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).

Lincoln Park and Wrigleyville

• Lincoln Park and Wrigleyville

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