaded areas near or underneath trees, but very few picnic shelters which are perfect for large gatherings; and there are even a couple of portable restrooms within the space. Along the path, there are waste and recycling bins, even in some of the secluded spots. And on top of it all, Miller Meadow has a very spacious parking lot. Overall, I had a very pleasant experience at Miller Meadow Forest Preserve, as indicated in this review and would definitely return. As a runner, I can see myself returning just to conduct interval runs around its loop in build-up to long run events I participate in. ~An adventure a day keeps the doctor away. ~ Thomas G

It was good. It went perfectly. I got to ride a tandem bike. There was a lot of stuff to do!read more

What a great space! There are a lot of soccer fields at the complex that you can see that holds a…read morelot of permits. But nestled within all of it is actually a dog park, and I've taken my dog multiple times cannot wait for spring to come to take him again. It is a great plot of land that is split into two sections. You have one section for smaller dogs, and one for bigger dogs. More than enough space for your furry friend to run and get a good workout in. There is walking path on the perimeter of the park which is a nice little walk with your own pup (sometimes multiple pups who opt to tag along). It can get crowded at the park at times, but you really only need a good solid 30 minutes - just bring some water in case. There are a ton of dog bowls throughout the park but good to have extras!

I just moved here and its been a great big dog park for my guy to explore and socialize but our…read morefirst dog fight was here. a french bulldog type of dog attacked him. there is a small and big dog side but im not sure why he was on the big dog side. just beware at any dog park if the owner is yelling "BE NICE" the second you walk in, its probably an aggressive dog lol lesson learned

We had SUCH an amazing time for my 30th birthday with Captain Bob and Anna! We spent 3 glorious…read morehours out on the choppy waters of Lake Michigan shortly after the Air and Water Show. I searched for hours looking for the right place to charter a boat that was big enough for my group of 15-20. Everything I found only held up to 10 people or held 50 or more, and they required that you purchase food and drink packages from them. Bob allowed us to bring all our own food and drinks so on top of being one of the most reasonably priced boats, we saved money on food and drinks too. Captain Bob was ridiculously accommodating for our group. He knew that traffic would be terrible because of the weekend we had our adventure so he offered to pick up our booze from Binny's that morning so we didn't' have to carry it down to the boat. He also went and got us cups since we forgot them. All in all, it was amazing and you should go visit!