Once known in not the too distant past as "Satan's Mile," the South Loop has grown and transformed in recent years to become not only one of the city's most desirable neighborhoods, but one of the hottest in the country. The increasing popularity, in part, has been driven by the South Loop's proximity to the downtown financial district as well as to the nearby lakefront and Grant Park. Further appeal for prospective residents is found in affordable real estate that includes a variety of housing options such as loft conversions, townhouses, single family homes, and luxury high rises with spacious condos and rental apartments. Tourists and residents from other parts of the city also flock to the neighborhood: some to take advantage of the impressive and growing dining and nightlife scene and some to go to the Museum Campus and events at Soldier Field.

Bordered by Lake Michigan, Congress Parkway to the north, Cermak Road to the south (2200 south) and Canal Street to the west, the South Loop includes the historic rowhouses of Printer's Row and the Dearborn Park residential development. For many years nearly void of a meaningful retail base, shopping outlets in the area now include grocery stores (Jewel, Dominick's and Whole Foods), drug stores (Walgreen's and CVS), Target, Home Depot, Staples, and a variety of boutiques and specialty stores. And for the caffeine addicts, there are several Starbucks and Caribous.

One very noticeable aspect of the South Loop is the diversity of the many faces that populate the neighborhood day and night. Educational institutions such as Columbia College, Roosevelt University, and the School of the Art Institute bring many young artists and students to the area while Chicago's Museum Campus (Field Museum & Shedd Aquarium), the cultural anchor of the neighborhood, attracts tourists and culture-seekers. As for the residents, the South Loop is truly one of the most culturally diverse in the city given in part to the nearby "black South Side," the Latino Pilsen neighborhood, and Chinatown. While far from being dubbed a mini-Boystown, the progressive and welcoming nature of the South Loop has also made it attractive to many gays and lesbians who are moving there for the same reasons as straight people: affordable housing, lots of neighborhood amenities, good transportation links, and the proximity to downtown and the lakefront.

HERE'S THE 411

Transportation
Metra (South Shore Metra Electric)
CTA's Blue, Red, Green and Orange "L" Lines.
Nearby access to Lake Shore Drive as well as the Dan Ryan (I-90/94) and Stevenson (I-55) Expressways.

Dining
Chicago Curry House (Indian) 899 S Plymouth Ct
Cuatro (Latin American) 2030 S Wabash Ave
Eleven City Diner (American) 1112 S Wabash St
Fornetto & Mei's Kitchen (Asian Italian Fusion) 1108 S Michigan Ave
Gioco (Italian) 1312 S Wabash St
Little Branch Cafe (American) 1251 S Prairie Ave
Manny's Deli (24-hour diner) 1141 S Jefferson St.
Opera (Chinese) 1301 S Wabash Ave
Tapas Valencia (Spanish) 1530 S State St
Yolk (Breakfest / Lunch) 1120 S Michigan Ave

Places To Go
Field Museum 1400 S Lake Shore Dr
Glessner House Museum 1800 S Prairie Ave
Maxwell Sunday Market 1200-1400 S Canal St
NTU Performing Arts Gallery 1716 S Michigan
Shedd Aquarium 1200 S Lake Shore Dr
Bash on Wabash Every September
Printers Row Lit Fest Every June

Nightlife/Bars & Clubs
Buddy Guy's Legends (Jazz & Blues)
754 S Wabash Ave
Jazz Showcase (Jazz) 806 S Plymouth Ct
Kasey's Tavern (Neighborhood Pub)
701 S Dearborn St
M Lounge (Jazz Club) 1520 S Wabash St.
The Shrine (DJ & Live Music) 2109 S Wabash Ave
Tantrum (Martini Lounge) 1023 S State St
The Velvet Lounge (Jazz) 67 E Cermak Rd

 

Yes, Old Town is old ­ it was originally settled in the mid-19th century by German-Catholic immigrants ­ but it's also comfortably cool and hip, a neighborhood that never seems to fall out of favor. Now bordered by Armitage Avenue on the north, Division Street to the south, Clark Street to the east, and Halsted Street to the west, Old Town was previously called North Town during World War II (it got its "Old Town" moniker in 1948) and in fact was the center of Chicago's gay nightlife before Boystown took hold. Home to quite a few gay venues back in the day (from the 60s through the late 80s), Old Town's last remnant to a bygone era is the Bijou Theater, the oldest gay movie palace in the country, located on Wells Street.

The eastern and northern sections of Old Town (bordering the Gold Coast and Lincoln Park neighborhoods) are fairly affluent and feature tree-lined streets with brick constructed townhouses and single family homes, many of which that have distinctive architecture. Despite the loud hustle and bustle nearby in the skyscrapered Loop and Michigan Avenue, this part of Old Town is a calm, almost suburbanesque, oasis with a feel similar to parts of Evanston.

But Old Town is far from monolithic tranquility as the southwestern quadrant has gone through a historic transformation in the past decade. Once home to the notorious Cabrini Green housing development, most of the high-rise project buildings in this area (made famous in the Good Times television show) have been replaced by modern and attractive housing stock. The nighttime Cabrini Green cacophony of emergency vehicle sirens and horns has been replaced by daytime sounds of jacks, drills, and other types of construction equipment, symbols of the changes that are now making ALL of Old Town desirable to ALL people.

While largely residential, Old Town does have a lively entertainment district and plenty of varied retail options within and nearby. The Second City improv comedy group is based in the neighborhood; Zanies Comedy Club has an outpost on Wells Street; and Steppenwolf Theatre lies just on the other side of the Halsted Street border. When it comes to shopping there are boutiques aplenty in old Old Town and national names such as Whole Foods, Borders, Dominick's, Best Buy and Crate & Barrel in (or very near) the revamped part. And last but not least there's the annual Old Town Arts Fair, one of the city's oldest and most popular neighborhood festivals.

HERE'S THE 411

Transportation
CTA's Red & Brown "L" Line.
Major CTA Bus Lines: 8-Halsted; 22-Clark; 36-Broadway.
Nearby access to Lake Shore Drive as well as the Kennedy (I-90/94) Expressway.

Places To Go/Shop
Chicago Historical Society 1601 N Clark St
Atom Antiques 1219 N Wells St
See Hear Music 217 W North Ave
The Spice House 1512 N Wells St
Barbara's Bookstore 1350 N Wells St
Jumbalia 1427 N Wells St
Old Town Art Fair Every June

Dining
Burton Place (Bar Food) 1447 N Wells St
Dinotto (Italian) 215 W North Ave.
Fireplace Inn (Ribs & Steaks) 1448 N Wells St
Kamehachi (Sushi) 1400 N Wells St
Old Jerusalem (Middle Eastern)
1411 N Wells St
Orso's (Italian) 1401 N Wells St.
Salpicon (Mexican) 1252 N Wells St
Topo Gigio (Italian) 1516 N Wells St
Twin Anchors (Ribs) 1655 N Sedgwick St

Nightlife/Bars
Bijou Theater (Gay Adult Cinema)
1349 N Wells St
Chicago Music Video Parties (Karaoke)
525 W North Ave
McGinny's Tap 313 W North Ave
Old Town Ale House 219 W North Ave
Suite Lounge (Martinis) 1446 N Wells St
Spoon 1240 N Wells St
Zanies Comedy Club 1548 N Wells St

 

Wrigleyville, the neighborhood anchored by the venerable Wrigley Field (home of the Chicago Cubs) and bounded by Halsted Street on the east, Ashland Avenue to the west, Roscoe Street to the south and Byron Street to the north, is one of the most popular and most sought-after areas in the city. Featuring a fairly young, diverse and well-educated demographic with much of its population in their 20s and 30s, the densely populated section of the city boasts great dining and nightlife. These factors are significant to why many people move to Wrigleyville and also help attract many out-of-town as well as local area visitors.

While the main thoroughfares of Wrigleyville (Clark, Southport, and Addison Streets) are often busy and noisy with foot and automobile traffic, especially when the Cubs are playing, the residential tree-lined side streets are typically peaceful and clean. Slightly cheaper across the board compared to neighborhoods closer to downtown, housing options range from relatively inexpensive garden level studio apartments to million dollar single family homes.

While there are hundreds of retailers in the general Lakeview area, interestingly Wrigleyville's retailing and shopping reputation is not as strong as one might expect. The same, however, can not be said about the dining and nightlife scenes, both of which are varied and quite robust. While most of the bars and clubs in Wrigleyville are geared toward and marketed to straights, it is not uncommon to find many gays and lesbians at some of these watering holes mixing and mingling with their hetero friends and neighbors. This integration of gays with straights is emblematic of the continued residential migration of the GLBT community into various Chicago neighborhoods that are vibrant and welcoming. Wrigleyville definitely meets these criteria.

HERE'S THE 411

Transportation
CTA's Red, Brown and Purple "L" Lines.
Major CTA Bus Lines: 8-Halsted; 9-Ashland; 22-Clark; 152-Addison
Nearby access to Lake Shore Drive.

Places To Go/Shop
Live Bait Theater (Stage) 3914 N Clark St
The Mercury Theater (Stage) 3745 N Southport Ave
Metro (Concerts) 3730 N Clark St
Music Box Theatre (Cinema) 3733 N Southport
Wrigley Field 1060 W Addison St.
4 Legs Pet Products 3809 N Clark St
A Little Bit of This (Gifts) 1413 W Grace St
Play It Again Sports 3939 N Ashland Ave
Strange Cargo (Vintage Clothing) 3448 N Clark St
Uncle Dan's (Outdoor Gear) 3551 N Southport Ave
Wrigleyville Sports (Sports Jerseys & Memorabilia)
959 W Addison St

Dining
Cullen's (Irish Gastropub) 3741 N Southport Ave
Cy's Crab House 3819 N Ashland Ave
Harry Caray's (American) 3551 N Sheffield Ave
Kitchenette (Thai) 3811 N Ashland Ave
Machu Picchu (Peruvian) 3856 N Ashland Ave
Matsuya Restaurant (Sushi) 3469 N Clark St
The Raw Bar & Grill (Seafood) 3720 N Clark St
Rise Sushi & Sake Lounge 3401 N Southport Ave
Rockit Bar & Grill (American) 3700 N. Clark St
Salt & Pepper Diner (American) 3537 N Clark St
Take Five (American) 3747 N Southport Ave
Tango Sur (Argentine) 3763 N Southport Ave
Twist A Tapas Café (Spanish) 3412 N Sheffield Ave
Uncommon Ground (American) 3800 N Clark St
Vines on Clark (American) 3554 N Clark St
Yak-zies Bar Grill (American/Wings) 3710 N Clark St

Nightlife/Bars
Casey Moran's 3660 N Clark St.
Dugout Bar & Grill 950 W Addison St
Full Shilling Public House 3728 N Clark St
Gingerman Tavern 3740 N Clark St
Hye Bar 3707 N Southport Ave
The Piano Man 3801 N Clark St
Smart Bar (DJ/House Music) 3730 N Clark St
Murphy's Bleachers 3655 N Sheffield Ave
Trace 3714 N Clark St