Places trtash Wants to Go

This awkward aquarium sculpture is one of the strangest statues in Chicago.

Where old school Polish Chicago and young hipster Chicago live side by side.

This surprising gem is a world-class archeological museum hidden at the University of Chicago.

An outdoor urban gallery of large-scale artworks by the world's most influential street artists.

These pretty kitties killed and ate as many as 135 railway workers.

Combination beer garden and music venue in the heart of Wicker Park.

The beloved home to all publications indie, erotic, and punky.

This $3 million model train takes you through Chicago, Seattle, and the thousands of miles in between.

Pizza with a side of fine art.

A hollow cement depiction of time's inexorable effect on the human body.

This unassuming retro burger joint was billed as “diner of the future” at the 1939 World's Fair.

For decades, this waterfall remained hidden because of an artificial dam.

A fiberglass jungle, deep in the wilds of the Cleveland suburbs.

This lovely university observatory continues to sit abandoned since its potential savior was sent to jail for fraud.

An unoccupied lighthouse encased in layers of ice from the waters of Lake Erie.

The home made famous by the 1983 holiday classic is now a perfectly preserved shrine to the movie.

Behind a grungy bodega facade, a Poblano family serves rich, home-cooked meals.

Serving Central Asian breads that range from cracker-crisp to warm and fluffy, this bakery brings Bukhara to Queens.

Risk arrest while partying to fund art.

A hidey-hole sandwiched between cellphone, DVD, and jewelry stores features Tibetan delights.

This throwback amusement park is home to rides and unique storybook figures from the past.

A Jewish deli run by Yemeni Muslims in an Afro-Caribbean neighborhood is quintessential Brooklyn.

This once-private estate is now a dreamy, meditative garden that's open to the public.

Finally, you don't have to be a pious Swedish seaman to relax like one.