Century Tower

The Loop is the heart of downtown Chicago and gets its name from the loop that the El trains form before jetting off to their respective paths out of the city. The Loop is heavily commercial, as companies like United Airways, Northern Trust, Boeing, and more have offices here.

If you are planning on living in The Loop, be prepared for a high-rise lifestyle. The Loop truly is a concrete jungle, and residents of The Loop must have a love for city life. Weekdays in the Loop are the busiest you will see, as Chicagoans from every neighborhood do business in its central location. Coffee shops and breakfast spots are packed with business people vying to be first in line, and lunch spots are packed with professional lunches. (If you'd like to stay central, but the Loop sounds a bit too hectic, you might like New East Side or South Loop.)

After work and on the weekends, the Loop essentially shuts down. Streets and restaurants that were packed with 9-5ers during the week are now eerily empty. However, Millennium Park is an exception as it sees over 25 million visitors a year and is packed just about every day of the week. Here, people can be seen taking photos of Cloud Gate, enjoying open-air concerts, wandering Maggie Daley Park, and enjoying the lake views.

Although The Loop is highly commercial, it still contains historical buildings such as the Art Institute of Chicago, the Harold Washington Public Library, Maggie Daley Park, and the printing houses of Printer's Row to the south.