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Less crowded than their neighboring beaches. Jarvis Beach is more popular with younger swimmers as they are under the watchful gaze of the Chicago Junior Life Guard program. It also offers some open space to toss a Frisbee or people-watch. Fargo Beach is a real gem with its community garden of native beach grasses, decorating the sea retaining wall that separates the beach from the property to the west. Don’t miss the wonderful plantings in the “tree box” at the end of Fargo Ave. The local take ownership for this beach and it shows. Be careful; many a local “outdoorsman” has been known to illegally launch a kayak from this public beach, and the dogs off leashes can get a bit “hairy” at times. Sherwin Beach, connected to the south of Jarvis Beach, is a small sand spit that offers a chance to sneer at the adjacent private beach.
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This is the only survivor of the two homes Frank Lloyd Wright built in Rogers Park, commissioned by a local brick magnate. (Chicago, as you'll notice, was a good place to be in the brick business.) After years of neglect, a new owner has scrupulously restored the house, but it's not open for tours — you'll have to content yourself with exterior views of the home's late Prairie School style, and the ingenuity of Wright's design that copes with the small lot and the busy street facing the house.
Wide open spaces are here: room for soccer, basketball courts, and a public field for baseball (along with one non-public field). The Heartland Cafe operates a concession stand during the summer, and there are a few small piers. It ends in the Leone Park & Beach to the north, a training beach for Chicago lifeguards.
This is it: you've reached the end of Chicago, and it's a nice one, with lots of green space and a fun jump down to the sand. Daredevils can swim for freedom to Evanston.
Art deco style meets religious devotion in the spectacular Madonna della Strada Chapel, built in 1938 on the grounds of Loyola University's campus. Its renovation was completed in 2007, and the pipe organ is the largest in the city.
A private, non-profit library spanning a couple of storefronts, with 14,000 books, 800 periodicals, and extensive archives on LGBT issues. Reading groups for men and women are held here, as is Cinema Lesbiana and other events. Call or write ahead for access to the archives or special research requests.
This beautiful West Ridge park is a local favorite. Join the locals walking around the lagoon, full of turtles and ducks, and see the sprawling playground and nature center. Surrounding the park are ritzy 1920s condominiums with interesting castle-like architecture.