Best Beach in Andersonville

"LakeviewWhile you wouldn't want to lay out here for obvious reasons, your pup will certainly love doing so. Given that this particular doggie haven is small in size and not as busy as others in the city, it’s a good starting point for anyone who wants to test the waters with their pup before letting it loose at a bigger park like Montrose.What to know: This spot, within walking distance of Wrigley, makes for a fine excursion after a Cubs day game. Plus, the lakeside Sydney Marovitz Golf Course, easily the finest public course in the city, is just a stone’s throw away."

"Unlike other dog beaches in Chicago, Belmont Harbor Dog Beach isn’t as crowded. And this beach is perfect to see how the dogs react to the beach for the first time. Nestled just a few minutes' walks away from Wrigley, Belmont Harbor Dog Beach has plenty of spaces for playing around, splashing in the waters, soaking up in the sun, and more."

"Dogs love hanging out at the beach, and what dog parent doesn’t want to spend time with their pup playing in the waves?. Belmont Harbor Dog Beach is the perfect spot for you and your dog. It’s great because it is not as busy as other dog beaches/parks in Chicago."

"This is one of the best public beaches in Chicago and is huge in area lying east of the Rogers Park neighborhood. It is adjacent to the famous Loyola Park known for its stunning basketball and tennis courts, a community garden and a natural dune habitat near the lighthouse. There is long distance swimming available here running parallely to the shoreline making it one of the best beaches for swimming in Chicago."

"With a sprawling 21 acres of land, Loyola Beach is an expansive beach that provides ample space for witnessing exceptional vistas of the city skyline. The beach is nestled in the outpost of the East Rogers Park community. The beach features various amenities for visitors to enjoy, such as the woodshop, clubrooms, fitness centers, and a boxing centre."

"Just across from Rogers Park, you’ll cross through Loyola Park before getting to the sandy shoreline. There’s a parking lot, basketball and tennis courts, and playground in the park. On the southern end of the beach near the breakwater there’s a natural dune habitat and a lighthouse."

"Buzzed Bull is the latest addition to the Chicago ice cream shop scene. This Wicker Park creamery works with liquid nitrogen to create incredibly creamy and smooth ice cream. And if you’re looking to spice things up when it comes to your ice cream, Buzzed Bull also has booze-infused options!"

"Tucked away to the left of the cupcakes is a tiny ice cream display in this cupcake shop. All their ice cream is homemade and the cookie sandwiches and cupcake shakes are the perfect combination of ice cream and your favorite baked goods."

"This Andersonville neighborhood favorite is beloved for its new American-style breakfasts, fresh bakery, charming setting, and its use of locally sourced and organic food. While other breakfast menus are serving the obligatory eggs and avocado toast, spring and summer at m.henry brings a dandelion, shallot, and leek omelette; blackberry bliss cakes; Fannie's killer fried egg sandwich; "veritable vegan epiphany" with scrambled organic tofu, rapini, sweet onions served with tempeh strips or veggie sausage, sliced avocado, a petite fruit salad or house potatoes. The flavors of fall are revealed in items like Sweet Potato Flapjacks w/Apple Cider Syrup; Rustic Peasant Quiche; and Pumpkin Pecan Hotcakes w/maple mascarpone, among many others."

"m.henry is a well-known and trendy neighborhood gathering place on Clark Street for casual breakfast, lunch, and brunch. Hailed as one of the top spots for weekday breakfast and weekend brunch, the cozy café serves mainstay dishes such as “Fannie’s killer fried egg sandwich,” which is served with eggs, bacon, gorgonzola cheese, sliced plum tomatoes, and fresh thyme. Other comfort foods on the menu include homemade black bean cakes served with tortillas stacked with chorizo, eggs or scrambled tofu and adobo sauce, and vegan tofu scrambles with rapini, sweet onions, and tempeh strips."

"The Shops at North Bridge encompasses Nordstrom, Eataly with 50 stores and 20 restaurants across 6 city blocks. Dine-in at one of their restaurants or enjoy a quick snack at their delicious selection of restaurants like Café Nordstrom, Bhoomi Chai Co., Big Bowl, and many more. Visitors may also enjoy their shopping experience in-person, curbside pickup, virtual queuing, and in-store pickup options."

"The shops at North Bridge welcome shoppers with an architecturally unique exterior: the façade of the 1928 former McGraw-Hill building. When it was demolished the stonework was dismantled, cleaned and repositioned at the site of the North Bridge Mall. Featuring anchor stores such as Nordstrom, Louis Vuitton and Hugo Boss, North Bridge promises a fabulous shopping experience."

"With a bridge spanning the city streets of downtown Chicago, The Shops at North Bridge has unique architecture for a shopping mall. A grand escalator takes shoppers to any of three floors, but the stores aren’t limited to the enclosed mall. The retail complex covers a total of seven blocks and includes Italian superstore Eataly."

"Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Daniel X. O'Neil used under CC BY 2.0. Another outdoor shopping centre on our list is located in Bronzeville, known for being the centre of African-American life and culture. If you are planning to visit this area in August, check out the annual Bud Billiken Parade."