Authentic Chicago

Authentic Chicago

So you've done the Art Institute and the Sears Tower -- now it's time to put away your tourist hat and make like a local. Luckily, it's not hard to figure out what Chicagoans like to do in their spare time. Here's how to follow in their footsteps.

Visit an Ethnic Neighborhood

Chicago is a city of neighborhoods, and in many of them you can see traces of each successive immigrant group. Each neighborhood in the city has its own flavor, reflected in its architecture, public art, restaurants, and businesses, and most have their own summer or holiday festivals. Here are a few stand-out 'hoods.

Little Italy. Though most Italians moved to the West Side a couple of generations ago, Little Italy's Italian restaurants and lemonade stands still draw them back.

Andersonville. The charming diversity of the Swedish/Middle Eastern/gay mecca of Andersonville means you can have lingonberry pancakes for breakfast, hummus for lunch, and go to a club after dinner.

Chinatown. The Chinese New Year dragon parade is just one reason to visit Chinatown, which has dozens of restaurants and shops and a quiet riverfront park.

Devon Avenue. Devon Avenue turns from Indian to Pakistani to Russian Orthodox Jewish within a few blocks. Try on a sari, buy a bagel or electronics, or just people-watch -- it's an excellent place to spend the afternoon.

Pilsen/Little Village. The best Mexican restaurants are alongside Pilsen's famous murals. Be sure to stop into the National Museum of Mexican Art, which will give you an even deeper appreciation of the culture.

Bronzeville. Bronzeville's famous local historic figures include Ida B. Wells -- a women's rights and African-American civil-rights crusader -- the trumpeter Louis Armstrong, and Bessie Coleman, the first African-American woman pilot. The area has nine landmark buildings and is rapidly gentrifying.

Enjoy the Lake

San Diego and LA may have the ocean, and New York its Central Park, but Chicago has the peaceful waters of Lake Michigan at its doorstep. Bikers, dog walkers, boaters, and runners crowd the lakefront paths on warm days; in winter the lake is equally beautiful, with icy towers formed from frozen sheets of water.

Bike Along the Lakeshore

To bike any part of the gentle dips and swells of Chicago's 20 mi lakefront bicycle path is to see the city: the skyline, the people, the water. The breeze from the lake mixes with the sounds of the city at play as you zoom by, carefree, whiling away an afternoon.

The Chicago Park District (312/742-7529. www.chicagoparkdistrict.com) is a good source for bike maps.

For information on biking in the city, contact the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation (9 W. Hubbard St., South Loop. 312/427-3325. www.chibikefed.org).

Bike Chicago (600 E. Grand Ave., Near North. 312/595-9600 or 773/327-2706. www.bikechicago.com/home.asp) can deliver a bike to your hotel and pick it up after your ride. Fees start at $8.75 per hour and $34 a day. It also runs a free three-hour lakefront bike tour daily, weather permitting.

You can rent a bike for the day or by the hour from On the Route (3146 N. Lincoln Ave., Lake View. 773/477-5066. www.ontheroute.com), which stocks a large inventory of bicycles, including children's bikes. They also supply helmets and other safety equipment.

Boating

Nothing beats the view of the Chicago skyline from the water, especially when the sun sets behind the sparkling skyscrapers. Plenty of boats are available to rent or charter, though you might want to leave the skippering to others if you're not familiar with Great Lakes navigation.

Sailboat lessons and rentals are available from the Chicago Sailing Club (Belmont Harbor, Lake View. 773/871-7245. www.chicagosailingclub.com). The Chicago Sailing Club focuses on sailing instruction for all levels and includes a program on keeping your boat in tip-top shape.

Sailboats, Inc. (Monroe Harbor, Loop. 312/861-1757 or 800/826-7010. www.sailboats-inc.com), one of the oldest charter-certification schools in the country, prepares its students to charter any type of boat.

For a more placid water outing, try the paddleboats at Lincoln Park Lagoon (2021 N. Stockton Dr., Lincoln Park. 312/742-2038), just north of Farm-in-the-Zoo.

Beaches

One of the greatest surprises in the city is the miles of sandy beaches that Chicagoans flock to in summer. The water becomes warm enough to swim in toward the end of June, though the brave will take an icy dip through the end of October. Chicago has about 30 mi of shoreline, most of it sand or rock beach. Beaches are open to the public daily from 9 AM to 9:30 PM, Memorial Day through Labor Day, and many beaches have changing facilities.

The Chicago Park District (312/742-7529. www.chicagoparkdistrict.com) provides lifeguard protection during daylight hours throughout the swimming season.

All references to north and south in beach listings refer to how far north or south of the Loop each beach is. In other words, 1600 to 2400 north means the beach begins 16 blocks north of the Loop (at Madison Street, which is the 100 block) and extends for eight blocks.

Along the lakefront you'll see plenty of broken-rock breakwaters with signs that warn no swimming or diving. Although Chicagoans frequently ignore these signs, you shouldn't. The boulders below the water are slippery with seaweed and may hide sharp, rusty scraps of metal, and the water beyond is very deep. It can be dangerous even if you know the territory.

Brave the Cold

The city's brutal windy winters are infamous, but that doesn't keep Chicagoans from making the best out of the long cold months. Throw on lots of layers, lace up your ice skates, and show those city dwellers what you're made of.

The rink at Millennium Park (55 N. Michigan Ave., Loop. 312/742-1168. www.millenniumpark.org) has free skating seven days a week and a lustrous view of the Chicago skyline. Skate rentals are $7 a session.

On snowiest days, some hardy souls cross-country ski and snowshoe on the lakeshore -- bring your own equipment.

Loosen up by playing outdoor paddle tennis at Midtown Tennis Club (2020 W. Fullerton Ave. 773/235-2300. www.midtowntennisclub.com). If it's snowing, they turn on the heated floors.

Holiday-walk Chicago's windows during the Magnificent Mile Lights Festival, in November, the Saturday before Thanksgiving. The celebration includes music, ice-carving contests, and stage shows, and ends in a parade and the illumination of more than one million lights.