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Suggest a Feature →The Chicago North Shore
Navy boot camp location. But you're an hour from Chicago.
NS Great Lakes is the Navy's only boot camp and one of its largest training installations, sitting on the western shore of Lake Michigan north of Chicago. North Chicago and Waukegan are the adjacent towns — genuinely working-class communities that don't have much to offer in themselves. But you are 35 miles north of one of the greatest cities in America.
Chicago is the anchor. World-class architecture, a food scene that has been nationally dominant for decades, the Chicago Blues, deep-dish pizza and a dog dressed in the mustard, relish, and sport peppers that defines the city's identity. Lake Michigan is immediately accessible. The Chicago Botanic Garden is in Glencoe, 10 miles south. Six Flags Great America is in Gurnee, 5 miles away.
Must Eat
The spots worth eating at before you PCS out.
Lou Malnati's Pizzeria (Chicago)
"The definitive Chicago deep dish. Not negotiable."
The deep dish debate between Lou Malnati's and Giordano's has sustained entire careers in Chicago food media. Lou's wins for the butter crust and the sausage patty (not crumbled, a full slab of meat). Order ahead — these pizzas take 45 minutes to bake.
The Lincolnwood Towne Centre location is the easiest suburban access. Or go to any Magnificent Mile location.
Al's Beef (Chicago)
"The Italian beef sandwich. Chicago's other essential food."
Thinly sliced seasoned roast beef, dipped in the braising jus ("dipped"), loaded into a thick Italian roll with sweet peppers, giardiniera (spicy pickled vegetables), or both. The Italian beef is Chicago's working-class soul food. Al's has been making it since 1938.
Outdoor
Get outside. The land around military installations is usually the best reason to be there.
Lake Michigan Lakefront Trail (Chicago)
"18 miles of lakefront trail. World-class urban running."
The Chicago Lakefront Trail runs 18.5 miles from Ardmore Avenue to 71st Street along Lake Michigan — past beaches, parks, harbors, and the city skyline. Free, always open, and the backdrop makes it one of the great urban running experiences in America.
Culture & History
Places with stories. Most military towns sit on deep history — dig in.
Art Institute of Chicago
"One of the five best art museums in the world. In your backyard."
The Art Institute of Chicago has one of the finest encyclopedic art collections in the world — Seurat's A Sunday on La Grande Jatte, Grant Wood's American Gothic, Picasso, Hopper, and the Thorne Miniature Rooms. Military admission is free or deeply discounted.
Family
Stuff to do with the kids. Rated by people who have brought actual children.
Shedd Aquarium (Chicago)
"One of the world's great aquariums. Dolphins, beluga whales, and sharks."
The Shedd Aquarium on Museum Campus along Lake Michigan has beluga whales, Pacific white-sided dolphins, sharks, and over 32,000 animals total. Combined with the Adler Planetarium and Field Museum (natural history) next door, Museum Campus is an all-day family destination.
Day Trips
When you need to remember there's a world outside the gate.
"Beer, brats, and one of the best art museums in the Midwest."
Milwaukee is 50 miles north on I-94 — a genuine city with world-class brewing heritage, the Milwaukee Art Museum (Santiago Calatrava's building is a work of art itself), the Harley-Davidson Museum, and a food scene that has matured significantly. Cheaper than Chicago, friendlier traffic.
The Metra commuter train runs from Waukegan to downtown Chicago's Ogilvie Transportation Center. Take it — parking downtown is expensive and the train is easy.
Chicago has 77 officially recognized neighborhoods. Pilsen (Mexican-American), Bridgeport, Hyde Park (University of Chicago), and Logan Square each have distinct food and culture scenes.
The Chicago Blues tradition (Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Buddy Guy) is still alive. Buddy Guy's Legends club on South Wabash is the anchor.
Chicago summer festivals are world-class and mostly free — Lollapalooza, Chicago Jazz Festival, Chicago Blues Festival, Taste of Chicago.
Illinois has brutal winters. "The Hawk" (Chicago's Lake Michigan wind) is not metaphorical. Dress accordingly.
North Chicago and Waukegan are economically distressed areas. Stay aware of your surroundings off post. The reward for tolerating the local environment is 35 miles of Lake Shore Drive access to one of the greatest cities in the world.
This guide is built by people who've been stationed here. If there's a spot we got wrong or a gem we missed, tell us.