The 5 best outdoor courts in Chicago.

Foster Beach is the spiritual home of summer basketball in Chicago. The courts sit a hundred feet from the water and catch the wind off the lake in a way that should be illegal.

The runs are competitive but unpretentious — neighborhood regulars, college guys, the occasional pro down from a Bulls workout.

Best after 5pm on a Wednesday. Bring water. Stay for the sunset.

Beverly is one of the city's most underrated basketball neighborhoods, and Hoyne is one of its proudest courts.

The runs are mixed-age, deeply local, and on a level with much-more-famous courts elsewhere.

Get there an hour before sunset. The lights will come on around the time you want a water break.

Riis runs hot on weekends. The west-side regulars take basketball seriously, and the court reflects it — bench seating, clean paint, working rims.

Weekday mornings are quieter; you can usually find a half-court without waiting.

Park on Fullerton and walk in past the field house.

The court behind Juárez High has been recently resurfaced and the paint job is the best in the city.

Runs are mixed and welcoming. Pilsen plays with style — quick, creative, generous with the assist.

Tacos within five blocks in every direction when you're done.

The court at Kelvyn is one of the prettiest in the city — surrounded by trees, with the field house's red-brick wall as backdrop.

Runs are friendly. The competition is honest. Bring water.

If you find it crowded, the second court is around the back of the field house and rarely full.