Spend the last sunny days of the season exploring the sights and experiencing the culture of some of Chicago’s more than 200 neighborhoods beyond Lincoln Park.

Pilsen

No neighborhood tour would be complete without a trip to Pilsen, the heavily Mexican-American neighborhood recently dubbed “best neighborhood for culture” by the Chicago Reader. Stroll through the neighborhood looking for the many murals and mosaics. At the Cooper Dual Language Academy (1645 W. 18th St.), you’ll find colorful renditions of Mexican icons. Throughout the rest of the neighborhood, you’ll see murals by Chicago artist Jeff Zimmerman depicting the people and cultures of Pilsen.

On your way to the neighborhood, make sure you also stop at the Damen Avenue Pink Line station to see a glass mosaic by Juan Angel Chavez. While Pilsen makes a great day trip, it’s also worth checking out at night. When the sun sets on the murals, walk over to Pl-zen, a new gastropub that takes its name from Pilsen’s Czech roots. Its menu ranges from bison and lamb burgers to mussels and crab cakes to beef short ribs on butternut squash gnocchi. Food critic Tommy Hensel called Pl-zen his favorite new restaurant in the neighborhood and recommends the scallop burger. To spice up the night, don’t forget to try their craft beers and cocktails Š—ê all Pl-zen specialties.

Garfield Park

Chicago is home to dozens of parks that fill with life in the warm weather, so take advantage of the leftover flora and fauna of the summer in Garfield Park. There you’ll find the Garfield Park Conservatory (300 N. Central Park Ave.), a free indoor greenhouse filled with flowers and plants from all different terrains, from the tropical to the desert. There is also an outdoor field where you can sit down and relax with your friends or take a walk around the pond with oversized lily pads.

Afterwards, walk to Our Lady of Sorrows Basilica (3121 W. Jackson Blvd.), a stunningly beautiful parish featuring tiled artwork, stained glass and a full-sized replica of Michelangelo’s Pieta. If you hit Garfield Park on a Sunday, you can also enjoy the neighborhood farmers market, which runs until Oct. 27. In addition to produce vendors, there are also cooking demos and entertainment, including an upcoming performance by Alpha and the Princes of Futa Sept. 29.

Wicker Park

Before the air becomes too crisp and the wind too frigid, take your bike for a spin in Wicker Park. In June, the City of Chicago opened a brand new extra wide and comfortable bike lane on Milwaukee Avenue, Chicago’s busiest cycling street. Ride the lane from Kinzie Street to the end at Elston Avenue and then take a cultural pit stop at the Polish Museum of America (984 N. Milwaukee Ave.). The museum is open every day except Thursdays and costs 6 dollars for students. Brush up on your Polish history and view paintings, military artifacts, folk crafts and costumes, memorabilia from Pope John Paul II and a large-scale stained glass collection.

After leaving the museum, hop back on your bike and head over to Myopic Books (1564 N. Milwaukee Ave.) in Wicker Park. This bookstore is a hip place, but don’t mistake it for a flighty fad. It’s one of Chicago’s oldest and largest used bookstores. Browse through their 80,000 volumes in almost any genre before riding home and collapsing in an armchair with a new book – or maybe an entire reading list.

South Shore

Fullerton and North Avenue Beaches are convenient enough for most DePaul students, but these sandy stretches can get crowded – and dirty – fast. For a less crowded and more pristine beach, hop on the Green Line or take your bike down the lakefront path to South Shore Beach. The neighborhood is home to old mansions and beautiful lawns. A former country club for some of Chicago’s most prominent residents and guests, including Jean Harlow and Amelia Earhart, is located near the beach, and the opulent structure is now open to the public.

After relaxing on the beach and strolling through the old stable grounds of the country club, head over to Robust Coffee Lounge (6300 S. Woodlawn Ave.) for a cup of coffee or tea. This unexpected caf’ÛΩ is painfully hip and surprisingly inexpensive. Finally, to finish off the day, head over to Woodlawn to the Osaka Japanese Garden in Jackson Park: one of the only remnants of the World’s Fair. This is a peaceful and quiet area of the park, featuring a waterfall, a small bridge and a landscape to make you believe in the power of feng shui. It’s the perfect place to find your zen before heading home.