Chicago - Neighborhood Guide

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Chicago is "The City that Works." "The City of Big Shoulders." It boasts North America's tallest building and one of the world's largest office buildings. With the ubiquitous elevated trains creating a continuous clatter, the city looks big. Feels big. Is big.

At first glance, Chicago can be overwhelming. But, like any city, it is the sum of its parts, and its parts are diverse. Also known as "The City of Neighborhoods," Chicago comprises more than 75 official neighborhoods, more if you count the names real estate salespeople have devised. Each neighborhood features its own distinct quality and character.

So, when trying to digest Chicago, do not try to take it all in with one big bite. Break it up into manageable portions.

So, do not be overwhelmed by Chicago's size or grit. Just find a corner of this city that suits you and celebrate its diversity.

The Loop

This area takes its name from the elevated train, the "el," that "loops" around the city's central core. While the downtown area stretches beyond these boundaries, much of the lifeblood that invigorates the rest of the city also pumps through the Loop. The Sears Tower, North America's tallest building, is here, as is the Chicago Board of Trade, one of the biggest options and futures trading floors in the world. City government offices are based here, as well as the home offices of several major corporations.

When it's time for the city that works to relax, the Loop does not disappoint. The city's magnificent Harold Washington Library, the Art Institute of Chicago and the Chicago Cultural Center are all here. While not as ritzy as the city's Magnificent Mile, State Street is a shopping mecca, anchored by the flagship stores of Marshall Field's and Carson Pirie Scott and Company. Toys 'R Us, Old Navy, Filene's Basement, Border's and several other chain stores have major outposts on State Street or nearby.

Thanks to a burgeoning theatre district, the Loop is increasingly becoming a place to visit after the workday ends. The recently restored Ford Center for the Performing Arts-Oriental Theatre joins the Shubert Theatre and Chicago Theatre to form an theatre triumvirate, where hugely lavish Broadway productions typically play. The landmark Auditorium Theater, considered by some the most beautiful theatre in America, hosts musicals, concerts and other entertainment in the South Loop area. The renowned Goodman Theater recently relocated from its Art Institute location to new facilities in two former cinemas. This North Loop site includes dining and retail components.

Many restaurants, such as The Original Heaven on Seven, Italian Village, and Berghoff, vie to whet the Loop-goer's appetite. Newer 'Boutique Hotels' such as the Hotel Allegro, Hotel Burnham Chicago and Hotel Monaco compete for guests with the more traditional Palmer House and Chicago Hilton Plaza and Towers.

While technically just outside the Loop's borders, Grant Park should not be missed. Hugging Lake Michigan, this park is often referred to as 'Chicago's front yard.' The majestic Buckingham Fountain is here, as is a plush rose garden and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra's outdoor home, the Petrillo Music Shell. The park is immense, with the capacity to hold up to three million people, as tested annually by the Taste of Chicago festival. Grant Park also plays host to many music and arts festivals during the summer, including Jazz Fest, Blues Fest, and Gospel Fest.

Near North Side

Just to the north of the Loop, bordered by the Chicago River on the south, the Lake on the east and North Avenue on the north, is Chicago's Near North Side neighborhood. This area is in turn made up of several other smaller areas.

The city's "Magnificent Mile" (known as the "Mag Mile" to locals) is one the Near North's most famous offerings. Stretching along Michigan Avenue from the Chicago River to Oak Street, this shoppers' paradise is home to high-scale chains like Neiman Marcus and Bloomingdale's at the 900 North Michigan Avenue Shops, as well as such lavish boutiques like Marilyn Miglin and Room and Board. The city's early monument to modernity, the John Hancock Tower, is here, just a few blocks from the city's links to its past, the Water Tower and the Chicago Water Works, two of the few buildings that survived the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. Water Tower Place, an upscale indoor shopping mall, houses Marshall Field's, Lord & Taylor and numerous chain stores. A block away, little girls delight at American Girl Place, the dollmaker's entertainment complex and only U.S. retail store. Their parents enjoy RL Restaurant/Ralph Lauren's, the designer's largest retail store and its clubby adjoining restaurant. Nordstrom, Crate and Barrel and Saks Fifth Avenue (Chicago Place) stores can be found a few blocks south on Michigan Avenue.

If you are wondering where the people who can afford to shop at the more expensive stores on Michigan Avenue live, head east to Streeterville, or the adjoining Gold Coast neighborhood. Theoretically, the Gold Coast got its name from the African coast of the same name, but the moniker also describes the area's opulence. The neighborhood is the nation's second wealthiest, surpassed only by New York City's Central Park East.

Just north of the Chicago River and a few blocks west of the Mag Mile is River North, home to an eclectic mix of swank galleries, trendy restaurants (for example, Wolfgang Puck's Spago) and theme restaurants like The Hard Rock Caf¨¦ and Ed Debevic's. While many of the city's residents pretend they have never been to these restaurants, they have - so go and enjoy with a clear conscience.

South Loop

In stark contrast to the garish designs of the theme restaurants, the South Loop offers a quaint, Old World charm, neighborhood bars and smaller restaurants. Once home to one of the largest publishing centers in the Midwest, the warehouses left behind have been renovated and taken over by young, affluent professionals who wish to walk to work in the Loop. The area's focal point, Dearborn Station, sets the tone for the neighborhood. The former rail transportation hub's fa?ade has been lavishly restored.

Beyond Downtown

Lake Shore Drive, one of the city's major north-south arteries, runs along the picturesque lakefront. While the Drive will take you to many of the city's attractions, do not forget that this boulevard is an attraction itself. The lake view, the bold skyline and even the Drive's own tree-lined medians offer some of the most breath-taking scenes in the city.

However, Chicagoans get in their cars to drive and have little patience for 'Sunday drivers' gawking at the sites. So when you get on Lake Shore Drive, have a destination in mind.

Lincoln Park

Once you pass North Avenue, you will enter Lincoln Park, one of the city's more gentrified areas. Tree-lined Fullerton Avenue, with its brownstones converted into condos, gives you a feel for the neighborhood residents. Lincoln Park also surrounds the DePaul University neighborhood. A variety of bars, dance spots and inexpensive restaurants cater to the college and just-out-of-college crowd.

Not all of Lincoln Park hustles and bustles. In fact, the park from which the neighborhood takes its name from is one of the city's largest and most pastoral. Designed by Frederick Law Olmstead, who designed New York's Central Park, Lincoln Park encompasses more than 1,000 acres. It includes a zoo, the Lincoln Park Conservatory, a driving range, dozens of ball fields and several biking and running paths connecting it to lakefront beaches. Pickup games of soccer and ultimate frisbee abound on warm summer days.

Lakeview

Heading farther north brings you to Lakeview, a neighborhood that serves as a popular nightlife center for both the straight and gay and lesbian communities. These groups tend to party separately, with the standout exception being Berlin, a late-night dance club where hipsters of every orientation party together.

Halsted Street between Belmont Avenue and Irving Park Road serves as the headquarters for the gay and lesbian community's nightlife. The area is not hard to find - just look for the gigantic rainbow-colored pylons that line the streets. Stop in at Sidetrack to start the night. For dancing, head to Roscoe's Tavern or to Spin.

If partying is not your thing, don't despair - the area also offers its share of restaurants, from Angelina Ristorante and Yoshi's Cafe to the 24-hour Melrose Restaurant.

For the straight set, head a few blocks west to Wrigleyville, a bar area that gets its name from nearby Wrigley Field, home of the Chicago Cubs baseball team. The numerous taverns here make for excellent bar-hopping, so stop in Hi-Tops, the Cubby Bear and The Metro, a bar that features live music and up-and-coming rock bands like the Smashing Pumpkins, who played here before they made it big and returned for their final two shows.

Diners can satisfy a variety of tastes in Wrigleyville, including Asian, Cajun, Italian and Mexican. Those who prefer to stick with the bar scene can eat well at Bar Louie, John Barleycorn Memorial Pub or Sluggers.

Uptown

For more live music, head farther north, where you'll find the Aragon Ballroom, The Riviera and the prohibition-era jazz bar, The Green Mill. When you're strolling through this area, a word of caution is in order. As the once grand, now deteriorating buildings that house the Aragon and the Riviera suggest, this formerly posh neighborhood has changed drastically in the last 20 years. Still, some of the best music in the city - be it jazz, rock, or something in between - can be found here.

Wicker Park/Bucktown

A hot spot for artisans and heavy drinkers alike is the Wicker Park/Bucktown area. Hang out at bars like the Blue Note, Holiday Club and Mad Bar or restaurants like Northside Caf¨¦, Zoom Kitchen or Beat Kitchen and it won't be long before some hipster starts talking to you about gentrification.

The South Side

If you are visiting the city, do not make the mistake many North Siders do by forgetting that Lake Shore Drive also runs south of downtown.

As you cruise south on Lake Shore Drive, admire the Museum Campus where the Shedd Aquarium, Adler Planetarium and the Field Museum converge. If you have the time, you could easily spend a day in each museum, but it's also well worth a stop just to enjoy the lake views and watch sailboats go by.

Just south, you will pass Soldier Field, home of the Chicago Bears football team. The Bears and city officials have agreed on a USD580 million renovation of the stadium, originally built in 1923. Plans call for preserving Soldier Field's impressive stone pillars, while increasing sitting and surrounding park areas. Immediately after gaping at Soldier Field you will need to guard against whiplash as you turn to stare at the sprawling McCormick Place, the largest convention center in North America and home to numerous annual trade shows, plus the Boat and RV Show and Auto Show. The space includes more than 2.2 million square feet of exhibition space, Chicago's largest ballroom and the Arie Crown Theater.

Comiskey Park, home of the Chicago White Sox, lies on the west side of Lake Shore Drive. The modern stadium features an exploding scoreboard that sets off fireworks and a Sony Jumbo Screen.

Further south, the charming Hyde Park neighborhood has a quaint, old-world look to it. Home to the world-famous University of Chicago, the area boasts interesting restaurants like the Dixie Kitchen and Medici, great used book stores like O'Gara and Wilson's (the oldest used bookstore in the country), and the quaint 57th Street Art Fair. Hyde Park is also home to the gigantic 350,000 square-foot Museum of Science and Industry. This monument to 20th century technology houses a replica coal mine, a German U-Boat and a Zephyr train all under one roof.

After visiting the museum, push away thoughts of industriousness long enough to take a leisurely stroll through Jackson Park. Like its sister to the north, Lincoln Park, Jackson Park was designed by Frederick Law Olmstead. It features a Japanese Garden, a bird sanctuary, a reflecting pond and a golf course.

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