When you ask about East Side, many Chicagoans will look at you quizzically and say, “What, like Lake Michigan?” But it’s so much more than that. Once a bustling industrial corridor, East Side and surrounding communities near the Indiana border have become a hub for environmental restoration and the city’s Mexican community. Maya Rodriguez’s family has been in the area for at least three generations. She and host Jacoby Cochran meet at Big Marsh Park to talk about things to eat, see, and do around the Southeast Side.

Maya’s recs:

Big Marsh Park (Check out Winter Fest on Saturday)

Rowan Park

Indian Ridge Marsh

Edgars Grove/Wolf Lake

Calumet Beach

Southeast Chicago Historical Society

SkyART

Tacos El Rey

La Cienega

Chi Burgerbabi

Gina’s Chicken

Hienie’s Shrimp House

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