All South Loop

South Loop is a Chicago neighborhood immediately south of the Loop, part of the city’s Near South Side community area. The South Branch of the Chicago River runs through the neighborhood, with Chinatown adjacent to the southwest, Museum Campus to the east, and University Village and Pilsen to the west.

The neighborhood’s boundaries are not precisely defined. Its southern edge is generally considered Cermak Road (22nd Street), sometimes extended to 26th Street near Bronzeville, while its northern boundary is Ida B. Wells Drive, sometimes extended north to Van Buren Street. The Greater South Loop Association, a local neighborhood organization, defines a larger area bounded by Ida B. Wells Drive to the north, the Stevenson Expressway to the south, Lake Michigan and Northerly Island to the east, and the Dan Ryan Expressway to the west.

Development

Much of South Loop’s residential building stock sits on former railyards redeveloped starting in the late 20th century, including the Dearborn Park and Central Station micro-neighborhoods. Former warehouses and factory lofts in the Printing House Row District have been converted to residential use, and new townhouses and high-rises continue to be built on previously vacant land. Columbia College Chicago owns 17 buildings in the neighborhood. The 78, a large mixed-use development on formerly vacant land along the river, is under construction and slated to include McDonald’s Park, a 22,000-seat stadium for Chicago Fire FC expected to open before the 2028 Major League Soccer season.

Parks & Recreation

South Loop is bordered to the east by Museum Campus, home to the Field Museum, Shedd Aquarium, Adler Planetarium, and Northerly Island. Within the neighborhood, Chicago Women’s Park and Gardens is a 3.23-acre public sculpture garden, Southbank Riverwalk is a 2.5-acre park and public pathway along the Chicago River’s south branch, and Fred Anderson Park is a 1.2-acre dog-friendly community space at 1611 S. Wabash Avenue.

Transit

The CTA Red, Green, and Orange Lines all stop at Roosevelt station, and the Green Line also stops at Cermak-McCormick Place. Metra Electric District trains serve the 18th Street and McCormick Place stations.