South Loop

What is it like to live in the South Loop, Chicago?

You live downtown, but with more sky. Grant Park and the lakefront run the length of the east side, and the Field Museum, Shedd Aquarium and Adler Planetarium are close enough to visit on a whim. Printers Row has bookstores, cafes and a small-neighborhood feel. Michigan and Wabash carry restaurants, the Wabash Arts Corridor murals and live blues at Buddy Guy's Legends. On Bears game days and festival weekends, you'll know it.

What kinds of homes are in the South Loop?

Loft condos in converted printing houses and warehouses, high-rise condos and apartments from the 2000s on, and clusters of townhomes. The Prairie Avenue Historic District at the south end has some of the city's oldest surviving mansions. Many buildings here are newer, so parking, storage and in-unit laundry are common.

How do you get around?

The CTA Red, Green and Orange lines all stop at Roosevelt. The Red Line also stops at Harrison, and the Blue Line stops at LaSalle on the Printers Row end. DuSable Lake Shore Drive and the Lakefront Trail run along the east side.

South Loop fun facts

• Dearborn Station opened in 1885 and is the oldest train station still standing in Chicago.
• Printers Row Lit Fest started in 1985 as a book fair and is billed as the largest free outdoor literary event in the Midwest.
• Much of Grant Park sits on landfill and debris from the Great Chicago Fire of 1871.
• The name Printers Row first showed up in the Chicago Tribune in 1907.

Thinking about buying or selling in the South Loop?

I'm Megan Sullivan with Compass. The South Loop has a lot of similar-looking buildings with very different finances. I'll help you compare assessments, reserves and resale history side by side.