RIP Public Works :'(

Open 6 days a week (closed on Saturdays), La Trailita (it's a food truck, but before their current truck, they were just a small trailer) serves some of the best tacos and quesadillas in Chicago, including tons of vegetarian options. They are open year round (even when it gets cold!). There is another taco truck across the street at the intersection, so make sure you're going to the right one (it's in front of a convenience store). I believe it's run by some ladies from the church it parks near. Recommend their tacos al pastor and potato quesadillas. Salsa is very tasty but very spicy!

The South Gardens at the AIC are magical––go in the middle of the summer when the whole gardens are lush, the flower pots are overflowing, and the leaves have came in on all the trees to form a sun-dappled canopy. Make sure to look at the Fountain of the Great Lakes––each woman in it personifies one of the Great Lakes of the region, and when the water is turned on, their seashell basins flow into one another in the same direction of the real lakes.

Coziest Cafe on the south side

Located one block east of the historic Water Tower, the MCA champions the provocative side of contemporary art and culture. Their innovative exhibitions, performances, and programs are made to inspire. Founded in 1967 as a Kunsthalle (or non-collecting art gallery) the MCA is now one of the world’s largest museums dedicated to art since 1945. Since their inception, it has been their mission to exhibit new and experimental work artists in all media and to paired these with ambitious education programs. In 1974, the MCA expanded their mission to include collecting and preserving contemporary art for future generations with the inauguration of a permanent collection that has grown to include more than 2,000 works. After 29 years in a storefront on Ontario Street, the museum moved to their current location in 1996, giving their collection, exhibitions, and programming room to grow to meet the needs of 21st-century art and audiences.