South Loop Community

Chicago’s South Loop is one of the city’s fastest growing neighborhoods. As the Loop area becomes saturated, people are taking advantage of the prime real estate just south of the Loop and discovering a new, exciting place to live.
South Loop is one of the city’s fastest growing neighborhoods. Amazing considering ten years ago most people would never even visit this area. Ten years ago, there wasn’t much to the South Loop area except warehouses and parking lots. Very few homes and mostly industrial, this area seemed to be ignored for a very long time even though it is very close to so many other parts of the city. Well, it is no longer being ignored and development is at a frenzied pace, making it an almost unlimited buyers market. South Loop has seen more changes in the last few years than in the last century.

South Loop is one of the biggest tourist destinations of the city and home to Grant Park, the hub of the majority of activities for the city. It is famous for its huge outdoor summer festivals, concerts and events, especially the week long “Taste of Chicago”. Local restaurants set up booths to share their wonders with the world-proof that Chicago is America’s culinary capital. The park also known as “Chicago’s front yard” is a popular recreational spot to picnic, fly kites, take a walk, bike, listen to your tunes, walk the dog, and even take a nap on the lawn. There is also the Museum Campus that houses the Shedd Aquarium, Alder Planetarium, and the Field Museum. McCormick Place, one of the premiere convention centers in North America, also makes its home there. And for all you football fans, Soldier Field, where the Chicago Bears play all their home games, is right there too. With its beautiful views of Lake Michigan and the city skyline, Grant Park offers the best photo opts in the city.

There is good dining in South Loop too! Some of your dining choices are Opera, Gioco, Kroll’s South Loop, Chicago Firehouse Grill, and Prairie Rose Restaurant. On the other hand, you could visit the Bongo Room where every order is huge, brunch is king, and the breakfast menu is like a fancy dessert list. If Oriental is your choice, there are Thai Spoon, Triad Sushi and Lao Sze Chuan, just to name a few. And of course, there are cafes, delis, and Chicago-style pizza joints to satisfy everyone else’s hunger.

Even though South Park is fairly new, it has an active community organization called the “South Loop Neighbors”. They organize activities like the Annual Loft Walk, which is a tour of several private residences in the area and the Annual Photo Show where locals submit personal photography that highlights the culture and history of the area.

Good shopping from shoes, jewelry, haute couture fashion accessories, and more can be found here. If you’re on a budget, check out DSW Shoe Warehouse for bargains galore. Money not a worry, visit Heelz Chicago Shoe Salon. Whatever your desire, South Loop stores can fulfill it.

Adequate public transportation is always available with the train and buses. For more travel information, visit www.transitchicago.com.rrounding suburbs.