Location: Central
Top Things to do in Central
Top 9 Neighborhoods in Central, Illinois (IL)
The windy city is a cornucopia of modern art, fine dining, cutting edge comedy, and die-hard sports fans. Snap a photo of your reflection in the silver Cloud Gate sculpture at Millennium Park before heading to Grant Park to get hit with the refreshing spray of Buckingham Fountain. There are dozens of museums and theater companies in Chicago, so a cultural experience is never hard to find. You’re sure to laugh your head off at the Second City Theater, the professional launch pad of many famous comedians.
Restaurants in Chicago
1. The Loop
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,238 reviews
Downtown section of Chicago defined by the loop of elevated train that encircles it.
Reviewed By 866TaylorB - Chicago, United States
As a native Chicagoan--I actually grew up in south suburban Blue Island but have lived in downtown Chicago since 1976--I have learned there is so much to love about the city. Who would want to live anywhere else? Visitors gravitate to the most popular tourist attractions such as Navy Pier, Millennium Park, the Magnificent Mile and Wrigley Field. But old-timers still cling to The Loop, where it all began, where Chicago began. Bounded by the Chicago River on the north and west, by Lake Michigan on the east and by Roosevelt Road on the south, encircled by the prominent elevated railway system (the "El") that gives The Loop its name, the area is the first of Chicago's 77 designated communities, the central business district of the city, the main section of downtown Chicago, the second largest commercial business district in North America. Once the site of Chicago's first homestead and the site of historic Fort Dearborn, which was built in 1803, The Loop contains the headquarters and regional offices of several global and national businesses, retail establishments, restaurants, hotels and theaters. It also is the site of some of the world's earliest and tallest skyscrapers and many notable landmarks. It is home to City Hall, the seat of Cook County, Chicago Board of Trade, Chicago Mercantile Exchange, Grant Park, Millennium Park, Palmer House, Art Institute, Union Station, Thompson Center, Daley Center, Printer's Row, Chicago Theatre and Marshall Field's (now Macy's). Mostly destroyed by the Great Chicago Fire in 1871, The Loop quickly was rebuilt to include such architectural wonders as the Rookery Building, Monadnock Building, Willis Tower and Aon Center. And don't forget the artwork and sculpture, including Buckingham Fountain, Picasso, Chagall, Miro, Calder and DuBuffet. There is so much to see, so many photo opportunities. And you haven't even left the heart of the city.
2. The Magnificent Mile
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 15,639 reviews
The Magnificent Mile is one of the great avenues of the world and is at the center of all that makes Chicago an international destination. One of the top 10 hospitality, dining and retail destinations in the world, with endless shopping, international cuisine, top rated hotels, lively entertainment, majestic architecture and natural beauty at every turn, The Magnificent Mile offers visitors to Chicago a one-of-a-kind city experience. The Magnificent Mile is the 13-block stretch of North Michigan Avenue that runs from the banks of the Chicago River to the south, to Oak Street to the north. The Magnificent Mile district extends a full square mile from North Michigan Avenue. The Magnificent Mile is a spectacular showcase of style, flavor, entertainment and fun. With more than 460 stores, 275 restaurants, 60 hotels and unique entertainments and attractions packed and stacked along its length, The Magnificent Mile has an indulgence for every passion and every pocket.
Reviewed By christiano242
The Magnificent Mlle is certainly magnificent with the high end stores and other shops along with the historic and new architecture for which Chicago is so justly proud. Just walking along the Mile, one can hear languages from many countries. Each season the street is decorated with theme-based decorations. Along with shopping I enjoy people watching.
3. Hyde Park
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 70 reviews
This neighborhood, located south of the downtown area, is best known for being the home to the University of Chicago.
Reviewed By 866TaylorB - Chicago, United States
Hyde Park on Chicago's South Side is a culturally diverse neighborhood that, most importantly, is home to the University of Chicago, one of the most prestigious universities in the world. Located seven miles south of Chicago's Loop, within an area that extends from East 51st Street on the north to the University of Chicago's picturesque Midway Plaisance on the south and from Washington Park on the west to Lake Michigan on the east, Hyde Park also is home to Frank Lloyd Wright's Robie House, the Museum of Science and Industry, Rockefeller Chapel, the Hyde Park Arts Center, the University of Chicago's Oriental Institute, Jackson Park and the site of the world's first artificial nuclear reactor. Not to mention a plethora of ethnic restaurants, trendy boutiques, shops, bars, hotels, museums and book stores. Hyde Park was founded in 1853 by real estate developer Paul Cornell, who purchased 300 acres of land between 51st and 55th Streets alongside the shore of Lake Michigan with the dream of attracting other Chicago businessmen and their families to the area. The development received a spike in 1891 when philanthropist John D. Rockefeller established the University of Chicago. In 1893, Hyde Park got another publicity boost when the World's Columbian Exposition came to the neighborhood. The Museum of Science and Industry, formerly the Palace of the Fine Arts, is the lone survivor of the 1893 event. In fact, there are so many historical properties in Hyde Park that it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1966. Visitors can roam the streets, from 51st to 55th to 57th, stroll through the University of Chicago's picturesque campus, take a lunch break at Medici on 57th, Valois, Piccolo Mondo, Virtue, Nathan's Chicago Style, Solonia, Harold's Chicken Shack, Leona's Pizzeria, Rajun Cajun, Thai 55, Nicky's Chinese Food or Chipotle Mexican Grill. Browse the German submarine U-505 at the Museum of Science and Industry, the Egyptian mummies at the Oriental Institute, contemporary art works at Hyde Park Art Center and Smart Museum of Art and learn about the history of Chicago at the Du Sable Museum of African-American History. Two other points of interest are former president Barack Obama's home and Promontory Point on Lake Michigan.
4. Oak Street
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 74 reviews
This downtown street is filled with upscale shopping opportunities.
Reviewed By 866TaylorB - Chicago, United States
If you are planning to visit Chicago for the first time and you like to shop--who doesn't?--Water Tower Place on the Magnificent Mile is recommended as your first stop. But if you are an upscale shopper, be sure to walk a few blocks north to Oak Street, Chicago's most prestigious and most fashionable shopping area. Located in Chicago's spiffy Gold Coast neighborhood, between North Michigan Avenue and North State Street, across from the Drake Hotel, Oak Street is home to the highest concentration of international couture houses, American luxury brands, fashion brands and local boutiques. Upscale retail shops also overflow onto nearby Rush Street and Walton Street. Tree-lined Oak Street features such high end, luxury names as Chanel, Giorgio Armani, Escada, Carolina Herrera, Georg Jensen, Dior, Hermes, Harry Winston, Jimmy Choo, Dolce & Gabbana, Paul Stuart, Prada, Saint Laurent, Tom Ford, Van Cleef and Arpels, Versace and Vera Wang. Gone is the famed movie theater Esquire, now a classy steakhouse. But the Esquire's iconic vertical marquee neon sign remains, as big as ever, bigger than anything else on the street, a reminder of the way it was from the time the theater opened in 1938 until it closed in 2006. Still, Oak Street retains the glamor of yesteryear.
5. Prairie Avenue Historic District
6. The Old Town of Chicago
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 31 reviews
Reviewed By 866TaylorB - Chicago, United States
Chicago is a city of neighborhoods, most of them dating to ethnic origins. One of the most iconic and historical of all is Old Town. Located on North Wells Street between Division Street and North Avenue on the Near North Side and Lincoln Park, it is home to many of Chicago's older, Victorian era buildings, including St. Michael's Church, one of only seven buildings to survive the Great Chicago Fire in 1871. Today, it is home to one of the city's most active and vibrant entertainment/restaurant/bar areas. And it has changed dramatically in recent months, before and after the shutdown for the Coronavirus. It is home to Piper's Alley, Second City and Zanie's, some of the city's major entertainment destinations. It also is home to Fireplace Inn, Orso's and Topo Gigio, three outstanding restaurants. They are old-time favorites, along with the Fudge Pot and Old Town Ale House. But several restaurants have closed in recent years, only to be replaced by popular bars, pubs, coffee shops, boutiques and eateries aimed at a younger audience. Oh, there still is a McDonald's at North and Wells. Old Town was designated a Chicago Landmark in 1977 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.
7. Marina City
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 157 reviews
Unique architecture for a building complex as its own self-contained community.
Reviewed By 866TaylorB - Chicago, United States
Honestly, until I recently began researching some background information on the Marina City towers, I wasn't aware that they were referred to as the "Corn Cobs." The two 60-story residential towers were built in 1964, before I returned to Chicago, and my first experience with them was attending sports banquets at Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Lattner's restaurant on the lower level overlooking the Chicago River. The towers aren't public so locals and tourists must rely on boat tours to get an up-close-and-personal view of the twin structures. Or walk along Wacker Drive and observe the architectural wonders. Fortunately, we have friends who live in the building and we have never turned down an invitation to visit. What a marvelous view, east to west, from Lake Michigan to Wolf Point, and downtown Chicago. To no one's surprise, a student of famed architect Mies van der Rohe, Bertrand Goldberg, designed Marina City, a lively complex that includes apartments, recreation facilities, offices, restaurants, banks, a theater and 18 stories of parking space. It even includes a boat dock underneath the towers. House of Blues, one of Chicago's hottest night clubs, is located between the towers. At the time of its construction, Marina City was the biggest complex ever built in concrete and its shape was in sharp contrast with the contemporary architectural concepts of straight lines and cubical apartment buildings. The cylindrical shape was used to have less wind pressure. It may not be the most famous building in Chicago but it reinforced the image of Chicago as a city on the forefront of modern urban architecture.
8. Printers Row
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 23 reviews
Reviewed By AmyGChicago - Chicago, United States
This is where I call home! Absolutely love the neighborhood! 2 blocks away from the craziness of Michigan Ave. Lots of locally owned restaurants and coffee shops. Tottos Market is worth hopping into. Go behind Dearborn Station and take Plymouth south. Lots of beautiful parks. The people who live here are some of the nicest people in the city. They are very welcoming. Printers Row is definitely a gem.
