Marquette Park - Chicago, IL

Marquette Park was created in the 1900s as an urban oasis for residents. Land surrounding the park was originally bought by John Frederick Eberhart in the 1870s. Many of the surrounding houses were built in the late 1800s and early 1900s. As the neighborhood grew, agencies added more amenities to the park itself.

The Bazlekas Museum of Lithuanian Culture honors the contribution of Baltic people in Chicago. Exhibits show how Lithuanians were affected by Soviet occupation and deportation and highlight the Baltics' rich history.

The arts scene in this neighborhood comes mostly from Tarkington School and the park itself. The monument to two Lithuanian-American aviators, Darius and Girenas, represents art deco-style sculpture in the park.

Most of the restaurants around Marquette Park line 63rd Street to the north and 71st Street to the south. Residents enjoy plenty of fast-food chains, ethnic restaurants and casual eateries. Music venues lie closer to downtown, but a few nearby bars deliver nightlife action in this neighborhood.

Granny B's on 71st serves breakfast, lunch and dinner to hungry customers. Start your day with a heaping plate of French toast or pancakes with three eggs. Omelettes come with ham, sausage and mushrooms. The dinner menu has something for everyone. Try smothered pork chops with sides of cornbread, stuffing, mashed potatoes, rice or vegetables. Crispy chicken wings come with cole slaw or fries. Spicy chicken penne contains pasta, chipotle sauce and mushrooms with a side of garlic bread. Hamburgers and Asian-style chicken dishes round out the menu.

The Sandwich Break features Puerto Rican sandwich favorites seven days a week. The sandwich de pernil, or pork, comes with sides such as onion, tomato and lettuce, and rice. The steak jibarito represents the signature sandwich of the restaurant, with cuts of steak, lettuce, tomato and onion between two fried plantain slices. The tripleta has three meats on a standard French bread bun. Choose from several breakfast sandwiches and platters served with French bread.

La Quebrada Restaurant has an extensive menu of Mexican favorites that caters to many tastes. For breakfast, the huevos al albañil arrive at your table scrambled, sautéed and bathed in molcajete sauce. Huevos San Luis get scrambled before adding sautéed cactus and chile de arbol sauce. Huge breakfast plates come with corn, black beans, chorizo and plenty of eggs. The savory chicken soup has many varieties, including caldo tlalpeño al chipotle with chicken, garbanzos, zucchini, carrots, green beans and avocados. For dinner, the Mexican pasta comes with noodles and a Tex-Mex twist.

Harbee Liquor & Tavern, a pub on West 18th Street, has cool art littering the walls, and music is always playing while you kick back a cold craft beer or specialty cocktail. This is a bring-your-own-food bar, and there's often a DJ spinning tunes. On Thursday nights, you can come in for karaoke night.

Most residential streets have wide sidewalks for daylight strolls to school or to Marquette Park. Bicyclists should be wary, since cars park on the streets due to the tightly packed positioning of the houses. No streets have dedicated bike lanes.

Main thoroughfares include Marquette Road, 71st Street and 63rd Street east and west. Travel north and south on Western, Central Park, California or Kedzie avenues. Marquette, 63rd and 71st all reach I-90 a few miles to the east. Many cab companies can pick you up if your car breaks down. Uber rides are also an option is this area.

Chicago Transit Authority buses have two routes to service this neighborhood. Route 52A stops at Kedzie and 63rd on weekdays. Route 94 buses stop at 59th and California. Route 52A stops at the Orange Line/Kedzie station for the subway to downtown. Marquette Park is approximately 5 miles from Midway International Airport.

Marquette Park is the largest park in the southwest part of the city at 323 acres. This expansive space has two gymnasiums, a nine-hole golf course, an auditorium, a woodshop and the Martin Luther King, Jr. kiosk. One interesting part of the park includes a section of preserved prairie grasses and plants that have grown in an unaltered state for decades. Play on four multipurpose fields, an artificial turf field, two playgrounds, tennis courts, basketball courts and baseball diamonds. Lagoons on the property enhance the natural beauty of the park. Bring your dog on a leash for some outdoor exercise. Facilities such as the golf course and gymnasiums charge use fees.

Several holiday-themed events for families occur at Marquette Park throughout the year, such as an Easter egg hunt and Halloween trick-or-treat gathering. The golf course hosts the annual amateur Chicago Parks senior golf tournament.

Living costs less in Marquette Park compared to downtown Chicago, due to substantially lower housing expenses. A one-bedroom apartment averages $675 a month.

A pint of beer costs about $2.50 at local bars. Gas prices typically trend 3 percent higher than the national average. A day pass on CTA buses costs $10 to go anywhere in the system.

Marquette Park has a few high-value chain stores for customers to find basic needs. Many shops exist along 63rd Street. Ogie's Foods and Save-A-Lot are the closest grocery stores. Wood Street Urban Farm, located northeast of Marquette Park, sells fresh produce from May to October.

Tony's Western Wear carries favorite brands such as John Deere, Wrangler, Stetson and Levi's, with an extensive selection of clothing, boots and accessories. If you need a hat for your night on the town or some boots to go with your outfit, Tony's is the best place to pick up what you need. Look for the large, white horse outside the shop on 63rd.

Marquette Photo Supply has been in the same location on 63rd for more than 60 years. Check out the supply of professional and amateur cameras, digital storage media, advanced digital cameras and older-style supplies. Find a bulb for digital projectors, dark room equipment, tripods and even film for older cameras. If the store doesn't have it, the staff can order it.