Good (safe) places to go walking/biking?

Just wonderring if anyone knows of some good, safe places for a woman to go walking or biking during the day? I don't really have anyone to go with me, and my little neighborhood here is getting kind of dull! I'm in the Archer Heights neighborhood on the SW side of Chicago. Anything SW side, south burbs or west burbs would be great! My hubby says I should just go to the forest preserves, but I don't know which ones are relatively safe and which aren't??

Look into the local forest preserves and park districts. Many of the trails or tracks (inside and outside) you may only need to pay a usage fee to use or they are free, (like Itasca's inside track is a pay per day fee for the track). Look on line for the info. Also some of the trails that are for bikes can be used for walkers also. Many of the big office buildings have trails that have been set up for the workers and you can use them and you will not be asked why you are there. Also the outside nature centers have trails that are safe. Just think outside the box and you will come up with a place to go walk.

Should have added to my original post that you can go on Cook County's and other county's sites for the forest preserves paths. You really just have to use your head and find out where the safe areas are at.

I work in law enforcement and a police agency HAS to tell you if there are any problem areas where you are inquiring at. It is called FOIA or Freedom Of Information Act, they have to tell you. Call the local police agency and if that is not the juristiction then they have to tell you where to call for your info. More than likely it is the local forest preserve office. Each county's forest preserve has their own law enforcement unit. You might have to fill out a FOIA form for the info, but they should tell you over the phone.

Wow, thanks for that information. I had no idea you could call and find that out. I didn't want to risk just assuming that an area was safe.

A lot of malls have a walking trail in them, and you can go early or later in the day. Some Armory's do also. You might try the high school  track. Or even just walk around the parking lot of a mega store.

Lisa