When people talk about the best places in Evanston, they usually only mention the lake, Northwestern or downtown. But Evanston is so much more than just these things. Here is my list of the three most underrated places in Evanston.
Canal Shores Scenic Underlook
Most runners, walkers and bikers in Evanston flock to the lakefront for their jogs, strolls and rides, but if you’re looking for a path more rugged, more challenging, more underground, look no further than the Canal Shores Scenic Underlook. The twisting, root-filled dirt and wood chip path snakes along both edges of the North Shore Channel and the Canal Shores Golf Course, traveling from holes 15 and 16 near Green Bay road all the way to holes six and eight near the Bahá’í Temple. Located slightly downhill from the golf course and hidden from view by its thick patch of vegetation, the path feels like a secret slice of nature in the urban surroundings.
Lovelace Park
Hills are not an easy thing to find in Evanston. Journey to Lovelace Park, however, and you’ll surely get your fill. Tucked away in Evanston’s northwest corner, with one side bordering Wilmette, it features bumpy terrain not seen anywhere else in the city. In the winter, the park’s largest hill serves as a sledding location – one less daunting than James Park’s infamous Mt. Trashmore. In the summer, its air is filled with the scent of grilled meat prepared by the families holding their barbecues in Lovelace’s outdoor pavilions. It’s a place for people of all ages, from the kids playing on the playground, to the elderly strolling around the half-mile loop.
Skevanston
Is it Skokie? Is it Evanston? No. It’s something unique, perhaps greater – it’s Skevanston. The area is technically located in Skokie, with its main borders along Golf Road, Church Street and McCormick Boulevard, but it uses an Evanston mailing address and is in the Evanston school district. While some may say it lacks the glitz and glamour of other parts of Evanston, with its absence of beaches and restaurants, it possesses its own quiet beauty and warmth. Bike along its wide, quiet streets; frolic in its beautiful Central Park; converse with one of its kind, down-to-earth residents – you’ll see it’s more than the sum of its parts.
