Chicago Loop

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**Loop (Chicago, Illinois)**
Community Area 32 - Loop Image:US-IL-Chicago-CA32.GIF Location within the city of Chicago
Latitude Longitude	Template:Coor dm
Neighborhoods	Loop New Eastside Printer's Row South Loop
ZIP Codes	60601, 60602, 60603, 60604, and parts of 60605, 60606, 60607, and 60661
Area	4.09 km² (1.58 mi²)
Population (2000) Density	16,388 (up 37.09% from 1990) 4,004.7 /km²
Demographics	White Black Hispanic Asian Other	62.1% 19.7% 5.95% 9.92% 2.43%
Median income	$65,128
Source: U.S. Census, Record Information Services

The Loop is what locals call the historical center of downtown Chicago. It is the second largest downtown business district in the United States, after Midtown Manhattan. Bounded on the west and north by the Chicago River, on the east by Lake Michigan, and on the south by Roosevelt Road, the lack of space shaped an architectural style dominated by high-rises. Notable buildings include the Home Insurance Building, considered the first skyscraper, to the Sears Tower, the tallest in the United States. Some of the historic buildings in this district were instrumental in the development of high-rises. Chicago's rational street numbering system originates in the Loop at the intersection of State Street and Madison Street, reflecting the central role the district has played in the entire Chicagoland region.

Image:Loop chicago jc01.jpg

The term "The Loop" has different meanings to different persons. The Loop is an official community area of Chicago. As the downtown area and its many high-rises expanded out past the official community area over the years, "The Loop" has been used more generally to denote the entire downtown as opposed to just the officially designated community area. The term even more specifically applies to the section of the community area surrounded by the circuit formed by Chicago's elevated "L" trains. The circuit runs along Lake Street on the north, Wabash Avenue on the east, Van Buren Street on the south, and Wells Street on the west. The name, however, predates the elevated loop, coming from a streetcar loop in 1882.

This area has a wealth of shopping opportunities, although it competes with the more upscale Magnificent Mile area to the north, and with suburban shopping malls. It includes Chicago's famous Marshall Field's department store, a traditional favorite for viewing Christmas window displays, and the original Carson Pirie Scott store.

It is the location of a number of government buildings, including City Hall/County Building, the James R. Thompson Center, the Richard J. Daley Center, and multiple federal buildings. Chicago's Downtown Theatre District is also found within this area, along with numerous restaurants and hotels.

Chicago has a famous skyline which is home to many of the tallest buildings in the world. Unlike densely packed Midtown Manhattan, Chicago's skyline is spaced out throughout the downtown area, giving it a graceful bridgelike appearance. The Sears Tower, the city's tallest building, lies at the west end of the Loop in the heart of the city's financial district, along with other buildings, such as 311 South Wacker Drive and the AT&T Corporate Center. Chicago's number two building, the Aon Center, is located around the Illinois Center, a complex that stands at the east end of Loop, east of Michigan Avenue. Two Prudential Plaza also is located at the east end of the city. The third tallest building, the John Hancock Center, is located in the Magnificent Mile, north of the Loop in a major shopping area. Water Tower Place, 900 North Michigan, and Park Tower are all located in the area.

According to the 2000 census, 16,388 people live in the Loop. It contains a wealth of outdoor sculpture, including works by Pablo Picasso, Joan Miró, Marc Chagall, Alexander Calder, and Jean Dubuffet. Chicago's cultural heavyweights, such as the Art Institute of Chicago, the Goodman Theatre, the Lyric Opera at the Civic Opera House building, and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, are also in this area, as is the historic Palmer House Hilton hotel, found on East Monroe Street.

Chicago's lakefront, which is almost exclusively recreational park area from north to south, features Grant Park in this downtown area. Grant Park is the home of Buckingham Fountain, the Petrillo Bandshell, the Grant Park Symphony (where free concerts can be enjoyed throughout the summer), and Chicago's annual two-week food orgy, the Taste of Chicago, where more than 3 million people "pig out". A recent addition to Grant Park is the architecturally forward Millennium Park, which opened in the summer of 2004, featuring a Frank Gehry bandshell along with the Anish Kapoor "Cloud Gate" sculpture and spanning what were formerly open railyards on the city's lakefront.

The Chicago River, which delineates the area, also provides entertainment and recreational opportunities, including the annual dyeing of the river green in honor of St. Patrick's Day. Trips down the Chicago River, including architectural tours, by commercial boat are great favorites with both locals and tourists.

See also: Chicago Loop (a movie by James Benning)

1 Loop definitions
2 Neighborhoods
3 Notable landmarks in the Chicago Loop

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Loop definitions

Image:Chitown jc01.jpg Although every Chicagoan knows where the Loop is, personal opinions of its boundaries are as diverse as the people who live there.

The community area boundaries are: the Chicago River on the north and west, Roosevelt Road on the south, and Lake Michigan on the east. Since the City of Chicago only recognizes community areas, these boundaries are considered official.

The general neighborhood boundaries are: again, the Chicago River on the north and west; Congress Parkway on the south, and Michigan Avenue on the east. South of Congress is generally called "South Loop" (not to be confused with the south part of the Loop).

Finally, the Loop proper is considered to be the five-by-seven-block area contained within the circuit formed by elevated Chicago Transit Authority train lines. These boundaries are: Lake Street on the north, Wells Street on the west, Van Buren Street on the south, and Wabash Avenue on the east.

A minority of people, typically suburbanites unfamiliar with urban neighborhood dynamics, would consider North Michigan Avenue part of the Loop. This is incorrect on many levels; it is officially part of the Near North Side community area.

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Neighborhoods

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New Eastside

The New Eastside is a mixed-use district east of Michigan Avenue between the Chicago River and Grant Park. It encompasses the entire Illinois Center and Lakeshore East developments, as well as separate developments like Aon Center, Prudential Plaza, and 333 North Michigan. The area has a triple-level street system and is bisected by Columbus Drive.

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Printer's Row

Printer's Row, also known as Printing House Row, is a neighborhood located in the southern portion of the Loop community area of Chicago. It is bounded by Congress Parkway on the north, Polk Street on the south, Plymouth Court on the east, and the Chicago River on the west. The signature street is Dearborn Street where the annual Printer's Row Book Fair [1] is held. Originally, the buildings in this area were used by printing and publishing businesses. Today, the buildings have mainly been converted into residential lofts. Part of Printer's Row is an official landmark district [2].

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South Loop

Most of the area south of Congress Parkway and north of Roosevelt Road, possibly excepting Printer's Row, is referred to as the South Loop. This includes River City, the northern half of Dearborn Park, and portions of State Street, Wabash Avenue, and Michigan Avenue.

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