Tucked away in a tranquil residential area in NW Evanston, Cartwright park offers fun recreational…read moreactivities for people and pooches of all ages. There is a nice little playground for the children, a cute sculpture that can be used as a sled, a gazebo for picnics, a small hill, tennis courts, basketball courts, and a large grassy area that is perfect for frisbee, various children's sports, and for exercising the dogs. Although the playground structure is a little older than the ones in other parks we frequent, I love that this park feels very peaceful and does not get too crowded. One thing I wish this park has is a public bathroom. Overall, a very nice park! Highly recommended!

Linne Woods was a well needed breath of fresh air for me the morning I conducted my run at this…read morepark. I am no stranger to it because it sits near an agency that I work for, so I am off-and-on in the area. And not that long ago one of my direct care clients celebrated his birthday at this park which gave me the chance to feel the vibe of it. My solo visit to Linne Woods came after having no interest in running the ever so congested Chicago Lakefront Trail. At the time, it was marathon training season with many runners out training for their fall and even winter marathons. And not to mention other individuals out on the trail whether it be biking, walking, skating, or even at the beaches which I just did not have the tolerance for at the time. In comparison to Chicago Lakefront Trail, Linne Woods appeared very peaceful which was exactly the vibe I had yearned for. It appears to be the ideal place to conduct large gatherings, or even picnics; and its large field is perfect for a number of recreational activities you can partake in. The area is a well-maintained space, consisting of picnic tables with shelter and benches within, and there are even restrooms within if it becomes your pit stop while on the trail or during whichever activity you are engaging in. And not to mention, there are waste and recycling bins throughout this area. Linne Woods is also accessible to the ever so lovely and maintained paved and unpaved North Branch Trail where it is easy to feel that sense of being engulfed in with nature and the beauty of it! I could not help but enjoy the beautiful sounds of birds chirping, the chipmunks or squirrels running either across my run route, or through the litter of dry leaves. It also kept me in the moment whether it be startled because of the noise, or the visual of those cute critters which put a smile on my face. Along with sounds of wildlife, I cannot ever forget the close encounter I had with deer as I embarked on my run route on this Chicagoland trail which took me up to Skokie Lagoons. Overall, I had a very pleasant experience at Linne Woods, as indicated in this review and would definitely return. It has become my preferred spot where I can enjoy my long runs in peace, as well as nature. ~Gonna run 'til I don't jiggle. ~ Thomas G

A wonderful site for outdoor strolling and enjoying nature. Had some very close and counters with…read moredeer which was truly amazing. My girlfriend loves animals and she couldn't have been happier that day. There are many trails to choose from or you can just walk on the road as well. You can even make your own path through the woods if you are adventurous! There are also picnic tables trash cans and bathrooms if you just want to enjoy a picnic.

We looked at this park for accessibility for mobility challenged people. Know before you go! Here…read moreis what we found: - No handicap accessible parking spots (street parking only) - One handicap accessible water fountain - Terrain is wood chips, patio brick walkway - About 10 feet from main attraction to street Nice Park!!!

This is a rather large park out of the way from most of the busy traffic along the major streets…read morenearby. Woodland Park straddles the Niles-Park Ridge border and is another hidden gem of a neighborhood playground in the area. While most of the park space is devoted to soccer games, it has a sparkling new playground which was totally rebuilt in the summer of 2006. To get to this park from Dempster, you can take Parkside Ave. all the way to the parking lot near Glenview Ave. From Oakton, it's 2 blocks north on Western Ave. in Park Ridge. Lots of dead-end or cul-de-sac streets keep outsiders from finding this place. You can't get to it easily from Greenwood Ave. Besides soccer, there are tennis courts and a basketball court. The playground is in the middle of the park, next to a big hill, which is great for "wheee moments" riding in a wagon, bicycle or on skates. It's also fun to run up and down the hill, though I have seen many kids falling down while doing that. In the winter, you can sled down this hill - even do it on a flat sheet of cardboard - as I saw some kids improvise last winter. A very large weeping willow nearby gives it the added touch of beauty. The playground has a fancy climbing apparatus that resembles a funnel-shaped spider web of red, braided rope. It connects to a walking bridge and 2 slides. This looks dangerously scary at first but seems like most kids navigate it quite well, including my 3-year old. There is also a steep climbing wall for the kiddies. A smaller playground for little kids is at the other side of the playground, but it is not as exciting. The little sandbox has clean white sand. Early in the day or in the evening after soccer is over, the open fields of grass are great for running around and playing in what looks like a big backyard next to all the residential homes nearby.

One of the Abbott Marathon Majors which I ran as part of attaining my 6 Star achievement the…read moreChicago Marathon was a fun run for 26.2 miles. The course of very flat, fast, and getting PR's on this route are very attainable. The marathon expo is large and has everything there. If staying in the downtown area the start line is east to get to. You're basically running through all the neighborhoods. The year I ran it was sunny and cool, and even though there were many spectators cheering us on I felt on many parts of the course were sparse and a bit quiet. Still, it's a fun marathon and a great day. Plus, you get an ice cold real beer at the end! Beer and a medal is a win! It's a terrific race course to attempt if you're a first time marathoner since there are few hills and it's considered one of the easier ones. 50,000 runners on average and it was easy to get in through the lottery at the time. Plus, there are many pop up events and marathon related things to attend around town.

This event has a spectator was very well ran. How was mainly upset they closed areas that had…read moreaccess to parking garages but for a large scale event I will say that the organizers did great and they have this event to a T year after year. Everyone here was happy,supportive and motivational to all of the runners involved! If you are coming here as a spectator I highly recommend learning where the public restrooms are at because this city lacks public restrooms and there are about 100,000 people watching this event on top of the 52,000 people that run this event every year! My thing that I will learn for next year is that I will take the METRA instead of driving. Driving to the city wasn't even that bad it was actually very easy because it was Sunday but it's navigating through all the people. Please download the app too that allows you to track your Runner or runners. The one thing that bothered me a lot was seeing a good variety of spectators run on the path when runners are in the middle of the race. People need to be a bit respectful. Thankfully nothing interfered with the race astronomically. Overall, i wouldn't mind coming back next year! I just wouldn't bring lawn chairs but I will stack up on drinks and snacks prior.

This is a relatively peaceful place for hiking and biking. But it's a little hilly for an Illinois…read moreforest preserve, so wear appropriate footwear (I learned that the hard way). I've seen people getting professional photos taken with these woods as a backdrop, and it's a good setting for that. There's an expanse of grass between the woods and the parking lot where you can sit, have a picnic, whatever. The paved trail runs up the hill and onto the bridge over Lake St. to the north or towards Old Orchard to the south. As you move south, the forest preserves get a bit busy, so I prefer to head north from here. Just to the west of the main trail, there's a gravel path that tacks off to one side and is a little quieter, if that's what you're looking for. You won't lose sight of civilization completely, but you'll get a breather from the steady flow of bike traffic on the main trail that way.

07/03/20 - Yet another part of the extensive trails that make up part of the vast Forest Preserve…read moreNorth Branch trails. These start East of me by the Chicago Park district on Foster Ave & go West through Labaugh Woods off of Cicero Ave (5 houses East of me) through Forest Glen Woods (2 Blocks west of me) the turns north all the way to the Chicago Botanical Gardens. These trails are awesome as they provide people a little respite from urban life literally right in their backyards. People especially now that the weather is warmer come out for walks, running, roller blading & biking along the trails. My sister and I are both on a mission to not only get exercise, but see our own natural beauty our forest preserves provide & at the same time shed some pounds. The amount we have been walking you see all sorts of wild life, everything from deer, Blue herons, snapping turtles, chipmunks scouting around, squirrels, raccoons, hawks, redwing blackbirds, cardinals (no Cubs though bummer), blue jays even a fox. Today we walked from the Blue Star Memorial Woods to the south end of The Skokie Lagoon & back about 6.3 miles.

Its length, secluded appearance, and terrain were three reasons why I ventured out to the Green Bay…read moreTrail rather than the Des Plaines River Trail or Chicago's Lakefront Trail, which are two areas where I love to conduct long runs. As for its length, per sources the trail extends 9 miles from Wilmette to Highland Park which makes it the perfect spot for a long run in preparation for the Chicago Marathon. As for secluded, the majority of Chicagoland trails give off that vibe of being secluded in comparison to Chicago's beloved Lakefront Trail, a trail that sometimes drives me bonkers encountering many individuals doing multiple activities. The secluded vibe is one thing that I love about the Des Plaines River Trail and what keeps me returning. I figured that this trail was no different. As for terrain, after I viewed pictures shared on both Yelp & Google, the Green Bay Trail appeared to be a mixture of gravel and paved which eliminates the whole muddy experience when damp. A muddy trail is the last thing I wanted to have dealt with while conducting a long run. I eased into running on this trail because I was not familiar with it. As expected, the path was a mixture of gravel and paved which appeared as an off-and-on path that takes you through parking lots, downtown areas, and other parks. The path starts in Wilmette and ends in Highland Park; the Metra train station in Highland Park from what I experienced. I had a hard time finding parking in the Wilmette area, so I drove out to a park known as Shelton Park, a park located in Glencoe which worked out just fine for me. In the meantime I will most likely continue to make it my starting point until I am fully accustomed to running this trail. I also hope to discover where the trail picks up once you hit the Metra train station in Highland Park because I did not see it. Not only did I encounter a deer during my run, but also a chipmunk, and a redwing blackbird. And with the path being along the railway you will hear the sound of the Metra train zooming by every now and then, which will be viewable off to the side. Very clean and maintained was this path that even had garbage cans along it. And for those that bike there are bike pumps in select areas where the trail resumes. At times the bike pumps helped guide me on the way. Other than its broken up appearance taking you through parking lots, downtown areas, and other parks I was not let down by experiencing the features I visited for such as its length, secluded appearance, and terrain. I would surely venture out again from time to time because the area is a different experience. ~Blessings~ Thomas G

Beautiful bike trail - rode from WIlmette up to Highland Park and then Lake Bluff. Spectacular…read moretrail with beautiful trees, wildflowers and foliage on either side for a long time. Well maintained and easy ride. A joy to experience.

We unofficially nicknamed this place "Dirtface Park" but it's really a great playground, nestled in…read morethe midst of the rows of shabby apartment buildings by Dee Road and Emerson (north of Ballard & just south of Golf) in unincorporated Maine Township. It's just a few minutes from Golf-Mill but not well-known except to the locals. This is probably the most ethnically diverse park in my area, with lots of Indian, Middle Eastern, Hispanic and Eastern European kids from the area. Best of all, it has the one of the most elaborate playground setups I've seen in the NW burbs. So why the name? Well, when my 3-year old went to this park last year, he played and loved it for only a few minutes before he fell off a plaform and landed in a mound of wood chips. Dirt and tears smeared his face and itty-bitty woodchips went into his nose and mouth. The sad sight he was, we rushed him home to comfort him and give him a bath. He refused to play there again and we avoided it for a year, while it earned the name of "Dirtface Park". After a 1-year hiatus, I took him back a few weeks ago and he just got out of the car, tripped on the pavement and hurt his knee before ever reaching the park! Is it cursed? After that fall, he vowed "Never again!" to go back to this park, ever... Well, maybe not. The park is safe in my opinion and my son was a victim of unusual bad luck here. We took him back this past weekend and he got to play for a long time without any tragic injury or a faceful of dirt. My 1-year old crawled around and loved it too. The playground has a short tunnel made of coated wire mesh that looks like a cage and makes for great fun. It also has a series of square stepping blocks for climbing up to the slide, almost reminiscent of the old Qbert video game. I have not seen that done anywhere else. Besides the playground, there's tennis courts, and 2 sand volleyball courts which double as a giant sandbox when not in use. Lots of trees and shade around the play area to sit while you watch the kids playing.

My review is specifically for Ms. Sandria's girls and women's ballet / tap classes. The class is…read morean amazing value for the money -- and to me a surprising find for a small municipal park district. You or your child can learn ballet steps, and proper posture and decorum, while having age appropriate fun and stimulation. A small but exciting portion of each class is dedicated to tap. Ms. Sandria, who enjoys both dance and working with people, puts together a creative routine, starting from day one, building on each new skill and resulting in a gratifying show at the end of the "semester". She is also incredibly accommodating, and presented a "mothers-only" dress rehearsal in addition to the annual public recital. No matter where you start from, you'll find these classes interesting, good exercise, and you really can't beat the prices. Here's a link to an article in the local Tribune paper about the class: http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/niles/community/chi-ugc-article-golf-maine-dance-classes-prepare-for-twinkli-2015-06-09-story.html

Sometime ago I took notice of Community Park. It was recommended that I take my client here for…read morewalks on the track, switching up our typical scenery, plus because of it having softer pavement. During the evening of being introduced to Community Park I spotted quite a few runners and walkers on the track which built that interest to stop in in the future post finishing my work shift. During my initial run here I noticed that the track has a slight square shape to it different from any other, yet still accurate in distance and consisting of the rubberized artificial surface like any other. It is open as a community park, yet utilized and marked 'Bulldogs' referring to the Old Orchard Jr High School Bulldogs. And depending on what time of day you choose to utilize the track & field on the weekdays you may encounter the junior high school students conducting physical education class. Off to the side, there is even a tiny playground allowing you to keep an eye on your children as they play on the equipment. As for parking, there is access to parking along Kenton Ave which may be limited at select times of the day. But if it is then there is also access within the neighborhood. For me, the Community Park track is a relief because it allows me to get my run in after finishing my work shift because if I wait later I tend to procrastinate and maybe say forget it depending how fatigued I am from work. Even though Skokie is already a pleasant city, I most definitely recommend Community Park if you prefer a somewhat secluded area that will allow you to run, walk, play soccer or flag football. Thomas G