The best attractions in Lakeview

Home to over 700 boats, Belmont Harbor is the perfect place to collect your thoughts after a long jaunt through the neighborhood or a lengthy lounge session on the beach. Find peaceful views of the boats and the lake, as well as a fantastic vantage point of the Chicago skyline.

This park has it all (including one of the best Chicago swimming pools!). Find baseball fields, tennis courts, a gymnasium and an area for dogs to run, as well as tons of seasonal activities and sports such as boxing, weightlifting, volleyball, youth football and many fun clubs and leagues for kids to have fun and make new friends.

This is one of the last bowling alleys in Chicago where the pins are reset by hand. A group of pinboys works the lanes and rolls your balls right back to you as you and your team of friends throw back a few beers at this once Schlitz-owned brew house. Be sure to stake your claim early and don't forget to tip! 

The Center on Halsted is committed to the health and social welfare of Chicago’s LGBT community and plays host to many all-inclusive events, sports leagues and activities of all kinds. Stop on by and you'll never be alone—over 1,000 people visit everyday. The building is also attached to an enormous (and well-appointed) Whole Foods should you get hungry. Before you leave, make it to the rooftop for some dazzling views of Chicago.

Music Box Theatre probably has one of the most consistently diverse lineups of movie screenings in all of Chicago. With daily showings of everything from indie blockbusters to the latest art-house films, it’s rare to find this theater on an off-day. The venue regularly screens cult classics and holiday films and invites directors to talk about their work and participate in audience Q&A sessions. Oh, and the popcorn is topped with real butter.

Golfing in Lakeview is easy, cheap and offers a quaint reprieve from the neighborhood's bustling streets and sidewalks. This course run by the Chicago Park District makes scheduling a tee time a breeze with online and phone reservations available 24/7.

It doesn’t matter if the Cubs are the best or the worst team in the league—a ball game at Wrigley Field is always one of the best things to do in Chicago. If you’d like to skip the crowds, tours of the Friendly Confines are available almost every single day. Wrigley sometimes plays host to the occasional concert or two, but tickets sell out fast.

Satiate your inner naturalist at this sanctuary for migratory birds and native plants that would have otherwise been overtaken by Chicago’s massive urban sprawl. Bring a pair of binoculars to spot the many, many bird species that inhabit this urban preserve.

Easily one of the most beautiful churches in Chicago, this Lakeview icon built in 1889 still offers a monthly German mass to this day. The exterior of the Catholic Church is decidedly Gothic-inspired, but inside offers a colorful contrast to Chicago's plentiful gray days.

Take a load off at the driving range or veer a little more on the goofy side with an 18-hole round of miniature golf.