Chicago's North Side around Wrigley Field, the home of the Chicago Cubs, has plenty to offer everyone, You can watch the Cubs in season, of course. But Wrigley Field is less than a mile from Lake Michigan, with its beaches and trails for running, biking and hiking. You also can golf in Lincoln Park or explore the fabled Graceland Cemetery.
Dining
There is lots to eat inside Wrigley Field, but very little of it is good for you. However, there are plenty of healthy dining options within a half-mile of the ballpark. For example, you can head for North Halstead Street,where you'll find Whole Foods and the Chicago Diner. Whole Foods has a wide array of organic fruits and vegetables as well as prepared foods made daily. The Chicago Diner has been a vegetarian and vegan haven since 1983 and is the winner of "Vegetarian Times" magazine's 2009 Best Restaurant Midwest award. The diner has a seasonal menu with sustainable wines and vegan beer. Both Whole Foods and the Chicago Diner are open until 10 p.m.
Lincoln Park
Travel eastward on Addison Street for about a mile to Lincoln Park, 1,200 acres of park that stretches for six miles along Lake Michigan. Initially Chicago's first cemetery in the early 19th century, Lincoln Park is now one of the city's most popular parks. From the West Addison entry point, you can jog the Lakefront Trail, which extends northward 3.6 miles to West Ardmore Avenue and southward 14.7 miles to East 71st Street. If you run south, you will pass the Ulysses S. Grant memorial near the Lincoln Park Zoo.
Sydney R. Marovitz Golf Course
Play nine holes on the Sydney R. Marovitz Golf Course in Lincoln Park. The Golf Course lies half a mile north of the West Addison entry point to Lincoln Park. The first hole runs parallel to Lake Michigan. Par is 36 for men and 39 for women. After your round, you can grab a bite to eat at the on-site snack bar or the Clock Tower restaurant. As of 2010, the rates are $22 for weekday play and $25 on the weekend. Seniors over 62 and juniors age 17 or younger pay only $10 on weekdays and $20 on weekends.
Graceland Cemetery
Walk north on North Clark Street to Graceland Cemetery, where many notable Chicagoans have been buried since 1860. Throughout its 80 acres, there are many grand monuments, including an Egyptian style pyramid, a Greek temple, a lakeside mausoleum and the Getty Tomb, which became a city landmark in 1971. Pick up a free map at the cemetery office to find the graves of the members of the Chicago School of Architecture or of sports figures like Jack Johnson, the first black boxer to win the world heavyweight championship. The well-tended grounds make the cemetery seem like a park and provide a nice setting for an afternoon walk. The cemetery is open daily from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Its office is open Monday through Saturday.
Lake Michigan
You can charter a fishing boat or rent a sailboat in Belmont Harbor in Lincoln Park. Chicago Sailing has 24 sailboats from 22 to 53 feet long, and it offers beginning, intermediate and advanced sailing classes certified by U.S. Sailing to prepare you for your adventure. As of 2010, rental rates are between $55 and $95 per hour during the week and between $75 and $110 per hour on the weekends, depending on the size of the boat; you must rent a boat for at least two hours. Salukis Pride Sport Fishing Charters offers three fishing charter boats between 25 and 30 feet long. Fishing equipment and water are included in the rental cost; but you should bring a cooler and ice for the fish you catch as well as sunglasses, sunscreen and a camera if you want take some shots of what you catch or the Chicago skyline from the water.
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