YELP CHICAGO SUNIRTHERN SSUBURBS HOW TO

Traditionally, there hasn’t been a ton to do here outside of high school house parties, but that’s all starting to change with the opening of a few new bars and restaurants in recent years including the standout La Barra. The town is devoid of traffic lights, with gas lamps illuminating the routes along winding streets that follow the Des Plaines River beside ample green space that creates a park-like vibe everywhere you look. Why you should visit: With the bulk of it designated a National Historic Landmark, greenery is king in this town designed by famed landscape architect and Central Park mastermind Frederick Law Olmsted in 1869, making it one of the oldest planned communities in America.

YELP CHICAGO SUNIRTHERN SSUBURBS HOW TO

How to get there: Metra BNSF line from Union Station ~20 minutes While you’re here: Venture just across Evanston’s northern border to the neighboring town of Wilmette to check out the stunning Baha’i Temple, one of only eight such temples in the world and the only one in the US ( not to mention one of the most beautiful places in Illinois). You can also catch a concert at the excellent but underrated music venue SPACE while diving into some of the finest classic Chicago-style grub in the region at casual joints like the hungover-Northwestern-student haven Chicken Shack. Meanwhile, the town’s lakeside location offers plenty of enviable views at local parks and beaches while Big 10 college life swings into action at Northwestern University’s Ryan Field each Saturday in the fall. Why you should visit: Evanston may be suburban, but it doesn’t always feel like it, with a wealth of city-quality bars and restaurants including Ward Eight, as well as Edzo’s Burger Shop, arguably the best place in the entire Chicagoland area to grab a burger and shake. How to get there: CTA Purple line, Metra, CTA Bus, and Pace Bus timing varies While you’re here: For nature lovers, the nearby 3,500+ acre Busse Woods forest preserve is one of the area’s best, boasting an elk pasture, ancient upland forests, almost 13 miles of trails, and Cook County’s largest fishing and boating waters. Then, watch the sunset over Lake Arlington and take in a show at the Metropolis Performing Arts Center before your twilight trip back home.

Grab yourself some pastries and sweets at a selection of fine pastry shops, bakeries, and chocolatiers, and then hop over to Books Kinokuniya to pick up some manga, collectibles, or a squishy-comfy Pikachu pillow. First, indulge in some shopping over at Mitsuwa Marketplace, the largest Japanese marketplace in the midwest. Take the 45-minute train ride (or half-hour-ish car trip) northwest past the convention centers of Rosemont and you’ll find a municipality that really can offer day trippers anything they could want. Why you should visit: Arlington Heights is one of the closest places to Chicago where you can take a day trip and feel like you’ve traveled far, far away from the city’s bustle.

How to get there: Metra UP-NW line from Ogilvie Station 45 minutes

Yelp chicago sunirthern ssuburbs