The Chicago Lawn is a community area located on the southwest side of the city and bordered by Gage Park and West Lawn. Homes in the Chicago Lawn area tend to be single family homes with lots of interesting architectural design and peaked roofs.
The divider between sidewalk and road is very wide and grassy, and while front yards are very small with steps leading right down onto the sidewalk, yards are grassy as well. The lawns paired with the divider will make you feel comfortable walking your dog on a loose leash throughout most of the Chicago Lawn area.
Marquette Park provides a place for you to explore and is a great change from the neighborhood. The Marquette Lagoon winds throughout this park for views of the water and cooling breezes throughout the park. Much of the area is devoted to a golf course and other ballparks, but there are plenty of places for you and your dog to walk.
The neighborhood streets of the Chicago Lawn area are pleasant to walk and are a good place to do any wheeled activities. While you will doubtless enjoy walking down the streets of the Chicago Lawn, you will enjoy finding a change in Marquette Park. This attractive park encompasses several ballparks where pets may not be allowed, but lots of walking trails around and through them and around the lovely lagoon will provide plenty of exploration opportunity for your pup.
There are fishing spots in this lagoon where you and your dog can enjoy approaching the natural shoreline and you can even sit back and fish while your canine companion relaxes and plays in the water. If you have a puppy, it is important that you expose her to safe opportunities to swim like this so that she will not develop a fear of the water and will learn to enjoy all of the fun she can have getting wet.
Marquette Park is a lovely place to go with your dog, with miles of walking trails along the banks of the Marquette Lagoon. While much of this park is devoted to ballfields and almost all of it is well maintained, the water of the lagoon still provides a natural habitat for wildlife.
Sufficient shoreline has been left relatively natural and offers a chance of seeing all sorts of water birds like ducks and geese, as well as wading birds on the shoreline, like egrets and herons. There is plenty of natural area here to support some smaller wildlife like foxes and raccoons as well.
You have a good chance of seeing animals along the shoreline, especially if you walk at dawn or dusk. Even if you don't see wildlife, your dog will enjoy hearing the rustling in the underbrush or the plop as animals jump into the water, and will love following her nose along trails left in the night.