There is some beatiful parks and lakefront property that Evanston can boast about. There are also…read moremany parks and walking trails that go all the way from the lakefront to Dodge Ave. On my last visit I was checking out the lush greenery and lakefront property that can be found by Sheridan/Church St. near the boat launch area.

I can honestly say I probably spend half of my summer at the Evanston sailing beach and the…read moreEvanston dog beach. My dog even gets excited when we drive by on Sheridan Road. All the facilities are top notch with clean facilities and groomed beaches. The staff are always friendly and do their jobs well. We keep a sailboat at paddle board down at the sailing beach for easy access and it's easy to find street or lot parking to enjoy a day on the water!

I came here for a volleyball tournament and oh my god this gym is so nice the weight room alone…read moremight be enough reason for me to transfer. There's different sections specifically for different teams (oh to be D1). There's also a Protein Bar and Kitchen near the lobby, a perfect snack post-lift for the gains. Overall beautiful gym right by the water, grateful for an opportunity to play here.

I've been to a good number of gyms in my lifetime (from LA fitness to 24 Hours, even to other…read morecollege gyms), and I think SPAC is just okay. Yes, the facilities are clean and pretty spacious, but I think the machines are really limited. For example, there are a limited number of cardio machines, and they fill up really quickly if you go at peak hours. The weight/stretching area is also pretty small and can get packed fast. I've tried one of the free classes (yoga), and maybe it's because I am admittedly a bit of a yoga snob, but it was way too easy and barely a workout. I'll be sticking to LA fitness for now (even though SPAC is free for me).

Seeking to take part in a fun winter activity? Mount Trashmore has got you boo. Here are some fun…read morefacts about it. The hill was birthed from a former landfill from the 1960's. Two decades later, it was dedicated as a sledding hill for recreational use. This hill can be found along Oakton Avenue and lies within the confines of James Park. You can see it from a distance and during winter season, locals bring their children with sleds in tow to enjoy a fun filled day of winter thrills free of charge. On Mount Trashmore, there are two small bunny slopes on each side. The slope to the left of the mountain is for younger children (Ages 4-7). To the right, you'll find another bunny hill where older children (7+) hang out. The big kahuna out of the three hills is Mount Trashmore in the center. When the forecast over the weekend called for snow, I pulled my unused sled out of storage and went with my husband to Mount Trashmore. I did not conquer the mountain on my first visit for fear of the unknown and avoiding injury. On my first visit, I chose the bunny hill to the right. I was probably the only adult amongst a sea of preteens on this hill but I didn't care. As much as I wanted to, I didn't go all the way up. I chickened out and rode my sled a third of the way down. Despite the short ride, I did get a few seconds of thrills as I was coming down and actually enjoyed myself afterwards. After a fun morning of sledding, here are my afterthoughts. As a first timer cautious to sledding, I'll say this. #1) Start slow and do the bunny hill first. My two big issues were: *Mounting my sled at the midway point while avoiding a slip and fall. I managed this with no injury however the act was super awkward and my husband was laughing at me the entire time. *Steering my sled For you folks like myself who are new to this, here's a primer I wish I had prior to coming here: https://www.wikihow.com/Sled Once you've gained enough confidence, start going higher up the hill and then move on to Mount Trashmore. #2) Sledding etiquette. Wait your turn to come down the hill and if you're lingering at the base of the hill, be cautious and make room for those coming down so you don't become a sled-block casualty. #3) I would advise not going down the hill face first. I saw a kid doing that and it made me cringe inside. If you're reading this, sled at your own discretion. Come early on a Sunday before 11am to find free parking nearby on Oakton Avenue.

Man haven't been here since I was a kid back in the 80's. I forgot the place existed. I thought My…read moretrashnore didn't exist and was just a name of a hill I used to sled on. Can't wait to come back when it's snowing and bring my kids

I keep finding myself back to this park ever since high school. They have plenty of outdoor…read moreactivities like basketball, sand volleyball, pickleball/tennis, and baseball. Big area to picnic with bathrooms. The lights stay on until about 11 pm during the summer/fall. They also have a waterpark. Great park for all ages. No issues with parking.

This review is for the pool. I grew up going to this pool every summer. I recently went here for…read morethe first time as an adult to bring my own child. It looks exactly the same and they have managed to keep it in good condition. It's nothing fancy but it's clean and well kept. I love that they have two kid pools, one with a bunch of fountains and that connects to slides and another that is more basic/quieter. There was plenty of seating and lots of staff/lifeguards around. They do adult swim for the last 10 min of each hour. One less star because it is very expensive for non-residents ($18 per person). My infant was free, thank goodness. I guess if I think about it that is about the cost of a movie ticket. Anyways, I will probably not be going as often as I would like because of the cost.

The Wilmette Community Recreation center houses 2 modern playgrounds, a preschool, tennis courts,…read morebaseball fields, state of the art gym facilities for adults and little ones, and a variety of indoor and outdoor extracurricular activities for all ages. The indoor facilities and the outdoor grounds are all very well maintained. The large playground was rebuilt last year and is one of the nicest ones in the North shore area. The small playground (which is part of the preschool) is fully fenced and has a splash pad that operates during the summer months. There is an outdoor walking path that loops around the entire Rec center and an indoor running path at the fitness center. There is also a state of the art gymnastics facility for toddlers to big kids. Overall, this is an excellent recreation center that is very well maintained and has just about everything. The only negative aspect of this center is that the playgrounds can get too crowded when all the kiddos from the preschool, summer camps, and enrichment programs all come out to play. Otherwise, very highly recommended.

One of the best parts about living in Wilmette is coming to this community recreation center run by…read morethe Wilmette Park District. Here they run a variety of activities for children as well as adults and seniors. Almost any activity you can think of including sports, fitness, dance, theater, gymnastic and art are offered here. They are always adding new things that are popular. My son just started a video game design class which is really up his alley. During holidays and throughout the year they put on special events for families to enjoy. They run a very good preschool which is one of the most affordable in the area, but make sure you book it early because it fills up fast. The quarterly book that they send to the residents is huge and nicely laid out with programs. You can register for classes with ease online or there. Not only that, but the staff are all very helpful. If there was ever a time when we were not completely satisfied or were suddenly unable to attend, we were refunded our money and never given a hard time. Anyone can sign up for the activities here, however it is just less expensive if you are a resident. What I love the most is the convenience of everything being in one location, so I'm not running all over the place. I also like how many options there are. We are always trying something new and fun. They put on the cutest theater productions and tickets are not expensive. The rec center has alot to offer so check it out for yourself!

I'm a CA native now living in the Midwest so miss the beach. I've been to Chicago many times but…read morenever thought about going to the beach. Last summer we finally went to Lake Michigan and was surprised that it looked just like the Pacific Ocean. The water was blue and clear (not like the muddy brown lakes of NE and IA). This year we decided to stay in Evanston instead of doing downtown Chiacago again. We went to Lighthouse Beach with our 6 year old and 3 year old. It was a great beach. There is a play ground by the beach, a parking lot, bathrooms, life guards, and lots of areas for shade if you want to stay out of the sun. It was beautiful and convenient. The only downside is that it costs $12 per person if you are a visitor. So for a family of 4...it gets pricey. But I guess that helps to keep the beaches nice. Def a beach to visit if you are in the Chicago area!

Grew up not far from there. Take the family there on occasion. Small, nice, and quiet. There is a…read moretucked away fire pit that can rented out and you can go there at night (no life guards then of course). You can take a cool stroll around the old light house as well.

Review for Harrer Pool parties only: Don't. We contacted the park district 1 month prior to…read moreintended party date to pay deposit to secure the party room. After scheduling and paying deposit for the pool party and confirming we have 1 hour set up and 1 hour post party to clean up, we tried to contact the Harrer pool coordinator for room specs, table number, size, chairs and equipment availability so we know what we needed to buy or not buy..table covers wall decor and such. Nothing. Emails and phone calls not returned. Was contacted 2 days prior to party by the new coordinator only to be asked about the cake. Coordinator told my daughter, the birthday celebrant's mom, we had to be out of the room exactly at noon. We were pushed out at 1145.. why? They had their own party to go to. Will never opt for a party space that NEEDS to have a coordinator on site. Have used the field houses for parties before and will continue to use them again. OR will rent Oriole Pool party room and instead (as long as that particular "party planner" is NOT part of the deal) So terribly disappointed.

This review is purely for the 'open' volleyball Thursday nights. I've gone to the gym for years…read more The workers there are friendly and helpful. The older woman that looks to head this "open" volleyball seems to pick and choose when she would like others to take part. My friends and I have slowly started to participate in the open volleyball here, but have noticed that her attitude towards us participating is not very kind. We come from different suburbs in the Chicagoland area - not exactly close. But we're turned away because she felt that they couldn't let one more team play (even though other players told us we were welcome). Third week in a row we were given attitude while trying to take part in "open" volleyball. I would suggest MG park district try to come up with a sign up sheet or better method of signing up to partake in "open" volleyball. Because if I have to travel from far to only be told I cannot play, it should not be called "open" volleyball. We would have made other arrangements to play had we known we would be told we cannot play there. Instead we wasted 45 mins trying to arrange another court to play. Unprofessional and rude.

Nice place to play pickleball. They have pickleball available from 7:00a.m. - 3:00p.m…read more Monday-Friday on a drop in basis (only until noon when schools are out). They have four courts available and plenty of people to play with unless the weather outside is good. It's $6 single play or you can pay for 10 plays for $40. They also have basketball available after 3:00p.m.

Figure I share this info since I bet there are quite a few people around Chicago looking for an…read moreaffordable indoor basketball gym. Hamlin Park cost $40 an hour to use their basketball court. No thanks Xsport cost $20 - Ok but no one is there to play with and most of my friends wouldn't pay that much to play basketball. I found 1 public park that has free indoor gym but that place only have 2 rims which mean a very long wait. I found out about Golf View from a friend and I was so glad to know about this place. $5 to use their basketball court if you are under 18 or $8 for 18+. This is a day rate not hourly which is perfect. This place has 12 rims and plenty of people there on any given day playing basketball. Perfect!!! I peeked around and it seems they offer a nice fitness room. Their monthly rate isn't bad comparing to other fitness center.