Loop and South Loop

A neighborhood devoted almost exclusively to commercial and business purposes, Chicago’s Loop is beginning, however, to now see residential buildings coming in with somewhat increasing frequency. The Loop serves as a bustling business district, with shopping, commerce, and tourism the words of the day. The “Loop” is so named because it is the spot where Chicago’s “El” train lines meet, running in a rectangular loop five blocks wide and seven blocks long around the city’s downtown area.

The gorgeous Chicago skyline begins in the Loop, with its skyscrapers giving the city a powerful view. The intersection of State and Madison, which provides the zero point for Chicago’s street numbering system, is considered to be the heart of the Loop neighborhood.

LaSalle Street provides the city with a financial district, including the Chicago Stock Exchange and Board of Trade. Another impressive Loop spot is the Sears Tower, 110 stories, with the world’s highest top floor at a whopping 1450 feet.

In addition, the Loop provides a home to many of the city’s notable cultural attractions, including the Art Institute of Chicago, a large array of outdoor contemporary art, and Chicago’s theater district, where Broadway-class productions are performed by both local troupes and world-class traveling companies.

Printer’s Row, which extends south from the Loop along Dearborn, encompasses luxury residential accommodations, as well as, great restaurants. Appropriately named, the area was once home to a sizable number of publishing-related companies. To this day, the south Loop neighborhood boasts a vast array of graphic design companies, printers, as well as, small press operators. In honor of its origins, each summer the area plays host the popular book-centric festival known as the “Printer’s Row Book Fair.”

With respect to residential living, the area is constantly expanding to take advantage of unused or vacant neighboring lots, and is known for its rehabbed condo units which commonly retain their original character and sculpted designs.

Another neighborhood closely related to the Loop is the South Loop. This neighborhood has enjoyed an increase in popularity due to its proximity to the Loop, the lakefront, and Grant Park. Loft conversions abound, as well as new construction buildings. The new Soldier Field has also increased interest and made the South Loop a destination for visitors and residents of Chicago alike. Included within the South Loop, bordered by the lake, Cermak Street, and Canal Street, are the afore-mentioned Printer’s Row and the newer Dearborn Park residential development.

The South Loop is considered by many as a major up-and-coming area in the city, with residential blueprints and business strategies being planned in abundance. Columbia College is located in the South Loop, and along with the School of the Art Institute in the Loop, brings a substantial population of students to the South Loop area. Chicago’s Museum Campus, also located in the South Loop, includes such highly visited sites as: the Field Museum, Shedd Aquarium, and Adler Planetarium.

The South Loop, not difficult to reach, has abundant transportation options, with easy access to the Metra, CTA buses, and numerous “El” stops on the Red, Blue, Green, and Orange Lines. Plus, for those looking to get in or out of the city, the South Loop can be easily traversed through such major highways as: I-90 and I-41.