Highlighting Lake Michigan as a place to hang out in Chicago may seem like kind of a cop out, but Jarvis Beach is not your typical city-run lakefront attraction. Unlike its more popular counterparts on the South Shore and North Avenue, Jarvis Beach could use a little attention (and attendance). This modest strip of sand and lake water gives credence to the "less is more" adage. With only a few hundred feet of shoreline interrupted by a giant mass of boulders in the middle, Jarvis Beach is not big enough to be overrun by people, making it the ideal quiet place to gather your thoughts and simply stare at the lake, with a bench available for just such an activity.

There are no playgrounds, guard towers, bicycle rental kiosks or concession stands at Jarvis Beach. There is hardly much of anything, at least by Chicago standards. Its seclusion is guaranteed by three large yet quiet apartment buildings protecting the beach from the hustle of Sheridan Avenue. Only a quarter mile or so form the Jarvis L, this stretch of lakefront is an easy walk any time of year.

Centerstage Reviewer: Patrick Corcoran