Access to nature in Chicago (Geneva, Forest Park: appointed, apartment, townhouse)

[Alacran]

Plenty of forest preserves.

Oregon il, starved rock area, devils lake area/pewits nest (wisconsin) , and cave of the mounds are day trips.

Shawnee forest and pictured rocks are multi day trips.

[guidoLaMoto]

Originally Posted by via chicago

When you consider the raw natural beauty available out west and say whats available to someone within driving distance of SF, Seattle, Denver, LA, etc, we are severely lacking in that department. .

The Chicago area doesn't have the geologic majesty of sites out west, but to a lover of nature, the abundant water & fertile soils provide extremely rich biodiversity. Some of us find swamps lovely. Chicago is on a major bird migration route and bird watchers would rather see a black billed cuckoo just once than a sunset over the mountains. De gustibus non est disputandum.

[pvande55]

Cool city bike rides? I'm surprised nobody mentioned the 606, but it's only about three miles long. Plenty of others, though. Forest Preserve trails as well as the lakefront and the cool bike lane downtown on Dearborn St. Some indoor attractions: Peggy Noteabert Nature Museum in Lincoln Park, and the Garfield Park Conservatory.

[coldwine]

I think Daley had trees planted around the downtown area. That counts as nature engagement, right?

There's also a walking path along Lake Michigan, on LSD.

That's... about as much as personally want to be contact with the outdoors. Who moves to Chicago for prime water rafting? Go to the opera!

[Phil P]

Awesome replies guys! So much info here!

This is what I was hoping for . Looking at Chicago from the 50 mile Google Earth view, my fear was that Chicago would be like a Dallas, where their really isn't much to do from an outdoor perspective and people just aren't interested in being outside or looking at nature.

Like you guys pointed out, there's a bit of a trade off between access to nature and being close to the action downtown, but there are options to live near either of them and if you are willing to drive/commute a bit, you can have both.

This definitely bumps up Chicago as a desirable place I would be willing to relocate to. Also, it gives me some ideas of things to see when I go out to visit the city here soon!

[MassVt]

I love Chicago, but it just doesn't strike me as overly "natural", I never found loads of heavily tree-lined streets, or any truly breathtaking natural scenery, outside of perhaps the shore of Lake Michigan. The area doesn't conjure up the same images as would the Pacific coast, or much of New England..

[Phil P]

Originally Posted by MassVt

I love Chicago, but it just doesn't strike me as overly "natural", I never found loads of heavily tree-lined streets, or any truly breathtaking natural scenery, outside of perhaps the shore of Lake Michigan. The area doesn't conjure up the same images as would the Pacific coast, or much of New England..

I knew Chicago wouldn't have the same natural grandeur as other cities, but my hope was that it at least it wouldn't be devoid of nature and natural beauty and people who enjoy it.

[coldwine]

Originally Posted by MassVt

I love Chicago, but it just doesn't strike me as overly "natural", I never found loads of heavily tree-lined streets, or any truly breathtaking natural scenery, outside of perhaps the shore of Lake Michigan. The area doesn't conjure up the same images as would the Pacific coast, or much of New England..

The second largest central business district in the United States didn't strike you as "natural"?

The massive population density sheltered in high-rises, walk-ups, apartments, flats, and townhouses spread in a highly concentrated area wasn't the same as Yosemite Park?

As for your second charge, I suspect you've never actually been in Chicago. I live in a neighborhood with nothing but tree-lined streets with a thick canopy in the summer.

By the by, there's nothing "natural" in New York City, either, which has significantly less green space than Chicago. Chicago, just like New York, has a lot of empty wilderness around it. That's hardly specific to New England.

Here I was, all this time, assuming my townhome was smack-dab in the center of the Everglades, and not the third largest city in the United States.

[Alacran]

Originally Posted by coldwine

The second largest central business district in the United States didn't strike you as "natural"?

The massive population density sheltered in high-rises, walk-ups, apartments, flats, and townhouses spread in a highly concentrated area wasn't the same as Yosemite Park?

As for your second charge, I suspect you've never actually been in Chicago. I live in a neighborhood with nothing but tree-lined streets with a thick canopy in the summer.

By the by, there's nothing "natural" in New York City, either, which has significantly less green space than Chicago. Chicago, just like New York, has a lot of empty wilderness around it. That's hardly specific to New England.

Here I was, all this time, assuming my townhome was smack-dab in the center of the Everglades, and not the third largest city in the United States.

Dude. Look at San Fran.
It's straight up denser than Chicago on par with Manhattan and you can literally bike ride across the golden gate to straight up nature.

Being in a city doesn't mean you can't access nature.

[DavePa]

Originally Posted by coldwine

The second largest central business district in the United States didn't strike you as "natural"?

The massive population density sheltered in high-rises, walk-ups, apartments, flats, and townhouses spread in a highly concentrated area wasn't the same as Yosemite Park?

As for your second charge, I suspect you've never actually been in Chicago. I live in a neighborhood with nothing but tree-lined streets with a thick canopy in the summer.

By the by, there's nothing "natural" in New York City, either, which has significantly less green space than Chicago. Chicago, just like New York, has a lot of empty wilderness around it. That's hardly specific to New England.

Here I was, all this time, assuming my townhome was smack-dab in the center of the Everglades, and not the third largest city in the United States.

Yes, no one visits many of the city's neighborhoods and doesn't note so many trees. The sought after North and Northwest of downtown neighborhoods ...... have NO shortage if trees. West of the Loop with many warehouses to lofts for example. Will have a bit less and some older areas streets were raised back in a day widening streets and a bit less frontage as the vast majority of the city has with required setbacks of homes for front green-space.

North side looking toward downtown.