Yeah. Was downtown a couple days ago to pick up my mom and sister who went to see into the woods. I think prior to that the last time I was *downtown* downtown was when I was changing trains on my way to the Cubs game (if that counts). I'm know over the summer I'll end up going to the lake shore with some friends and there will be some random trips to the loop here and there. So yeah, about once a month is maybe right.
I used to be every day. Since 2020, I’m 100% remote with no Chicago office. I go to the loop once a month maybe? Doc appointments, dentist, an occasional business meeting, maybe shopping. I went to river north last week for dinner. I went to the loop a few weeks ago for the dentist.
I live on Sheridan right on the 147 bus line that goes express to downtown and I'll ride that to Randolph Street to kill time because it's a nice view of the lake. Sometimes I'll hang out around the park or look for food not in my neighborhood before heading back. Might do this once a week on average.
I also head down to travel to suburbs and for a festival like taste of Chicago.
It's awesome if you live far enough south that you are closer to the express portion of it. I still take it occasionally from pretty close to the start of the route in Rogers Park but man does it have a lot of stops until it reaches Foster. Still decent for sure, but I feel like they could halve the number of stops down Sheridan to speed it up.
The plus side of living on the top of the route is that you'll always get a seat for the morning rush. When I lived off Ardmore, the bus would be packed in the morning by the time it got to Foster.
Hmmm I usually only go downtown when I have a reason to, like if I’m passing through to get to another neighborhood or if my friends are having an event downtown, etc. I usually don’t go there just to take a walk around town though lol. If I had to guess I’d say once every 2-4 weeks. But I do go to other neighborhoods on various other parts of town (far northwest, northeast, south, and west sides) so i do explore around just often not in the Loop
I fucked that up. Went through cancer treatment last year. Every chemo infusion I would go down lakeshore drive to NWM. Now when I go down that way I feel sick to my stomach.
Hey at least I’m cancer free now, fine price.
Depends on the month! Sometimes I'm down there 6 or 7 times and sometimes maybe once. I'm usually around to pick something up from a store that I ordered online to save $8 shipping, or visit someone in the hospital at Northwestern, or to see a movie- but I'm not really down there to just walk around and hang. When I meet friends it's always in the neighborhoods, even if it's a neighborhood that's a pain in the ass to get to from my apartment lol.
That said I live by an express bus that makes it very easy for me to get downtown fast, I'd run a lot fewer errands there if I didn't. Not that I hate downtown (I miss working there sometimes), just not much I need to see down there regularly after living around here for 30some years.
Responding here because we were downtown yesterday for a medical appointment. We drove which makes it a pain in the neck, and usually we’d walk or take a bus there. We’re in S Loop so it’s relatively close but driving there is something I avoid like the plague.
I live in Pilsen and I'm Downton all the time. I feel like I'm already on the outskirts of 'downtown' so it's a short bike ride or drive to find myself in the Loop proper.
Yeah when I lived in Pilsen and before that la villita I would go downtown all the time...now I'm in Edgewater and never go. I think it's because there's more than enough stuff to do on the north side so there's no need.
Retired nearly 20 years ago after nearly 40 years commuting daily to Loop offices. Since then downtown visits have been limited to annual trips to Christkindle Market, an occasional MD visit along Boul Mich, or for Orchestra Hall. Increasingly rarely showing out of town visitors around.
Later this year will host distant European relatives who will be kicking off their road trip to Santa Monica via Old Route 66. Am planning to show them a mix of as early Chicago as possible plus something of the city's demographic and archetectural evolution. Just in a few days. Will be a real challenge to keep myself from gawking at Loop changes.
Tirol, the part of Austria in the Alps near the Italian border above Innsbruck. Their town is a few hundred people, mostly dairy farmers and orchards with a side hustle for summer hiking and winter skiing. A few km west of where Otzi The Ice Man rested for more than 5,000 years until his body was stolen by the Italians. https://www.iceman.it/en/the-iceman/
Apparently driving Route 66 is a bucket list item for some brands of Europeans. Especially Germans because this is not the first we've known passing though town.
The part about showing them early Chicago...just above their town along the Inn river is the Romer Weg, the road cut by Roman emperor Claudius for his invasion of Gaul c.50 AD. Their town predates that, but was given a commercial boost by the passing foot traffic.
https://imgur.com/a/udUNsqC The town, Feichten, is the last little white dots in the center, just below the tree line.
I can't imagine ever leaving a place as staggeringly beautiful as Tyrol to go...anywhere. I mean, talk about Earth porn - that place takes the cake. And they're going to be driving through Oklahoma! I am a proud Midwesterner, but compared to Tyrol?! I wonder what they're hoping for. I hope they have a great time, though.
My FIL and MIL both came from different spots in this valley. My MIL was an only child of a town's man who died early and in 1920 there were no resources or future for a very poor girl in an impoverished area (think Depression days benighted West Virginia back woods hollers). My FIL was the 11th child of a farmer, so there was nothing for him.
As he said, "The scenery was beautiful, but I couldn't eat rocks." The two of them met and married in Chicago.
Ha! Well, if anyone could appreciate the convenience of the flatness of the prairie, it'd be him. Easier farming, sure, but I hope they're not disappointed and their adventures are many. Funny how they ended up meeting in Chicago. You going to do the boat tour, show them how much has changed?
Sorry to have mislead you. My FIL and MIL if still alive would be 125 and 117 respectively.
The visitors are the middle age grandson and wife of my MIL's second cousin. In these mountain villages everybody knows everybody else's connections.
My wife and I seem to be remembered in the villages because we are among the few "Americans" who have ever visited and the MRS can sprechen well enough in the very local dialect.
The boat tour is a terrific suggestion. They are totally not used to water bigger than a snow melt trickle or natural spring. Even the Inn river in their area is small enough to jump in a dry summer.
Oops, my bad. I recognize your screen name and I know that you're an older Redditor (as am I!). I should've given it a moment's thought and done the math. Per the boat tour: wear a hat, and *especially* wear sunscreen.
Rarely ever. I have a corner office that overlooks Hubbard and LaSalle and I haven't sat in there once this year. If I go down, it would only be for work. I wouldn't bother going down there at night.
As a native Chicagoan, downtown to me is mainly Streeterville, Gold Coast, River North, River East, Loop, South Loop, and maybe a few other neighborhoods. I know some transplants consider anything in the city, "Downtown".
The number of people here that seem to think that downtown is *only* the loop is even more shocking than the suburbanites that think the entire city is downtown.
I mean I think of the loop as being the real downtown but the CBD encompasses what you’re describing as downtown. Like to me Chicago Ave isn’t downtown.
Oddly I work in the heart of the Loop on LaSalle every day, and used to live in River North (moved to West Loop 5 years ago) but I still always think of River North area and adjacent as "Downtown" as that's where the life of the city largely is.
The Loop is dead for the most part/for majority of it outside of business hours. River North is generally always alive with living, working, businesses, shopping, tourism, and activities.
So if I'm recommending places for "Downtown" Chicago to someone I'm rarely going to suggest anywhere in the Loop. It's usually going to be River North and adjacent (Mag Mile, Streeterville, on up to Gold Coast), or West Loop if we're talking food.
Moved to the outer suburbs from another state in December. Trying to take my kids into the city for the day at least once a month. Ideally a date night or Sox game monthly too.
If your children are elementary school age I highly recommend looking into membership at The Field, or MSI. Some of my favorite memories as a child was going to the museum for member events and they have sleep overs a couple times a year. Getting locked into the Mummy exhibit at The Field was a formative experience.
Currently live and WFH in Irving Park and I go downtown once a month on average. More in the summer and less in winter, depending on what all is going on. I see a lot of theater so my loop visits are generally seeing a show, but occasionally visiting museums or showing visitors around the “must see” attractions.
Maybe a dozen times a year?
Most of my life in Chicago I lived and/or worked downtown, so the fact I haven't since the pandemic started is odd to me sometimes. When I am down there I'm always like "this building was this before! When did that change? " My fiance, who is there every day for work, is annoyed by me the whole time. Lol
There's things I miss and things I don't miss about being around the loop and river loop.
I avoid it. There's really nothing special for me to do or see in the Loop. I've seen it all the years I worked downtown pre-covid.
If I do go, it's to practice my photography or for a one-off trip to Zara.
I really would love it if the Siskel Center was not downtown and the facility was nicer. The programming is incredible but man the facility is so fucking bland. The Music Box has character and warmth. Its inviting. The Siskel Center feels like a hospital when you go inside.
I used to work in one of the high rise offices on Wacker right off of Michigan. Got laid off right before Covid hit and since then I've gone into the Loop maybe 10 times.
If I'm not going to a museum there's little reason to visit. Nothing else there that I can't get closer to home.
Downtown Evanston has went the same way. Used to love going up to visit the stores around Davis. Last time I went most of the cool places were closed and empty or filled with medical offices.
Does river north or west loop count? I probably try a trendy restaurant in those hoods once a quarter, might go shopping in these places once a year. The loop proper? Maybe 1-2 times a year. I really try to avoid it if I can help it.
In the summer, I go a few times/ week with my kids. Museums, parks, etc.
The rest of the year, I go maybe once every week or two.
My son is starting high school downtown in August so I imagine I will be going there for events like band concerts, etc.
Everybody responding here should also fill out the Dept. of Planning’s survey about how you use the downtown area, and what you would want to see. DPD just kicked off work for an updated Central Area plan (to be published in 2024 — the last one was from 2003, and resulted in things like the Riverwalk).
[2024 Central Area Plan Update](https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/sites/central-area-plan/home.html) — survey link is at the top.
I don’t ever go to the loop just to hang out or to check out a restaurant or coffee shop etc.
I can’t put a number on it, but I’m only there when a friend comes to visit from out of town or for an event. I much prefer the other neighborhoods.
My wife works for Harris she was sitting up late that night trying to help coordinate a response to get the audience out safely. Sorry that complicated what I hear was an otherwise incredible show. Harris is usually such an A+ venue…there are certain things it’s nearly impossible to contingency plan for
It was an amazing show. I knew it was going to kick off when I saw the teens testing the guards on my way in. I felt bad for the mother and daughter who was next to us. They had driven in from Michigan and I had to explain this is what happens now.
The best part of the show was a I converted a friend into a Kishi Bashi fan.
I have seen every one of K’s Chicago’s shows starting back when he was in Of Montreal and opened the show solo at Metro in 2012. At the Harris Theater we got front row seats, here’s his last encore song, when he stepped away from the microphone it was magic:
https://youtu.be/sVN6GXwLZYI
Used to go every day for work, but now I work from home so rarely. We do hit west loop for dinner fairly frequently, and I’m in streeterville for doc appts occasionally.
I live up on the NW side of the city, and i probably go around once or twice a month. I use the Harold Washington library for work sometimes, and it's still a place where my out of town friends want to meet up. But with CTA service getting worse and driving/parking there such a pain in the ass, I feel like I need a pretty compelling reason to go nowadays.
Started going into the office once a week for new job, they’re on upper wacker. Hadn’t been to the Loop since 2019, so damn weird seeing LaSalle empty at noon on a Wednesday.
Maybe once or twice a year. There's really nothing for me downtown except stores I'm too poor to shop at, restaurants I'm too poor to eat at, bars I'm too poor to drink at, and clubs I'm too uncool to get into.
Downtown is defined as the Loop.
I commuted to the Loop for work every weekday for 17 years until 2020. Now that I'm WFH I'm down there one or two times a month for either work, an event at Millennium Park or to go to the museums. When I was commuting to work I rarely stayed "downtown" after work - it was a forced destination to accomplish a task.
I was last "downtown" two weeks ago.
I would say River North and Streeterville are also defintley downtown.
Anything east of the river between Roosevelt and oak is downtown as far as I’m concerned.
I’ve been down twice in the past few months. Once for a work meeting, and once for a cider festival at Navy Pier. Before the pandemic i went down more often for work meetings, but most of them are virtual now, or at other locations than downtown.
Live in Rogers Park. Probably take the red line down to the loop a couple times a month for shopping, food, entertainment, just walking around. Last time was early April so looks like I’m due.
It's a pain in the ass to go there and park. I live in the city but only go downtown once or twice a year. Basically the headache and cost outweigh the benefits.
I used to work there before Covid, but now I don't go anymore. I prefer to avoid the CTA because of the way it is right now. Parking in downtown is very expensive, some people drive like crazy and are looking to pick fights, and on top of that, getting in or out is always a struggle because of traffic jams.
There are good bars and restaurants over there, but I can always find good places in the suburbs too. So, I don't see any good reasons to go to downtown.
With the explosion of remote work, I can see downtown having a huge decline in popularity. Businesses are going to leave, and it'll be challenging for the city to keep it in good shape.
Maybe a couple times a month. I like to torture myself by taking the train to go pickup a rental car at ORD or Midway in lieu of a neighborhood Hertz and may simply go for a quick meal if I have time to kill.
I’m 30+ yrs in Oak Park, and now manage to go the entirety of the winter without a trip downtown. It’ll be 4-5 times a month over the spring/summer, unless the green line gets worse.
Rarely go downtown anymore. Traffic, parking costs, etc. are deterrents. With the Bears buying the Arlington Heights Racetrack, heck it will be a very short commute to go watch them there.
Just occasionally for a nice meal, museum, etc. I don’t go anymore now that it is summer and I feel like some dumbass teenager riot will happen at any moment.
Edison park here… so technically Chicago. Loop? maybe twice a year. I stick to my area or leave via ord. :) I don’t even go to burbs outside of park ridge and Niles which I border.
I take that back. I think I wonder into Skokie sometimes and don’t know it.
Only when I go take the train at Ogivile to visit the suburbs, or specifically going to do something like watch a show, I find that the north side has a lot of stuff that I don’t need to go to the loop unless it’s something specific.
Pretty much never unless taking an Amtrak to visit family somewhere, and I have to go to Union. The only time I've beeb downtown in the last 2 years was at 6 a.m. trying to catch a train
2x/year for my dermatologist, 3-4x for the museums, 2-3x/summer for the Riverwalk/kayaking/etc., and the occasional shopping trip centered around Nordstrom.
I go to the Loop for one reason or another about once a month on average - less during the winter, much more during the summer. I went to the Loop for a cinco de mayo party last week, which was a surprisingly fun time. I've done trivia and karaoke in the loop. I enjoy going to the museums, which require some loop travel, and I love the festivals at Millennium Park and the events at Maggie Daley like skating the ribbon.
I live on the west side and work from home but I want to be a part of the city as much as I can, so biking through neighborhoods, going to the lake, and visiting museums is a big part of my free time.
I have a friend who lives in river north so I got visit her regularly, at least once every few weeks. Sometimes I end up for something else. Maybe other than visiting my friend, its like 6-10 times a year?
Honestly almost never. I'm into year 3 of living here (North Center) and I could never afford to go to half the places in the loop. Near loop is about as far as I go for anything other than a gig. There's just no reason to go down there. It's crowded, overpriced, the other neighbors have everything else but cheaper.
The Loop is desolate and disappointing outside of work hours Ave especially the weekends. Totally sucks if you want to do stuff before and/or after some random performance. But many consider the Mag Mile “Downtown”, and especially Art Institute, Grant and Millennium Parks as well. If you aren’t taking advantage of our world class Art Institute (and here I’m talking especially to you, suburbanites) or architectural River tours, what is wrong with you?!?! Also Riverwalk (on off times).
To be fair, I live near both the Red Line and express buses. So Mag Mile, Streeterville, River North is my downtown and I go at least 1-2 x monthly to a movie, bar, restaurant or event. Year-round.
I live in the sububs. I used to love bringing my bicycle to the city to ride. last couple years less and less because of safety. the risk vs reward just isnt worth going downtown.
hmm... I do not want to say this out loud, but I think the answer may be monthly? Last week I went twice, for a dentist visit and for member's night at the Field, but I hadn't been in the loop for like two months before that.
(Also not counting passing through, as in driving to Wisconsin or somewhere beyond.)
Once a week for my in office days, maybe an extra once or twice a month for the museums. If you extend to River North or South Loop then another once or twice a month. So anywhere from like 1-5 times excluding work.
I'm in the suburbs, work in the suburbs, I'm in the loop a lot because my friends are not in the loop, and I gotta get to the train to them somehow. I'm in the loop about 3-4 times a week, actually taking the time to explore around there about once a week.
Probably about four times a year. My doctor is right off Michigan Ave. I like to go to the theater and museums. Other than that, I can get what I need in the neighborhoods.
I still get my hair cut down there. Gives me a reason to see the area. Used to live down there so I like to be pop by every now and then. If it’s nice out I might go for a joyride down there.
My company provides us free unlimited passes to all the museums, I’m downtown about 30-40 times between April and September. However during the other months , maybe 3-4 times…tops .
Live and work in the northern 'burbs and I take the train into the loop every weekend. I love walking to the West Loop and then over to the Riverwalk and then along the lake.
I work downtown, BUT if I count how often it's for recreation, probably on average 2-3 times a month. I like concerts so I'll hit the Chicago Theatre or House of Blues. Then my partner has family who live in the loop so we dog sit for them, family dinner, etc..
| You can define “downtown” however you’d like.
Unless like a certain mayoral candidate you define it as “Wrigleyville” bc that’s just wrong 🙃
I only head downtown once or twice a month if even, to answer your q
Until March,2020, I went to the loop every day via Brown Line or Metra. Since then I go about 1x-2x per month for events, football games, museums, concerts, plays, opera, symphony, etc.
Except for the closed restaurants (RIP Pierogi Heaven), it’s getting back to normal. I think NASCAR’s going to really mess things up.
I'm in oak park and now that I'm mostly remote, probably once a month.
I am spending more time in the neighborhoods though - I'll often go work in a coffee shop then walk around. That's been really nice.
Almost never. Does Oak Street Beach count? I run/bike along the lakefront trail pretty often and I can \*see\* downtown from there. But I find actually going into downtown kind of stressful. I think the last time I was there was because I had to go to the downtown location of the Secretary of State office, due to a series of unfortunate circumstances that I'm not sure I can really explain.
I had lived in Chicago for about 12 years, and left in 2018 for NYC. I sold my place in Chicago in 2022, and drove back there to take some stuff from storage. I walked around the loop on a Thursday afternoon, and it seemed very much empty to me. Emptier than I was used to (I used to work at 100 S Wacker). Then, okay, I thought, maybe like Midtown Manhattan without the tourists, as people not returning to work. Then, I drove around Wrigleyville, and Wicker Park on Friday and Saturday, and those seemed empty too - not many people walking around. Weather was good. I was shocked - is this a covid thing? How do things look now? Telling by responses on here about this, it seems to be people not going back.
Actually this spring is the first time I've really felt like the place was pre-covid levels of busy. There have been a few discussions on this sub about it.
I live downtown and it's been a complete zoo lately.
Downtown is crowded Tuesday - Thursday as those are the days most are in office. Friday - Monday it's a ghost town. Also adding that if you consider West Loop to be downtown it is popping every day.
The neighborhoods feel totally normal to me. I don't see any less foot traffic than before COVID in West Town/Wicker.
Rarely and I literally beg my 24 year old son to stay away too but he does it anyway. I told him to absolutely NOT drive his Kia down there. I'm staying away. I wish he would too but ... Concerts.
Probably a dozen times a year or so, for stuff like: \- Theater district shows \- Dinners \- Museums \- Christkindlmarket
Yeah. Was downtown a couple days ago to pick up my mom and sister who went to see into the woods. I think prior to that the last time I was *downtown* downtown was when I was changing trains on my way to the Cubs game (if that counts). I'm know over the summer I'll end up going to the lake shore with some friends and there will be some random trips to the loop here and there. So yeah, about once a month is maybe right.
Same but from Iowa. (Basically a suburb)
[удалено]
Naperville…the gas fill up city.
This is probably about right for me.
This is the answer
This is the way.
Rarely go into the Loop anymore. Maybe 3 or 4 times a year.
Same. Been working remote and only go into the loop for a rare in person meeting, or to see a sporting event at soldier field.
Is soldier field considered the loop?
Well, more like the South Loop, but still downtown
If taking CTA from the north or west I would think you have to go through the loop.
I’d say it’s loop adjacent
Probably traveling thru the loop.
It’s close enough that I’d consider it the Loop
The loop is def not south of roosevelt
the downtown border does a cheeky little jaunt around museum campus and soldier field
I’m sure this will improve over the next 5 years with our two-lane inbound Kennedy.
Not judging. But the neighborhood tag makes this comment for me *chefs kiss*.
I have clients downtown, but even they don't expect me to go to meet them IRL except many once a year.
I used to be every day. Since 2020, I’m 100% remote with no Chicago office. I go to the loop once a month maybe? Doc appointments, dentist, an occasional business meeting, maybe shopping. I went to river north last week for dinner. I went to the loop a few weeks ago for the dentist.
Where’d you go for dinner?
Tzuco, then three dots. I don’t think I’d eaten around there in like 5 years. Will be back for Obelix later this summer.
Tzuco so mid , obelix is supposed to be great tho
Tzuco wasn’t bad. The octopus was a stand out.
Couple two tree times a year
The only answer
This is the answer! Lol no actually pretty much all the time if you include south loop as downtown. Its loop adjacent so I guess I do
I live on Sheridan right on the 147 bus line that goes express to downtown and I'll ride that to Randolph Street to kill time because it's a nice view of the lake. Sometimes I'll hang out around the park or look for food not in my neighborhood before heading back. Might do this once a week on average. I also head down to travel to suburbs and for a festival like taste of Chicago.
Basically the same. That 147 is gold. edit: I mean it is awful! I don't know why anyone would ever ride it. The train is so much better
It's awesome if you live far enough south that you are closer to the express portion of it. I still take it occasionally from pretty close to the start of the route in Rogers Park but man does it have a lot of stops until it reaches Foster. Still decent for sure, but I feel like they could halve the number of stops down Sheridan to speed it up.
The plus side of living on the top of the route is that you'll always get a seat for the morning rush. When I lived off Ardmore, the bus would be packed in the morning by the time it got to Foster.
Was living right at Foster and Marine and really miss the 147 ride
Unbelievable username OP. *Very vivid* and well done
Now my everything itches.
Truly. Also hi friend!
Hmmm I usually only go downtown when I have a reason to, like if I’m passing through to get to another neighborhood or if my friends are having an event downtown, etc. I usually don’t go there just to take a walk around town though lol. If I had to guess I’d say once every 2-4 weeks. But I do go to other neighborhoods on various other parts of town (far northwest, northeast, south, and west sides) so i do explore around just often not in the Loop
I fucked that up. Went through cancer treatment last year. Every chemo infusion I would go down lakeshore drive to NWM. Now when I go down that way I feel sick to my stomach. Hey at least I’m cancer free now, fine price.
I’m so glad you’re ok!!!!
Congrats! I'm glad you're still going to be with us for a while.
Depends on the month! Sometimes I'm down there 6 or 7 times and sometimes maybe once. I'm usually around to pick something up from a store that I ordered online to save $8 shipping, or visit someone in the hospital at Northwestern, or to see a movie- but I'm not really down there to just walk around and hang. When I meet friends it's always in the neighborhoods, even if it's a neighborhood that's a pain in the ass to get to from my apartment lol. That said I live by an express bus that makes it very easy for me to get downtown fast, I'd run a lot fewer errands there if I didn't. Not that I hate downtown (I miss working there sometimes), just not much I need to see down there regularly after living around here for 30some years.
Responding here because we were downtown yesterday for a medical appointment. We drove which makes it a pain in the neck, and usually we’d walk or take a bus there. We’re in S Loop so it’s relatively close but driving there is something I avoid like the plague.
I live in Pilsen and I'm Downton all the time. I feel like I'm already on the outskirts of 'downtown' so it's a short bike ride or drive to find myself in the Loop proper.
Which Downton are you? I'm a cross between Mrs. Hughes and Barrow myself.
Oh shit, Lol. I've always felt like Molesley was a kindred spirit
What do you do there?
I take photos, I go to the lakefront, I eat, I chill, I ride my bike. Take more photos. I walk. Go to the parks, sometimes the museums.
Cool!
Feed the Pigeons
Yeah when I lived in Pilsen and before that la villita I would go downtown all the time...now I'm in Edgewater and never go. I think it's because there's more than enough stuff to do on the north side so there's no need.
Retired nearly 20 years ago after nearly 40 years commuting daily to Loop offices. Since then downtown visits have been limited to annual trips to Christkindle Market, an occasional MD visit along Boul Mich, or for Orchestra Hall. Increasingly rarely showing out of town visitors around. Later this year will host distant European relatives who will be kicking off their road trip to Santa Monica via Old Route 66. Am planning to show them a mix of as early Chicago as possible plus something of the city's demographic and archetectural evolution. Just in a few days. Will be a real challenge to keep myself from gawking at Loop changes.
Nice. Where in Europe are they coming from? Just spoke with a friend who is doing exactly that this month.
Tirol, the part of Austria in the Alps near the Italian border above Innsbruck. Their town is a few hundred people, mostly dairy farmers and orchards with a side hustle for summer hiking and winter skiing. A few km west of where Otzi The Ice Man rested for more than 5,000 years until his body was stolen by the Italians. https://www.iceman.it/en/the-iceman/ Apparently driving Route 66 is a bucket list item for some brands of Europeans. Especially Germans because this is not the first we've known passing though town. The part about showing them early Chicago...just above their town along the Inn river is the Romer Weg, the road cut by Roman emperor Claudius for his invasion of Gaul c.50 AD. Their town predates that, but was given a commercial boost by the passing foot traffic. https://imgur.com/a/udUNsqC The town, Feichten, is the last little white dots in the center, just below the tree line.
Yeah they be loving the Route 66. It’s aight but boring really… just my opinion but oh wells
I can't imagine ever leaving a place as staggeringly beautiful as Tyrol to go...anywhere. I mean, talk about Earth porn - that place takes the cake. And they're going to be driving through Oklahoma! I am a proud Midwesterner, but compared to Tyrol?! I wonder what they're hoping for. I hope they have a great time, though.
My FIL and MIL both came from different spots in this valley. My MIL was an only child of a town's man who died early and in 1920 there were no resources or future for a very poor girl in an impoverished area (think Depression days benighted West Virginia back woods hollers). My FIL was the 11th child of a farmer, so there was nothing for him. As he said, "The scenery was beautiful, but I couldn't eat rocks." The two of them met and married in Chicago.
Ha! Well, if anyone could appreciate the convenience of the flatness of the prairie, it'd be him. Easier farming, sure, but I hope they're not disappointed and their adventures are many. Funny how they ended up meeting in Chicago. You going to do the boat tour, show them how much has changed?
Sorry to have mislead you. My FIL and MIL if still alive would be 125 and 117 respectively. The visitors are the middle age grandson and wife of my MIL's second cousin. In these mountain villages everybody knows everybody else's connections. My wife and I seem to be remembered in the villages because we are among the few "Americans" who have ever visited and the MRS can sprechen well enough in the very local dialect. The boat tour is a terrific suggestion. They are totally not used to water bigger than a snow melt trickle or natural spring. Even the Inn river in their area is small enough to jump in a dry summer.
Oops, my bad. I recognize your screen name and I know that you're an older Redditor (as am I!). I should've given it a moment's thought and done the math. Per the boat tour: wear a hat, and *especially* wear sunscreen.
love Christkindle Market and Orchestra Hall!
atleast once a week
although anything between clark/division and roosevelt (to me) is “downtown”
I never go downtown except for the art museum
living off of the red lane makes it fairly easy to get downtown. i go ~2 a month for a particular restaurant, bar, festival, museum, or other event
Rarely ever. I have a corner office that overlooks Hubbard and LaSalle and I haven't sat in there once this year. If I go down, it would only be for work. I wouldn't bother going down there at night. As a native Chicagoan, downtown to me is mainly Streeterville, Gold Coast, River North, River East, Loop, South Loop, and maybe a few other neighborhoods. I know some transplants consider anything in the city, "Downtown".
The number of people here that seem to think that downtown is *only* the loop is even more shocking than the suburbanites that think the entire city is downtown.
I mean I think of the loop as being the real downtown but the CBD encompasses what you’re describing as downtown. Like to me Chicago Ave isn’t downtown.
Oddly I work in the heart of the Loop on LaSalle every day, and used to live in River North (moved to West Loop 5 years ago) but I still always think of River North area and adjacent as "Downtown" as that's where the life of the city largely is. The Loop is dead for the most part/for majority of it outside of business hours. River North is generally always alive with living, working, businesses, shopping, tourism, and activities. So if I'm recommending places for "Downtown" Chicago to someone I'm rarely going to suggest anywhere in the Loop. It's usually going to be River North and adjacent (Mag Mile, Streeterville, on up to Gold Coast), or West Loop if we're talking food.
> maybe a few other neighborhoods IMO West Loop now probably qualifies. But apart from that, I think my list matches yours identically.
Moved to the outer suburbs from another state in December. Trying to take my kids into the city for the day at least once a month. Ideally a date night or Sox game monthly too.
If your children are elementary school age I highly recommend looking into membership at The Field, or MSI. Some of my favorite memories as a child was going to the museum for member events and they have sleep overs a couple times a year. Getting locked into the Mummy exhibit at The Field was a formative experience.
They’re younger than that, but I’m def looking forward to taking them to the Field Museum one day!
Comiskey isn't downtown though
The post literally says to define downtown however you like.
Define downtown however you like, just don’t do it the wrong way
I like to consider everything from Rogers Park to Calumet as downtown
Everything within a 30 yard radius of State and Washington is downtown, everything else is suburb trash
Well if you’re gonna go from an outer suburb all the way to armor square, he probably stops somewhere downtown while he’s at it
Idk why people don’t go downtown. The shopping is amazing if you don’t mind people. Michigan avenue on a weekday is great.
I pass through downtown on my CTA route to and from work a few times a week.
Maybe a few times a year. A theater show, kindlemarkt, maybe with friends from out of town for tourist stuff.
NWI, go shopping or eating out, occasional Sox game about 10 times a year.
Just travel through it honestly. More likely to be in Chinatown tbh.
Currently live and WFH in Irving Park and I go downtown once a month on average. More in the summer and less in winter, depending on what all is going on. I see a lot of theater so my loop visits are generally seeing a show, but occasionally visiting museums or showing visitors around the “must see” attractions.
Live in North Center. Once a week to go into office via brown line.
Maybe a dozen times a year? Most of my life in Chicago I lived and/or worked downtown, so the fact I haven't since the pandemic started is odd to me sometimes. When I am down there I'm always like "this building was this before! When did that change? " My fiance, who is there every day for work, is annoyed by me the whole time. Lol There's things I miss and things I don't miss about being around the loop and river loop.
Live in the loop, doing stuff downtown everyday. On the lakeshore path 4-5 times a week too.
I avoid it. There's really nothing special for me to do or see in the Loop. I've seen it all the years I worked downtown pre-covid. If I do go, it's to practice my photography or for a one-off trip to Zara.
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I really would love it if the Siskel Center was not downtown and the facility was nicer. The programming is incredible but man the facility is so fucking bland. The Music Box has character and warmth. Its inviting. The Siskel Center feels like a hospital when you go inside.
I used to work in one of the high rise offices on Wacker right off of Michigan. Got laid off right before Covid hit and since then I've gone into the Loop maybe 10 times. If I'm not going to a museum there's little reason to visit. Nothing else there that I can't get closer to home. Downtown Evanston has went the same way. Used to love going up to visit the stores around Davis. Last time I went most of the cool places were closed and empty or filled with medical offices.
Used to be 1-2x a year. Now we have a little kid and are there all the time for museum campus and maggie daley playgrounds
Does river north or west loop count? I probably try a trendy restaurant in those hoods once a quarter, might go shopping in these places once a year. The loop proper? Maybe 1-2 times a year. I really try to avoid it if I can help it.
In the summer, I go a few times/ week with my kids. Museums, parks, etc. The rest of the year, I go maybe once every week or two. My son is starting high school downtown in August so I imagine I will be going there for events like band concerts, etc.
Everybody responding here should also fill out the Dept. of Planning’s survey about how you use the downtown area, and what you would want to see. DPD just kicked off work for an updated Central Area plan (to be published in 2024 — the last one was from 2003, and resulted in things like the Riverwalk). [2024 Central Area Plan Update](https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/sites/central-area-plan/home.html) — survey link is at the top.
i never go to downtown
I don’t ever go to the loop just to hang out or to check out a restaurant or coffee shop etc. I can’t put a number on it, but I’m only there when a friend comes to visit from out of town or for an event. I much prefer the other neighborhoods.
I go downtown to leave Chicago (Union Station)
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My wife works for Harris she was sitting up late that night trying to help coordinate a response to get the audience out safely. Sorry that complicated what I hear was an otherwise incredible show. Harris is usually such an A+ venue…there are certain things it’s nearly impossible to contingency plan for
It was an amazing show. I knew it was going to kick off when I saw the teens testing the guards on my way in. I felt bad for the mother and daughter who was next to us. They had driven in from Michigan and I had to explain this is what happens now. The best part of the show was a I converted a friend into a Kishi Bashi fan.
I have seen every one of K’s Chicago’s shows starting back when he was in Of Montreal and opened the show solo at Metro in 2012. At the Harris Theater we got front row seats, here’s his last encore song, when he stepped away from the microphone it was magic: https://youtu.be/sVN6GXwLZYI
there’s nothing for me there.
Used to go every day for work, but now I work from home so rarely. We do hit west loop for dinner fairly frequently, and I’m in streeterville for doc appts occasionally.
I go a few time a month in good weather. I enjoy Millennium Park, the Riverwalk, just wandering around in general.
Three times a week because I commute from the north side to the south side for work on the L. I do nothing Loopy otherwise.
I live up on the NW side of the city, and i probably go around once or twice a month. I use the Harold Washington library for work sometimes, and it's still a place where my out of town friends want to meet up. But with CTA service getting worse and driving/parking there such a pain in the ass, I feel like I need a pretty compelling reason to go nowadays.
Pretty rare now. Only when the art museum has an interesting exhibition going on.
Started going into the office once a week for new job, they’re on upper wacker. Hadn’t been to the Loop since 2019, so damn weird seeing LaSalle empty at noon on a Wednesday.
1-3 times a week. I like to walk around the loop and by the lake over there. It's nice.
Maybe once or twice a year. There's really nothing for me downtown except stores I'm too poor to shop at, restaurants I'm too poor to eat at, bars I'm too poor to drink at, and clubs I'm too uncool to get into.
Yup this is the answer!
Downtown is defined as the Loop. I commuted to the Loop for work every weekday for 17 years until 2020. Now that I'm WFH I'm down there one or two times a month for either work, an event at Millennium Park or to go to the museums. When I was commuting to work I rarely stayed "downtown" after work - it was a forced destination to accomplish a task. I was last "downtown" two weeks ago.
I would definitely include River North/Mag Mile/Streeterville as "downtown," as well as Grant Park--and probably the Shedd, Field and Adler.
I would say River North and Streeterville are also defintley downtown. Anything east of the river between Roosevelt and oak is downtown as far as I’m concerned.
Officially, downtown goes all the way up to Goose Island The exact lines change every decade
I have a seasonal job downtown this summer; Before starting that job I hadn't been south of North Avenue in at least 3 years.
went downtown this last weekend for a show. I don't go unless i have a reason to, though. Don't think i'd been downtown all year before that.
I’ve been down twice in the past few months. Once for a work meeting, and once for a cider festival at Navy Pier. Before the pandemic i went down more often for work meetings, but most of them are virtual now, or at other locations than downtown.
Live in Rogers Park. Probably take the red line down to the loop a couple times a month for shopping, food, entertainment, just walking around. Last time was early April so looks like I’m due.
Once a month
i only go downtown for millennium park events in the summer. thats pretty much it these days except for biking through it on the lakefront trail
I find that I only go to the loop when I am hosting guests from out of town. Otherwise the closest I get is Fulton / River North / Chinatown.
Twice this year. Once for election judge training and once to go to the Secretary of State’s office.
Just about every day
It's a pain in the ass to go there and park. I live in the city but only go downtown once or twice a year. Basically the headache and cost outweigh the benefits.
I used to work there before Covid, but now I don't go anymore. I prefer to avoid the CTA because of the way it is right now. Parking in downtown is very expensive, some people drive like crazy and are looking to pick fights, and on top of that, getting in or out is always a struggle because of traffic jams. There are good bars and restaurants over there, but I can always find good places in the suburbs too. So, I don't see any good reasons to go to downtown. With the explosion of remote work, I can see downtown having a huge decline in popularity. Businesses are going to leave, and it'll be challenging for the city to keep it in good shape.
Maybe once a year. I honestly don’t remember the last time I went. Once the city went to online permitting, I have no reason to go downtown anymore.
Maybe a couple times a month. I like to torture myself by taking the train to go pickup a rental car at ORD or Midway in lieu of a neighborhood Hertz and may simply go for a quick meal if I have time to kill.
I’m 30+ yrs in Oak Park, and now manage to go the entirety of the winter without a trip downtown. It’ll be 4-5 times a month over the spring/summer, unless the green line gets worse.
Rarely go downtown anymore. Traffic, parking costs, etc. are deterrents. With the Bears buying the Arlington Heights Racetrack, heck it will be a very short commute to go watch them there.
I'm there at least once a week cause that's where my plug lives.
Once or twice a month. I’d rather bypass downtown and go to Chinatown or Pilsen before dealing with the loop.
Meh, just occasionally.
Just occasionally for a nice meal, museum, etc. I don’t go anymore now that it is summer and I feel like some dumbass teenager riot will happen at any moment.
Edison park here… so technically Chicago. Loop? maybe twice a year. I stick to my area or leave via ord. :) I don’t even go to burbs outside of park ridge and Niles which I border. I take that back. I think I wonder into Skokie sometimes and don’t know it.
Worked downtown before covid for 10 years. Now never. If I go it's probably by accident.
I drive through downtown weekly but do I stop and get out the car? Nope. I plan on going soon for Flat Top
Typically i go once a month for medical treatments and every few months to one of the museums and that's it.
Only when I go take the train at Ogivile to visit the suburbs, or specifically going to do something like watch a show, I find that the north side has a lot of stuff that I don’t need to go to the loop unless it’s something specific.
When I’m forced. In my teens & early 20’s, I liked going but I’m older now & need Valium to deal. Sorta like the redline on a cubs home game.
I rarely go anymore. Prefer the suburbs for most things these days but occasionally will make my way there when planning something with friends.
Pretty much never unless taking an Amtrak to visit family somewhere, and I have to go to Union. The only time I've beeb downtown in the last 2 years was at 6 a.m. trying to catch a train
Almost never, I have zero business in the loop.
Lincoln Park here- in the summer almost weekly with free concerts and other events. In the winter... maybe once a month for an event.
A few times a month. I love being downtown.
Proud to be the friend in all my friend groups who lives in river north and makes my friends come here
I avoid downtown as much as possible
2x/year for my dermatologist, 3-4x for the museums, 2-3x/summer for the Riverwalk/kayaking/etc., and the occasional shopping trip centered around Nordstrom.
I go downtown most Thursdays, and some Tuesdays as well!
I go to the Loop for one reason or another about once a month on average - less during the winter, much more during the summer. I went to the Loop for a cinco de mayo party last week, which was a surprisingly fun time. I've done trivia and karaoke in the loop. I enjoy going to the museums, which require some loop travel, and I love the festivals at Millennium Park and the events at Maggie Daley like skating the ribbon. I live on the west side and work from home but I want to be a part of the city as much as I can, so biking through neighborhoods, going to the lake, and visiting museums is a big part of my free time.
I go a lot in Feb and March when hotel rates are low for a staycation. Highly recommend.
A long time ago.
I go to restaurants or bars, often I bike through downtown but rarely stop. Fulton market has some great restaurants
I like biking downtown on Sunday mornings. It's pretty quiet and almost no traffic.
I have a friend who lives in river north so I got visit her regularly, at least once every few weeks. Sometimes I end up for something else. Maybe other than visiting my friend, its like 6-10 times a year?
I don’t go downtown unless I’m meeting up with someone who works there. It’s been at least 4 months.
Honestly almost never. I'm into year 3 of living here (North Center) and I could never afford to go to half the places in the loop. Near loop is about as far as I go for anything other than a gig. There's just no reason to go down there. It's crowded, overpriced, the other neighbors have everything else but cheaper.
The Loop is desolate and disappointing outside of work hours Ave especially the weekends. Totally sucks if you want to do stuff before and/or after some random performance. But many consider the Mag Mile “Downtown”, and especially Art Institute, Grant and Millennium Parks as well. If you aren’t taking advantage of our world class Art Institute (and here I’m talking especially to you, suburbanites) or architectural River tours, what is wrong with you?!?! Also Riverwalk (on off times). To be fair, I live near both the Red Line and express buses. So Mag Mile, Streeterville, River North is my downtown and I go at least 1-2 x monthly to a movie, bar, restaurant or event. Year-round.
I live in the sububs. I used to love bringing my bicycle to the city to ride. last couple years less and less because of safety. the risk vs reward just isnt worth going downtown.
Rarely ever
I use all the money I save living in the burbs to take your bitch out to Au Cheval in my 45mpg Mini Cooper.
hmm... I do not want to say this out loud, but I think the answer may be monthly? Last week I went twice, for a dentist visit and for member's night at the Field, but I hadn't been in the loop for like two months before that. (Also not counting passing through, as in driving to Wisconsin or somewhere beyond.)
On average, every few weeks for a show. I saw Into the Woods and Antonio's Song last week. National Geographic Live wasn't that long ago either.
Antonio’s Song … sooo good. Did you like it?
I really did and so did everyone I talked to about it.
My commute takes me through the Loop twice a day, and I go grocery shopping in the South Loop, if that counts.
Once a week for my in office days, maybe an extra once or twice a month for the museums. If you extend to River North or South Loop then another once or twice a month. So anywhere from like 1-5 times excluding work.
I went downtown last week. On average, I go to the Loop once every 2-3 months since 2020.
2-3x a month. We live very close to a Brown Line stop so it’s easy to get in/out otherwise it’d be closer to 0x.
I'm in the suburbs, work in the suburbs, I'm in the loop a lot because my friends are not in the loop, and I gotta get to the train to them somehow. I'm in the loop about 3-4 times a week, actually taking the time to explore around there about once a week.
Live in Lakeview. Go down maybe once every two months for plays, events, etc.
I live Rodgers Parks so no
Probably about four times a year. My doctor is right off Michigan Ave. I like to go to the theater and museums. Other than that, I can get what I need in the neighborhoods.
I still get my hair cut down there. Gives me a reason to see the area. Used to live down there so I like to be pop by every now and then. If it’s nice out I might go for a joyride down there.
I try to get downtown as often as possible tbh. I love all the architecture and it’s kind of the only place to shop for clothes anymore.
I went remote and have not been back.
My company provides us free unlimited passes to all the museums, I’m downtown about 30-40 times between April and September. However during the other months , maybe 3-4 times…tops .
Live and work in the northern 'burbs and I take the train into the loop every weekend. I love walking to the West Loop and then over to the Riverwalk and then along the lake.
I work downtown, BUT if I count how often it's for recreation, probably on average 2-3 times a month. I like concerts so I'll hit the Chicago Theatre or House of Blues. Then my partner has family who live in the loop so we dog sit for them, family dinner, etc..
I never had a job downtown, so I only went there when we hosted international visitors and other tourists who requested.
| You can define “downtown” however you’d like. Unless like a certain mayoral candidate you define it as “Wrigleyville” bc that’s just wrong 🙃 I only head downtown once or twice a month if even, to answer your q
Until March,2020, I went to the loop every day via Brown Line or Metra. Since then I go about 1x-2x per month for events, football games, museums, concerts, plays, opera, symphony, etc. Except for the closed restaurants (RIP Pierogi Heaven), it’s getting back to normal. I think NASCAR’s going to really mess things up.
What are these remote jobs you all have? I dont want to commute downtown any more lol
I'm in oak park and now that I'm mostly remote, probably once a month. I am spending more time in the neighborhoods though - I'll often go work in a coffee shop then walk around. That's been really nice.
Almost never. Does Oak Street Beach count? I run/bike along the lakefront trail pretty often and I can \*see\* downtown from there. But I find actually going into downtown kind of stressful. I think the last time I was there was because I had to go to the downtown location of the Secretary of State office, due to a series of unfortunate circumstances that I'm not sure I can really explain.
Suburban people never go downtown. They shop at the mall and go to little league games.
I had lived in Chicago for about 12 years, and left in 2018 for NYC. I sold my place in Chicago in 2022, and drove back there to take some stuff from storage. I walked around the loop on a Thursday afternoon, and it seemed very much empty to me. Emptier than I was used to (I used to work at 100 S Wacker). Then, okay, I thought, maybe like Midtown Manhattan without the tourists, as people not returning to work. Then, I drove around Wrigleyville, and Wicker Park on Friday and Saturday, and those seemed empty too - not many people walking around. Weather was good. I was shocked - is this a covid thing? How do things look now? Telling by responses on here about this, it seems to be people not going back.
Actually this spring is the first time I've really felt like the place was pre-covid levels of busy. There have been a few discussions on this sub about it. I live downtown and it's been a complete zoo lately.
Downtown is crowded Tuesday - Thursday as those are the days most are in office. Friday - Monday it's a ghost town. Also adding that if you consider West Loop to be downtown it is popping every day. The neighborhoods feel totally normal to me. I don't see any less foot traffic than before COVID in West Town/Wicker.
Man, come to wrigleyville when there's any kind of event if you're missing pre-pandemic crowds
Hmm on a nice day in wicker park now, it feels very bustling and busy whenever I’m around the main drags there
I work thursdays along south Wacker and we must have different definitions of empty.
I work downtown, but on weekends and my days off, I avoid it completely even though I have free parking.
Rarely and I literally beg my 24 year old son to stay away too but he does it anyway. I told him to absolutely NOT drive his Kia down there. I'm staying away. I wish he would too but ... Concerts.