When she’s not running the show at one of the nation’s largest contemporary art museums, Museum of Contemporary Art Director Madeleine Grynsztejn can be seen at Lincoln Park. This area, which is also one of the coolest Chicago neighborhoods of which she is also a resident, is Madeleine’s go-to place for some R & R. “I really like to go there and unwind and walk around the lake and take a look at the city from there,” Madeleine told citybuzz.

Apart from spectacular skyline views, the park boasts an impressive resume of renowned artists and architects that have made the it one of Chicago’s most treasured places, like sculptor Augustus-Saint Gaudens, landscape designers Ossian Cole Simonds and Alfred Caldwell, and architects Joseph Lyman Silsbee and Dwight H. Perkins. You don’t need to be a director of an art museum to appreciate the beauty of their work.

A trip to this peaceful, shoreline park would not be complete without visiting the zoo. “I love the Lincoln Park Zoo,” Madeleine said, and millions of visitors each year agree. The free, family oriented experience is absolutely breathtaking in both the beautiful animals (lions to swans) and incredible layout.

A getaway to Chicago would not be complete without a trip to the breathtaking Lincoln Park and uber-hip neighborhood.

*** Madeleine Grynsztejn is the Pritzker Director of the Museum of Contemporary Art and is also a resident of the Lincoln Park neighborhood in Chicago.