Chicago Loop - Chicago, IL Area Guide

In 1803, the U.S. Army erected Fort Dearborn close to what is now known as the Michigan Avenue Bridge, in the Loop, on the south bank of the Chicago River. The Loop is a hub not only for business, but culture, architecture and art. Here you find the Art Institute of Chicago, Goodman Theatre, Chicago Theatre, the Lyric Opera at the Civic Opera House building and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra as well as numerous outdoor sculptures, including works by Pablo Picasso, Joan Miro, Henry Moore, Marc Chagall and many other artists. By the 1900s, Chicago had the greatest concentration of skyscrapers in the world designed by architects such as William Le Baron Jenny, Louis H. Sullivan and Daniel H. Burham. There are an abundance of museums and art galleries, such as the Chicago Fed Money Museum which offers educational, kid-friendly, money-themed displays. The Chicago Cultural Center presents free art/cultural exhibits and concerts, and The Art Institute of Chicago houses more than 300,000 works of art.

The Loop is one giant hub of potential dining experiences and options. You can dine at a new, amazing restaurant every night for a year and still have more options to choose from. The glittering high-rises and hotels throughout downtown Chicago's business district are host to swanky high-end restaurants. But not all good Chicago eats are high-dollar places though, there are plenty of food trucks and small, affordable restaurants, residents love. Plus there is a variety of cuisines including Latin and Italian.

The 1.79-mile circuit of elevated railroad forms the Chicago 'L' rapid transit system. Servicing over 700,000 passengers on average every weekday, the 'L' is the third busiest mass rail-transit system in the United States after New York City's Subway and Washington's Metro. This means that this railroad system is one of the primary means of transportation within the area, public or otherwise.

Should you opt out of the trains, there are also several local taxi services available such as Chicago Limousines and Cars as well as app services such as Uber. The Loop has easy access to Interstate 90 and 290 as well as Route 41, making commuting to other areas of Chicago a breeze. It's also a great place to park your car and bike or walk. There are tons of trails in the parks on the lake side of the loop, and nearly all of the major streets in the area have bike lanes, making the area very biker-friendly.

Lake Michigan runs along the eastern border of the Loop, and the area has been dedicated by Chicago to be almost exclusively recreational park spaces. Grant Park is the main park within the downtown area. At Grant Park, you can view the Buckingham Fountain and enjoy free concerts throughout the summer at the Grant Park Symphony. The Taste of Chicago, an annual 2-week food festival, is also held here. More than 3 million people show up to try the variety of foods offered by over 70 vendors.

At Millennium Park, which was formerly open rail-yards on the city's lakefront, you find the Cloud Gate sculpture by Anish Kapoor as well as the Jay Pritzker Pavilion and Crown Fountain. All the parks are free and kid-friendly. The Chicago River is also a great recreational destination, as many locals and tourists enjoy the architectural boat tours. Also, every year on St. Patrick's Day, the locals have a tradition of dyeing the river green. There are even a few dog parks in the Loop, including the Grant Bark Park and D'Angelo's Dog Park.

Renters living in the Loop pay an average of $2,714/month to rent an apartment, compared to the city average of $2,215. City dwellers exploring houses for rent throughout Wrigleyville can expect to pay around $2,600 per month. For those looking to buy, the average house is valued at $341,000, compared to the city average of $262,866.

You could run the Loop and shop till you drop and still have more stores beckoning you. In the northwest quadrant of the Loop, there is the Atrium Mall at the Thompson Center, an indoor office-building with a shopping plaza featuring more than 40 stores, from hair and nail salons to a New Orleans style eatery. The offices at the Thompson Center are also the city's headquarters for the state government, with offices for the Governor, the Illinois State Board of Education, and several other state agencies. Other great shopping areas include the Loop Retail Historic District and the upscale Magnificent Mile area. The Magnificent Mile is slightly above the Loop on the northern strip of Michigan Avenue running from the Chicago River to Oak Street. Here you find some of the world's leading retail and department stores, such as Bloomingdale's, Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, and Saks Fifth Avenue. Notable, high-end, luxury boutiques that line the Magnificent Mile include Cartier, Michael Kors, Chanel, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Prada, Hugo Boss, and Rolex. There is a Walmart Neighborhood Market located near the Loop as well as several other local stores prepared to service its residents such as the South Loop Market. Mariano's is a local grocer that provides gourmet food, spirits, baked goods and deli products. It also has a cafe and pharmacy.