Patch Picks: Picnic Spots For Family Fun

Whether your picnic calls for 50 of your closest friends for pot-luck or simply your family armed with sack lunches, you'll find beautiful sites to waste away the day around town.

, Glenview

Located at Central Road and Lehigh Ave, chances are you passed this 1+ acre park on the way home from the train station or daycare during the cold winter months and longed for a sunny day and an hour to play with your family.  That time is now, and this quaint facility is perfect for young families: there is both a playground for young children and a basketball court to cultivate the next D. Rose.

 , Northbrook

This is the newest of Northbrook park facilities, having (a state grant offset the cost to purchase the land), but it is a gem. Be prepared to picnic on the ground before you enjoy one of the park’s other amenities: the I Spy prairie wall, native plants marked by educational signs, recycled glass pavement on the path marked by fitness stations, a basketball hoop and a handicapped-accessible playground. The park and surrounding community is bound by Techny, Willow, Pfingsten and Landwehr roads.

, Glenview

This 1.9 acre facility has just about everything I need for a great picnic within walking distance: take-out from the across the street, the beautiful new for a great read, and a playground for young children. Also, ample parking is available at the adjacent commuter lot and on the surrounding streets. It’s no wonder this is such a popular spot for free concerts. Groups of 10 or fewer are allowed to picnic at any of the Glenview Park District’s parks during daylight hours. Find all the rules and regulations regarding picnics online.

, Northbrook

One of my favorite spots in town, the 107-acre Techny Prairie Park has tables for impromptu family nights, as well as four picnic shelters for rent. Much of the old Anetsberger property nearby was renovated and rededicated in 2006 with batting cages, fishing stations, a playground, a golf course and putting green, and a skate park. The flowers scattered through the property are gorgeous during the high season. After your meal, pick up the Trail Through Time to remind yourself how early settlers lived in sync with the land.

Northbrook

Fifty-six acres make any picnic a real party, and this park on the west side of Northbrook has two shelters for rent. It also has tennis courts, ball diamonds, soccer fields, fishing, and a running trail to keep most every athlete busy. Note to local historians: the Northbrook Park District purchased the property for $1.9 million in 1975, and in 1979 the clay excavated from shopping center was hauled to the park to create the sled hill.

Next up for Patch Picks is Top Chef. Tell us whose food you crave in the comments below, and then look for our list in this space next week!