Home to Union Station, the United Center, and Oprah Winfrey's Harpo Studios, the West Loop's industrial façade belies the subtle glamour that has crept in to the once hardscrabble neighborhood. Though parts of it are still high-crime, other sections point toward a massive revitalization.
The food certainly helps. West Randolph Street is home to some of Chicago's glitziest restaurants, such as Vivo, Marche, Blackbird, and Red Light. Greektown, centered mostly on Halsted between Madison and Van Buren, boasts Artopolis, Athena, Parthenon, and Pegasus. And on old Maxwell Street you can still enjoy the delis or scarf down a classic Maxwell Street Polish sausage.
Many of the old warehouses and vacant lots have been converted to primo condos, galleries, and gorgeous loft space. A solid community of artists has grown here, and can be sampled twice a month at the West Loop Art Market, behind Landmark Arts on Randolph, where artists, musicians, writers, performers, and filmmakers gather to display their work.
Fun Facts
- The Chicago Post Office at 433 West Van Buren is the only postal facility in the world that you can drive a car through.
- Chicago's Greektown, a relatively recent neighborhood that arose in the 1960s, was the place that introduced "saganaki" (flaming cheese) to the United States.
