Today, I call Chicago's Lakeview neighborhood home. But like most people who currently live in Lakeview, I'm not originally from that neighborhood. As others in Lakeview call Michigan, Ohio or even the Chicago suburbs their home, my home (or at least my family's) lies in Edison Park on the far Northwest Side. Edison Park is the northwestern-most neighborhood in the city, so close to O'Hare that airplane noise is a common occurrence. Served by the Metra Union Pacific Northwest Line, the Harlem Blue Line, and the #68 CTA bus, Edison Park is easily forgotten due to its remoteness from the trendiness of Lakeview and the hipster paradises of Wicker Park and Logan Square. However, Edison Park and the surrounding areas are home to a tremendous amount of restaurants, parks, and things to do throughout the year.

Edison Park is a community straight out of the stereotypical small-town USA. You have endless bungalows lining the side-streets with well-manicured lawns that surround the main drag of Northwest Highway. Everyone on the block knows each other and everyone has public servant jobs: police officers, firefighters, nurses, garbage men, you name it. Walking in Edison Park makes you forget that you're still in Chicago, and perhaps why this neighborhood has something that Lakeview or Lincoln Park could never attain: a sense of community. And because of this, don't expect some radically unique place to be in Edison Park; just enjoy it for its feeling of home. But enough of me lamenting on the good ol' days; here are some of my favorite places in Edison Park.

1. Edison Park Inn

Edison Park Inn is pretty much considered the central meeting place of locals. Located directly across from the Metra station, EPI has your typical gastropub food (burgers, wraps, pizza, etc.). But what really draws the excitement to EPI is its variety of entertainment: several pool tables, bowling lanes upstairs, and even boxing matches every now and then. EPI is the OG when it comes to what defines Edison Park's tight-knit community. For over sixty years, EPI has been a place for people to have fun and forget the stresses of school and work.

6715 N. Olmsted Avenue
Chicago, IL 60631

2. Tony's 

Edison Park is mainly an Irish American bastion, with its neighbor Norwood Park hosting the Northwest Side Irish Parade and the Irish American Heritage Center just down the Blue Line. But EP is also known to be home to a segment of Italian American culture as well. Tony's, whose been around for 40 years, epitomizes that influence. Known for their meatball subs and Italian staples, this deli also sells products straight from Italy. So while you risk entering a food coma from all the carbs, be sure to check out this slice of Rome in Chicago.

6708 N. Northwest Highway
Chicago, IL 60631

3. Moretti's 

Natives of Chicago and the suburbs might think Moretti's is another sit-down chain revolving around Chicago-style pizza. But little do they know that the EP Moretti's in the OG Moretti's. Food-wise, Moretti's is very similar to the menu at EPI, with your typical gastropub offerings but with a wider variety of pizza options. In terms of events, Moretti's often hosts bingo, events commemorating the holidays, and even hosts tribute artists as well. With the place right next door to EPI, you'll might have to deliberate which business captures the best at-home mood of Edison Park.

6727 N. Olmsted Avenue
Chicago, IL 60631

4. Pioneer Park

I have fond memories as a child playing mini-golf and swinging at the batting cages here at Pioneer Park (and at the smaller Brooks Park across the street). And with Chicago's mini-golf scene relatively unheard of, this modestly sized park is perfect to tap into the nostalgia of trying to avoid the windmills and ponds of mini-golfing. Though this may not be the best activity to do in the bitter Chicago winters, it does make a great adventure when the weather defrosts.

7135 N. Harlem Avenue
Chicago, IL 60631

5. Nick's Drive-in

When Nick's claims it's the "best gyros in America", it's very hard to say that they're wrong. Their gyros are literally to die for, and given that its interior hasn't changed from its all-wood 70s seating and walls, you can tell that this is definitely the Pop's or Central Perk or *insert gathering place of a TV show* if there were a TV show set in Edison Park. So if you're ever homesick, and you miss that no-frills, mom-and-pop, fast food joint in your hometown, consider paying a visit to NIck's Drive-in.

7216 N. Harlem Avenue
Chicago, IL 60631