The area just south of the Loop, called the South Loop, is bounded generally by Ida B. Wells (formerly Congress Parkway) to the north, Lake Michigan to the east, the Chicago River to the west and 35th Street to the south. It is one of the fastest growing areas in Chicago with multiple neighborhoods, including Printers Row, the historic Prairie Avenue District, Museum Campus, McCormick Square and Chinatown.

The South Loop is incredibly diverse, with major cultural and educational institutions, bars, restaurants, retail shops, galleries, the largest largest convention center in the nation (McCormick Place) and major sports venues (Wintrust Arena, home to the DePaul University Blue Demons, Soldier Field, home to both the Chicago Bears proessional football team and the Chicago Fire professional mens soccer team and Guaranteed Rate Field, home to the Chicago White Sox professional baseball team).

Printer's Row, just south of Ida B. Wells on Dearborn Street, is a unique urban neighborhood of residential lofts, townhomes, bars and restaurants.

Located on the lakefront, Museum Campus is home to some of Chicago's finest cultural institutions, including The Field Museum, Shedd Aquarium and Adler Planetarium.

The Prairie Avenue Historic District was once home to Chicago's most wealthy citizens, including Marshall Field. You'll see some beautiful mansions in the district, including Glessner House, located at 1800 S. Prairie Avenue.

McCormick Square is the area surrounding the McCormick Place convention center and is home to numerous hotels and a revitalized area of bars and restaurants.

Chinatown is another fun, vibrant neighborhood in the South Loop. For more information, please see our Chinatown Neighborhood Guide.

The South Loop is a fun, eclectic area and one definitely worth exploring. Whether your looking for cultural institutions, historic homes, laid-back sports bars, clubs, live music, great food or sporting events, you'll find it in the South Loop!

There's much to see and do in the South Loop. Below are some of our favorites.

Getting to the South Loop
The South Loop can be easily reached on foot from the Loop by walking south of Ida B. Wells (formerly Congress Parkway). Via the CTA Red Line subway, get off at the Harrison or Roosevelt Road stops. On the CTA Green line elevated tracks, exit at Roosevelt or Cermak-McCormick Place (for McCormick Square neighborhood). Given the proximity to the downtown area, a taxi or ride share is also a quick and easy alternative.