Frank Lloyd Wright's Oak Park

Groundbreaking buildings from Chicago's most famous architect
Noteworthy for: Oak Park was also the birthplace of Ernest Hemingway - although he left as soon as possible, describing it as 'wide lawns and narrow minds'.

Word to the wise: Oak Park is very easy to access from downtown - just take the CTA Green Line to Harlem.
Just west of Chicago's city limits, the suburb of Oak Park is a treasure house for some of the greatest, most influential buildings of the 20th century. Once home to groundbreaking architect Frank Lloyd Wright, the neighborhood contains the largest collection of his houses anywhere, hugely influential for their bold horizontal lines and open-plan interiors.

This artistic heritage has rubbed off on the rest of Oak Park, and the district's downtown area has blossomed as a destination in its own right for fashion boutiques, commercial art galleries and design shops.

You'll find Wright's surviving buildings conveniently clustered around around the junction of Chicago and Forest Avenues, where his striking self-designed former home and studio (open to the public) is also located. The neighborhood's main shopping areas, meanwhile, are to be found a few minutes walk south down Forest Avenue around the junction with Lake Street.