SOUTH SHORE Located on the grounds of a former country club, the South Shore Cultural Center offers a public golf course, beach, gardens, and great picnic areas for locals and visitors to enjoy. Dine at the Parrot Cage , the on-site restaurant serving modern American cuisine prepared by aspiring culinary students. Nearby, the Stony Island Arts Bank is a hybrid media archive and art gallery offering free arts and cultural programming in a former bank building. Visit the eta Creative Arts Foundation for grassroots African American theatre and art exhibitions. PILSEN Pilsen’s National Museum of Mexican Art houses more than 9,000 works celebrating Mexican culture and history, from ancient Mesoamerica to present day. Admission is free and the museum often hosts special events for dance, music, literature, and theatre. Every second Friday, the Chicago Arts District hosts a gallery night with free receptions at studios and galleries along South Halsted Street. Pilsen is also known for its public art and the many colorful murals found along 16th Street that carry messages of hope, love, and beauty. of African American history and culture. The Bronzeville Visitor Information Center offers tours exploring the neighborhood’s heritage and notable public artworks, including the Monument to the Great Northern Migration and the Victory Monument, honoring an African American regiment that served during World War I. More recently, local artists have restored murals from the 1960s and ‘70s, and Gallery Guichard opened the Great Migration Sculpture Garden . Be sure to check out the South Side Community Art Center , the oldest African American art center in the country and a designated National Treasure. CHICAGO GREETER PICKS Four Chicago Greeter volunteers share their favorite places in the city. Schedule a free tour customized to your interests at chicagogreeter.com. “I love riding my bike from Millennium Park down to South Shore and along the lake to the Steelworkers Park at 87th Street. It’s an unknown gem with beautiful city views and wildflowers.” — PAUL HERMAN “ Millennium Park HUMBOLDT PARK Enter Humboldt Park under the giant iron Puerto Rican flag, marking the gateway to Chicago’s Little Puerto Rico. Along Division Street you’ll encounter the Las Puertas del Paseo Boricua project, a collection of 16 doors painted by contemporary Latin artists. The area’s namesake park is home to a historic fieldhouse, boat house, lagoons, and gardens. The National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts & Culture , housed in the park’s former stables, was founded in 2001 to showcase Puerto Rico’s rich culture. The Puerto Rican People’s Parade , held each June, is the community’s biggest celebration. LEFT TO RIGHT: CHICAGO PARK DISTRICT; CITY OF CHICAGO “In Bronzeville, I take architecture buffs through the Illinois Institute of Technology campus. It’s a scattering of steel-and-glass boxes, and the purest, most orderly expression of Mies van der Rohe’s architectural ideals.” — BRIAN LIPINSKI “As a longtime East Rogers Park resident, I love Armadillo’s Pillow, a used bookstore. Browse the shelves for the perfect book to read at the beach, just a block away.” — SHARYNE MOY TU “The best attraction in Humboldt Park is the boat house, which was restored several years ago. It overlooks a lagoon that you can swim in, featuring the only beach in the city outside Lake Michigan!” — RICHARD PRINCE BRONZEVILLE Known as Chicago’s “Black Metropolis,” Bronzeville is an epicenter South Shore Cultural Center 39
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