Lindblom Park
Seventeen-acre West Englewood park with a field house, outdoor pool, a running track and recently renovated baseball and softball diamonds funded by Cubs Charities
Ellis Park Arts and Recreation Center
Green anchor of the tiny Oakland community area, with a field house opened in 2016 that holds a competitive pool, gym and arts studios beside a Jens Jensen-designed park
Burnside Park
One of the only public gathering spaces inside the rail-bound Burnside triangle, a 5.5-acre playlot with playground, basketball courts and ball fields named for the community area itself
Gerry’s Fish & Chicken
Long-running neighborhood fish-and-chicken counter serving fried catfish, shrimp, and wings on a stretch of Michigan Ave where few independent sit-down spots remain
The Farehouse O’Hare Plaza
A rare made-from-scratch restaurant, cafe, and full bar tucked inside the O’Hare Plaza complex within the residential O’Hare community pocket between Cumberland and East River Road
Tortas Frontera by Rick Bayless
Celebrated Chicago chef Rick Bayless’s farm-to-terminal torta counter inside O’Hare itself, a genuinely distinctive made-to-order bite and an airport landmark that sits squarely in the O’Hare community area
Carver 47 Food & Wellness Market
A Black-owned neighborhood cafe serving superfood smoothies, honey cortados and soulful healthy plates, with proceeds supporting a local arts academy
Evelyn’s Food Love
A beloved Washington Park spot for from-scratch soul food, seafood and brunch run by chef-owner Evelyn since 2017
The DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center
The nation’s oldest independent museum of African American history, set in a landmark roundhouse on the edge of Washington Park
Virtue Restaurant & Bar
Chef Erick Williams’s Michelin-recognized ode to Southern and diaspora cooking, one of Hyde Park’s marquee dining rooms