In summer, Chicago's largest green space, Lincoln Park ,
gives a much-needed respite from the gridded pavements of the rest
of the city. Unlike Grant Park to the south, Lincoln Park is packed
with leafy nooks and crannies, monuments and sculptures, and has a
couple of friendly, family-oriented beaches , at the eastern
ends of North Avenue and Fullerton Avenue. Near the small
zoo (daily 9am-5pm; free) at the heart of the park, you can
rent paddleboats or bikes. If the weather's bad, head for the
conservatory , 2400 N Stockton Drive (free), or visit the
Chicago Historical Society museum (Mon-Sat 9.30am-4.30pm,
Sun noon-5pm; $5), at the south end of the park at 1601 N Clark St,
and bone up on Chicago's captivating past. It also has a nice,
skylit café.
The Lincoln Park neighborhood, inland from the lake between
North Avenue and Diversey Parkway, centers on Lincoln Avenue
and Clark Street , which run diagonally from near the
Historical Society; Halsted Street , with its blues bars and
nightclubs, runs north-south through its heart. Any of these main
roads merits an extended stroll, popping in to the many book and
record stores, while smaller side streets show off why Lincoln Park
is such a popular place to live. Look for the Biograph
Theatre movie house, 2433 N Lincoln Ave, where John
Dillinger was ambushed and killed by the FBI in 1934, thanks to
a tip from his companion, the legendary Lady in Red. Oz Park
, at Lincoln and Webster avenues, was the namesake, if not the
inspiration, for Chicago author L. Frank Baum's stories, set
somewhere over the rainbow.
Chicago spreads north from Lincoln Park for block after
low-rise block of houses and shops, many of which date from the
late 1800s, when thousands of German immigrants settled in what was
then the separate enclave of Lake View. This area is now dubbed
Wrigleyville in honor of Wrigley Field , 1060 W
Addison St at N Clark Street, the ivy-covered 1920s stadium of
baseball's much-loved Cubs. This remains one of the best places to
get a real feel for the game - the club is so traditional that it
fought the installation of floodlights until 1988. Even if you know
nothing about the rules, there are few more pleasant and relaxing
ways to spend an afternoon than drinking beer, eating hot dogs and
watching the Cubs struggle to win a ball game (they haven't won a
World Series since 1908).