The Loop

The heart of Chicago’s downtown Loop is the intersection of Madison and State, the 0,0 point on the grid formed by the city’s streets. Madison runs east and west, and State runs north and south. Street addresses increase with distance from this point outward. The Loop is so called because the “L” system of trains makes a loop through the area. Downtown Chicago is bordered to the east by Lake Michigan and extends seven blocks to the north and sixteen blocks to the south of the Chicago River, and ten blocks to the west of the lake.

Downtown Chicago contains many world-class examples of great modern architecture. The most famous of which are the Sears Tower, the Hancock Building, the Chicago Board of Trade, the Chicago Stock Exchange, the James R. Thompson Building, and the County Hall buildings. The Sears Tower is 110 stories tall and features the world’s tallest top floor. Many acclaimed designers have created masterpieces in the Loop, including Louis Sullivan, Mies van der Rohe, Frank Gehry, and Helmut Jahn. There are, of course, hundreds of businesses in the Loop, and some of the finest shopping in the city. Along Michigan Avenue is the famous “Magnificent Mile”, and along State Street is the State Street Shopping District.

Chicago has a number of exceptional museums as well, such as the Field Museum, the Shedd Aquarium, and the Art Institute of Chicago. Among the permanent collection of the Art Institute are Grant Wood’s “American Gothic”, Picasso’s “The Old Guitar Player”, and works by Andy Warhol and Georgia O-Keeffe.

The South Loop area, with its enthralling locations like Dearborn Park, South Michigan Avenue, Chinatown, and Printer’s Row, is feeling rapid expansion and construction of new homes and businesses. Real estate experts expect that this neighborhood will be prime property in the future. It is certainly among the most promising areas in Chicago. Farther to the south, many new development projects are in the works, offering terrific opportunities for those looking to buy property. The area around Columbia College and the Art Institute’s school houses many production studios and art galleries, drawing a large community of artists.