Lincoln Park, Chicago

Lincoln Park ranks up with New York's Central Park as one of the nation's finest urban playgrounds. In fact, the two were designed by the same landscape architect genius, Frederick Law Olmstead. From North Avenue all the way up to Ardmore, Lincoln Park encompasses over 1000 acres (405 hectares) of rolling green spaces and pretty lakes. Locals prize the viewing bridge over the North Pond that looks out at the Michigan Avenue Skyline. Visit the Lincoln Park Zoo and the Chicago Historical Society . Dozens of statues, including the famous statue of General Grant, can be found here. Look for other statues of Goethe, Shakespeare, Sir George Solti, Ben Franklin, and Hans Christian Anderson. Be sure to watch out behind you, though. Joggers, roller-bladers and bicyclists tend to whip through here without caution.