Ravenswood Manor Park — Attraction in Jefferson Township

This was the local gang hangout for a lot of us during WWII. We had some rumbles, but for most of the time just hung out. The park area itself was the triangle area (I think there was water fountain there) going towards Eastwood Ave and the park area between Manor Ave and Francisco Ave. No playground area. Just grass and a building facing Eastwood that was closed all the time. We used to hang in and around the drugstore on the corner of Eastwood and Francisco. One pass time was lagging pennies on the sidewalk. Always had Izzie Sutker, the owner, watching us like a hawk. You little devils will steal me blind was his favorite comment. He hired me during one summer for ten cents an hour to work the soda fountain. In those days the ice cream was hand packed. Also, the gates for the L station were manually operated. There was a small structure between the tracks on the east side parallel to the apartment building (4659 Manor) where a gate man had to pull and push large handles that controlled the lowering and raising of the gates by cables . He had arm muscles like a boxer. Oh, and we had girlfriends in the group who were a...

This is the best little neighborhood park I've ever run into in Chicago. The neighborhood really works hard to keep it clean, and there are volunteers often doing the landscaping. There is always some sort of event during the summer weekends. This is a family park with little kids always running around the nice play area. There are some folks who don't get that it's not a dog park and unleash their dog but there is always someone to to remind them of the rules (plus pointing them to the signs). In the evening, some young kids hangout there, but they're harmless teens. It's not as well lit as it should be though for the evening, probably because of all the homes nearby. Plenty of benches to just take a minute out if the...

This park is close by and I like coming here to sit and read, feel the breeze, listen to the train and sometimes just take in the sounds of the wind against the tree leaves. Almost sounds like the ocean. Keyword “almost”, the river is close by, but not the same.

Parents come here to allow their kids to expend their energy. I see a lot of people that do come here to read, be on their phones, you know stuff I do. 😊Sometimes some come to eat a lunch. It’s refreshing to see them and also appreciate the space. Find your local park and go...