An average spread of acreage in the Bucktown neighborhood of the city, the Holstein Park is managed by the Chicago Park District. Among the facilities to be enjoyed here are baseball fields, a playground, an outdoor basketball court, and swimming pools. The park also plays host to various community events.

The Damen Avenue stretches from the Chicago neighborhoods of Ravenswood till McKinley Park.. Divided into its northern and southern parts, this avenue is bustling with restaurants, bars, shops and more, and is also the venue for street festivals and fairs. One of the festivals that the avenue is known for is the Green Music Fest, which transforms this street into a colorful, festive venue, buzzing with music and life.

One of the city's popular neighborhoods, Wicker Park lies to the northwest of the city center, comprised in the community area of West Town. The neighborhood boasts a melange of art galleries, bars, pubs, and shops, which is perhaps reflective of the diverse cultural background of Wicker Park. Initially the dwelling of rich merchants, namely those hailing from Germany and Scandinavia, Wicker Park today thrives through the legacy left by its high class origins. Some of the notable sights in Wicker Park are the Flatiron Arts Building, the Polish Museum of America, the Ukrainian National Museum and the Saints Volodymyr & Olha Ukrainian Catholic Church. Call to know more.

West Town Bikes aims to promote bicycling in Chicago and to serve the growing bike population in the city by welcoming bikers of all experience levels to work, learn, and teach bike mechanics in their community workspace. The organization offers several classes and workshops and also hosts open-shop nights where tools are available for anyone to use. West Town Bikes even has a women's night where only women and transgendered bikers and instructors are allowed in the shop. Kids programs, such as BickerBikes, an earn-a-bike summer program, also educate and serve Chicago's youth about bicycle mechanics and cycling skills. West Town Bikes does not charge for services, but a donation is suggested for participating in an event. - Betsy Mikel

Chicago Food Planet specializes in Food Tours through Chicago's most historic, delicious neighborhoods. Suitable for all age groups and fitness levels, the daily three-hour experiences are enjoyed by native Chicagoans and visitors alike. The food tours include mouth-watering food tastings, from historic "mom and pop" specialty food stores and one-of-a-kind ethnic eateries. The company was rated the #1 Chicago activity by TripAdvisor and has been featured in CNN Travel, Bon Appétit, NBC's "The Today Show" and the Chicago Tribune.

Located in a Polish neighborhood of Chicago, this is one of the oldest ethnic museums in the States. It showcases the historical and cultural depth of Polish-American art through paintings, sculptures, drawings and lithographs. You can find regular exhibitions, lectures, concerts, slide presentations, and theater performances dedicated to promoting Polish Culture. The museum library has over 60,000 volumes, 250 periodicals, collections of Polish music records and cassettes.

Anyone interested in the Byzantine world of Ukrainian art should visit this museum. Works explore the delicacy of composition and the urgency of form. They avoid expressing an overly nationalistic sentiment. Mediums represented include painting, photography, sculpture and a variety of paper arts. View the works of artists such as Carolyn Ard, Marylin Collins, Myrosha Dziuk, Susan Gofstein, Paul Krainak, Darlene Kryza, Lorraine Peltz, Wrik Repasky, Stan Strembicki and Barbara Toczydlowska. The gallery offers membership options, thereby providing privileges like participation invitations to exhibitions, concerts and other events,free admission to all exhibits and discounts on purchases. Admission is free, but there is a suggested donation of USD5.

One of the first to break the gentrification barrier into Bucktown, this gallery presents a neat and tidy surface of 'emerging art' by local artists to greets you initially. While the gallery is great for finding art that will match your color scheme at home, it is not progressive in interpreting the current trends in modern art. Bring your Gold Card. Sellers can take advantage of the consignment arrangements at the attached antique mall.

Visit Ron Seymour Studio for an unusual and pleasant photography experience. Local fine art photographer Ron Seymour frequently opens this combined home, studio and gallery space to the public for vieweings. His collection of Western landscapes, nudes and portraits is impressive. Be sure to see Ron's archive of his father, Maurice, who photographed theater and dance portraits from the 1930s through the 1970s, including some of celebrities.

Step into another culture! As the name implies, Pagoda Red offers authentic Asian antiques. The Wicker Park shop is an artfully displayed assemblage of unusual antique furniture and artifacts from China, Tibet and Southeast Asia. You will find a large and impressive selection of furniture, rugs, pottery works, Buddha and other statues, wall hangings and moderately priced gift items for those with a taste for the exotic.