Really cute and clean park! Great for toddlers and bigger kids. There was also fitness equipment…read morefor adults and tennis, basketball courts. Easy parking lot.

A well needed breath of fresh air for me the morning I conducted my run at Laramie Park. A run…read moreroute that took me out-and-back, through this neighborhood towards downtown Skokie, and back! Once I realized my route along Niles Center Rd was taking me into downtown Skokie, I thought to myself, yes! Laramie Park has a rectangular shape, looking at it from a satellite view. And it literally sits right off of Niles Center Rd in a highly trafficked area nearby a plethora of restaurants and businesses, where Skokie meets Niles! Along with there being neighborhood parking, there are also well-enough parking spots available being that there are two parking lots. I noted a number of outdoor activities you can partake in at this park, like tennis, a playground for children to enjoy, exercising on its exercise equipment, ping-pong, cornhole, basketball, and even baseball which this park does have two baseball diamonds within it. And post completion of my out-and-back run, I did a little yoga followed by a walk along its walk path where I saw even more of its other features within. Not only are there benches throughout its walk path, but there are also sheltered spots in order to stay shaded and avoid exposure to an excessive amount of sunlight. A very pleasant experience I had visiting Laramie Park, and I very much anticipate returning after I took notice of all what it consists of. ~Gonna run 'til I don't jiggle. ~ Thomas G

Had a pretty great time walking around this small park that people don't know enough about. It…read moreactually has quite a few things around if you're looking to hang and chill. Lawson Park is one of the hidden spots in Evanston. A thing that really isn't bad. There's a playground and some cool spots. Coming here isn't exactly convenient if not having a car. It's located along the lake. This is also in a residential area so there's not much going on. More like this is a place for those who live around it. The great thing about it is it's usually pretty quiet. Among the amenities is a playground with modern equipment. There's also an opening to the lake to go hang out and relax. Getting here is probably the worst thing about it. It's located by the lake on Sheridan. There's not much else that's around but it's still pretty chill so whatever.

Insider tip: If you follow the faint path down the little hill behind the park, it leads you to the…read morepirate's entrance for Lighthouse Beach. I call it 'pirate's entrance' because technically, you are trespassing a tad when you use it, but if you just want to dip your feet in the water for a second and not pay the $8 per person entry fee at the main beach entrance, this is how you get there. Enter at your own risk though... I can't be held responsible for any possible charges brought upon you, should you get caught. Other than the bootleg beach entrance, this park is pretty rockin'. There's a solid roofed area with picnic benches that you can rent out for parties, also a large field to just lay in, picnic, or set up a soccer game or whatever kind of sport that the kids are into these days and can be played on grassy turf. There's also a bike rack, and some nice, quiet benches just off a bit from this really swank playground that you should totally take your kids to. They'll love it. You know how I know that? Because I loved it and the thing that would have made me love it more would be if I were smaller and actually fit better going through the equipment, which includes a tire swing, kiddie swings, multiple safety slides right next to each other so you can race, a really nice and spacious jungle gym, a cute tented area that kids can put there heads through and look like they have the body of a knight or princess, a little faux stage to put on a puppet show, a red convertable race car, a motorcycle, a little yellow plane and it's all on that squishy, rubber safety ground so it's cushy, no splinters and probably a lot less skinned knees and bruises.

We had such a wonderful experience with Jessica at the Maine Township office in Park Ridge while…read morecompleting our passport applications. She was incredibly kind, patient, and helpful throughout the entire process. My husband and I came in close to closing time, and despite that, Jessica never made us feel rushed. She truly went above and beyond to make sure everything was completed correctly and answered all of our questions with such a positive attitude. It's rare to find someone who genuinely cares about helping people the way she does. We are so grateful for her professionalism, warmth, and willingness to stay and help us finish our passport packages. Thank you again, Jessica, for making what could have been a stressful process so easy and pleasant!

I have to be honest; I don't really understand the township form of government. It's not something…read moreI'm familiar with having grown up in Oregon, and in Chicago it has little meaning (even though my home in Ravenswood was in Lake View Township). However, in the areas of Illinois where there is a township and it's actually a functional form of government, it seems like the purpose is to provide services specifically to those who live in unincorporated areas of the county while also providing service to others in the township's borders as well. Maine Township has various programs ranging from young to seniors, in addition to providing government services. The building is particularly interesting. When I saw the building, my first thought is that it looked like a church, which was a good instinct because it began as the Good Shepherd Community Church. What's interesting about it is that it was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright Jr. in 1961 and is an example of Mid-Century Ecclesiastical Style. It is one of only two works by the younge Wright here in Illinois, and was made a local landmark.

When it gets dark that statue by the tennis courts is really…read morecreepy looking, it feels like walking into a cemetery. Thankfully it's right next to the police station so there's someplace to run if something creepy happens. They have a parking lot right off of the street which is just a long stretch of spots right in front of the park. Their tennis courts are spacious, they have a big field which is great for throwing a frisbee or ball around, a little hilly field, lots of flowers, a small playground area, and a baseball field...it's very spacious. No problem on a busy summer day, even on a weekend. Lots of room for everyone.

Have to say this park has actually gotten better. It used to be pretty sketchy but it was okay the…read morelast time coming here. Touhy Park is known for the baseball diamond mostly. One of the few good parks around it. You may see a few homeless people but they're usually just sleeping. Checking this place out one may think the park is actually big. It's a lot bigger than it looks. There's a few areas of it that are separated. A lot of it is known as being a hangout. There used to be a lot of homeless guys and tents. A few still around but the park is a lot cleaner. The rest of the park has facilities for sports. Along Clark Street are the tennis courts. The baseball diamond is on the east side. Has a small parking lot. There's also a few paths. Great to see this park is a lot cleaner. It's located between Clark and Paulina. This is ironically not along Touhy Avenue but still only a few blocks north of it so whatever.

I don't quite know what to make of this park anymore. I used to go here all the time to walk my dog…read moreand a couple other neighborhood dogs. Sometimes I'd go on the walking path and other times I'd just walk by it. I completely misunderstood why there were so many tents in it a couple years back and daydreamed of my Girl Scout camping days. Then I realized homeless people had tents here. I know there's another review on here in opposition to that, but I have the exact opposite reaction and respected that it gave them a place to sleep peacefully and semi-privately. When I walked by, it just looked like people camping. Fast forward to the tents being removed, and the park is getting weird. In the summer months when kids are playing soccer and baseball, and some are resting in the grass, it feels warm and family-oriented. But children are back in school, and now it's like a free-for-all. I walked into the entrance IN THE MIDDLE OF A SUNNY DAY and a lady had pulled her pants down and was squatting and urinating in plain sight behind the bleachers. Then, she just walked off. Anybody in the houses behind the bleachers could see her bare butt. I walked in the other direction cause I still wanted her to have the privacy she clearly didn't feel she needed. And she strolled away like it never happened. And now I'm seeing a bunch of people who DEFINITELY should be in somebody's high school homeroom just hanging out. There are some other folks on benches who may or may not be homeless, but they're always friendly, wave and I greet them and go about my business. But then I come back to see an entire bleachers removed altogether. Where are the people who want to watch a baseball game or soccer game supposed to sit? Why am I seeing less dog walkers and people playing Fetch? Why are people loitering by the entrance? I don't know what's going on with this park. It's giving me the same kind of energy I get when I walk under the viaduct at the Howard Red Line. I'm hoping it doesn't become seedy.

I love the park! It has a various places for my dog to play with her new friends and lots of poop…read morebags which allows everyone to pick up after their dogs without excuses. I have met a lot of wonderful people who have wonderful dogs and have never had a problem with over excited or vicious dogs. I love the fact that anyone that is entering the park has had their dog vaccinated which puts me at ease. The only thing that I would add is a water element for the dogs to run through during the heat. There is access to water for bowls but someplace for them to cool off would be great.

This is a haven for my little guy Cooper. What I really love about the park is you do have to pay a…read moremembership fee to get in the park. The park district does require vaccination and medical paperwork for all pooches to enter so not anyone can just bring their dog would properly being vetted. You also have to scan your card when you enter in the park so you pretty see the same folks. I love the fact that they have a smaller area for the smaller guys only and people who have small dogs take this very seriously. It's nice to have an area dedicated to the small pooches without fearing a big pup attack. They also have grass which is huge and saves pup's paw pads! Areas of improvement is that they need to clean the park more frequent than they do. There is often poop in the park that of course should be owner responsibility to clean it but the park should do its job to clean the park daily. They should also actively replenish poop bags. All in all, I'm pretty happy my dog has his social club to meet up with his friends for pup hour.

I love that Winnetka has a dog beach. The only thing dividing Elder Lane Beach and Centennial…read moreBeach is a private residence. My family has had a few Fourth of July picnics here and have fond memories here. The dog beach is great and have taken other people's dogs here to let the dogs have fun. Parking is decent. I love the small rolling hills here at the park.

Could be the best thing about Norwood Park, and not just for the dogs. It has a lot of green space…read moreand a water fountain. Norwood Park has a dog park. Maybe it's not very big but it's big enough. This is certainly much cleaner and not full of piles of poop like others. A lot of basic amenities. It's got a water fountain. This is used for filling up bowls and is used by those bringing inflatable pools. Ground is covered in grass and wood chips. This makes it more comfortable to walk in when there's hot weather. As for the rules, this park is off leash. The perimeter is pretty secure. It's double gated at the entrance. The owners should feel secure about preventing escapes and other dog caused headaches. Best place for those who live around here to bring dogs. It's bordered by Avondale and Hurlbut. This is located close to the Norwood Park Metra station.

Had a pretty good first experience but then went back and this guy was using the N word very freely…read moreand inappropriate. Heard there is drinking too, which I don't mind but racism and alcohol is a bad combo. We won't be back.