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Loop
Chicago’s central business district is nicknamed the ‘Loop’ because of the elevated ‘El’ train tracks that loop around the city center. Amid the skyscrapers and office buildings is the city’s famed Theater District comprising the Cadillac Palace Theatre, Ford Center for the Performing Arts/Oriental Theatre, Bank of America Theater and the Chicago Theatre, whose glittering marquee is one of the city’s most recognizable icons.
The Loop: Heart of Downtown Chicago
Written by Alan Solomon, with research assistance from the Chicago Neighborhood Tourism Project.
There's so much here in the heart of Chicago's downtown, even after spinning off the Printers Row neighborhood, Millennium Park and Grant Park to their own chapters, that appreciating everything in The Loop, even in a week, can be a challenge to any visitor.
First, there's the issue of actually defining The Loop. For the purposes of this discussion, we'll call it everything within the 'L' (elevated train) tracks that loop much of the neighborhood, plus a couple of blocks north, south and west.
Let's get to the essentials.
Public art
Walk along Dearborn Street from Jackson to Washington Street and enjoy Calder's "Flamingo," flanked by government buildings designed by Mies Van Der Rohe; Chagall's "The Four Seasons," near the base of Chase Tower; and the Chicago Picasso -- call it what you will -- in the Daley Center. Joan Miro's sculpture, "Moon, Sun, and One Star (Miss Chicago)," is in a plaza on Washington west of Dearborn, right across from the Picasso.
The Theater District
First, there are the great old movie palaces on Randolph Street, restored to their original brilliance -- the Cadillac Palace and the Oriental (aka the Ford Center for the Performing Arts). On Dearborn, the Goodman Theatre has retained the facades of the Selwyn and Harris Theatres. Finally, there is the queen of theaters, the Chicago (1921), with its iconic marquee, its exterior designed to resemble Paris' Arc de Triomphe and its interior the stuff of dreams. If you can't catch a show there, take a tour.
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Restaurants -- the old favorites
The city's oldest restaurant, the Berghoff (1898), a German classic on Adams Street, was closed briefly by the family in 2006, then after a change of heart reopened, still owned by the Berghoffs and only slightly tweaked. On Monroe Street, the Italian Village, Chicago's oldest Italian restaurant, opened in 1927, and its three dining rooms remain favorites. Under the 'L' tracks on Wabash Avenue, Miller's Pub dates to 1935, and its moderately priced meals and lively bar have lured sports figures and celebrities for decades. Poag Mahome's, on Jackson, has been a saloon with food since 1911, with a reluctant break for prohibition. When it opened in 1963, Ronny's Steakhouse sold steaks for $1.09; prices are still reasonable and the place -- at Lake and Clark Streets -- is nothing fancy, but its fans swear by it.
Restaurants -- the newer classics
To many, Everest -- Jean Joho's signature French restaurant atop a LaSalle Street office building -- is among the best in the city. Trattoria No. 10, on Dearborn near the theaters, has drawn raves for its authentic Italian fare since it opened more than 20 years ago. On Adams near Symphony Hall, Russian Tea Time and Rhapsody couldn't be more different, but both make beautiful music. Seafood lovers have made Catch 35, on Wacker Drive, a solid choice. The original Heaven on Seven, on Wabash, has been around for 30 years now, retaining its format (mostly lunch, rare dinner hours) and a following for its cajun-creole specialties. The Rosebud empire, born in the Little Italy neighborhood, is up to four Loop locations. And Petterino's shares space with the Goodman, which is good news for theatergoers -- if they made reservations.
Great music from Chicago: Two special venues help make Chicago Chicago -- the Civic Opera House, on Wacker Drive, home of the much-celebrated Lyric Opera of Chicago; and Symphony Center, on Michigan Avenue, home of the Chicago Symphony, for decades among the world's elite orchestras.
And can't forget: The 'L' -- as much as the Lyric and the CSO, the sound of the city. Listen to it. Wave at it as cars go by. Ride it. Treasure it.
We do.
For more information about the Loop, please contact the Chicago Loop Alliance at 312.782.9160.
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Chicago Transit Authority: Downtown Transit Sightseeing Guide
