Last updated on .
The West Loop neighborhood of Chicago sits in the Near West Side. It’s located to the west of the Loop and Chicago River.
Introduction to the West Loop
Historically, much of the West Loop was a manufacturing and warehousing area, but most of this element has all but disappeared. Nowadays, it’s much more modern with hundreds of condos and apartment buildings. You can also find several excellent restaurants, especially at the Fulton-Randolph Market District and Greektown. I was lucky to call the West Loop “home” during the time I lived in Chicago.
The boundaries of the West Loop are Grand Avenue to the north, the Eisenhower Expressway to the south, Ashland Avenue to the west, and the Chicago River to the east.
Union Station
One of the historic buildings just west of the river is Union Station, designed by Daniel Burnham (1846-1912) who died before it was completed. It’s a huge transportation hub that stands as a witness to some of Chicago’s best and worst times. The cavernous building, which opened in 1925, is the only intercity rail terminal in the city and the fourth busiest rail station in the country.
The Great Hall is at the center of Union Station. It’s a 24,000 square foot (2,200 square meter) waiting room allowing travelers to wait for connections. The atrium is 110 feet (34 meters) high with a barrel-vaulted skylight ceiling.
The stairs from the Canal Street entrance into the Great Hall were used in the classic gangster film The Untouchables. In the movie, during a shoot-out with Al Capone’s men, Eliot Ness loses handle of a baby carriage which slowly tumbles down the steps.
Old St. Pat’s
At the corner of Desplaines and Adams is Old St. Pat’s. It’s the oldest church in Chicago, built in 1852, and was a survivor of the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. Known for being the host of the World’s Largest Block Party for 35 years until 2019, it went from just 4 members in 1983 to thousands today.
Batcolumn
Two blocks north along Madison is Batcolumn. It’s a 101-foot tall column in the shape of a baseball bat standing on its knob. Unveiled in front of the Social Security Administration Building in 1977 by artist Claes Oldenburg (1929-2002), this piece of public art was met with protests and cries to remove it. It’s since become a favorite sculpture of many Chicagoans.
Haymarket Square
Are you happy you only have an eight hour workday? Do you celebrate May Day? You have Chicago to thank for that! Those two concepts originated after the Haymarket Riot.
In the late 19th century, Chicago was the center of a nationwide labor movement advocating an eight hour workday, and unions had set a deadline of May 1, 1886, before going on strike. On May 4, a peaceful protest turned into a bloody massacre when an unknown person threw a bomb at police officers trying to disperse the crowd. Seven cops were killed as well as four civilians.
The ensuing investigation saw eight men arrested for the crime. 4 were hanged, 1 committed suicide, 2 served life in prison, and another served 15 years. The event, which took place on Desplaines between Lake and Randolph, set back the labor movement. A monument commemorating the riot was unveiled at the site in 2004 but it wasn’t there when I last walked by due to a construction project.
Mary Bertelme Park
Finally, there’s a more recent addition to the West Loop that’s nice to stop by. Mary Bartelme Park was named after Illinois’ first female high court judge and was built on the site of an old infirmary. It sits a couple blocks west of Halsted between Adams and Monroe.
Mary Bartelme (1866-1954) was a reformer and did a lot for children’s rights. She was known as “Suitcase Mary” because every time she sent a child to a foster home, she gave them a new suitcase packed with clothes. She also set up three “Mary Clubs” for girls unable to return to their parents. The park has excellent views of the skyline, a dog park, a playground, and mist stations.
Greektown
Greektown is an ethnic enclave that’s part of the West Loop neighborhood. It’s been gentrified, but it’s still the heart of Greek culture in the city.
I’ve been going to Greektown my whole life. Some of my best memories come from times I spent there with friends and family, at the restaurants and bars, while working there for over four years, parades, festivals, and more. It’s sadly not what it used to be, but it will always hold a special place in my heart.
The original Greektown sat a few blocks south of the current Greektown. It used to be a much bigger area full of Greek homes and businesses and had the highest population density of Greeks outside of Athens. This historic home of the Greeks in Chicago was known as the Greek Delta and was at the corners of Halsted, Harrison, and Blue Island. By 1930, there were over 30,000 Greeks, both foreign and native-born, living there. The Greek population continued growing until 1960.
In the 1960s, everything changed. The Greeks scattered to the suburbs after the city demolished the Delta and neighboring Little Italy to build the University of Illinois at Chicago, the Eisenhower Expressway, and the Dan Ryan Expressway.
Today’s Greektown is confined to a few blocks of Halsted Street. Most of the action is between Madison Street to the north and Van Buren Street to the south. The corners at Monroe and Van Buren streets are even marked with two mini Greek “temples” welcoming visitors to the neighborhood.
National Hellenic Museum
The National Hellenic Museum is where I worked from 2006 to 2010. After being in small spaces since its creation in 1983, the NHM moved into a new 40,000 square foot building in 2011. It’s the only national institution dedicated to preserving the Greek immigrant experience and the contribution Greek Americans have made to the United States. The museum has several interesting exhibits related to its mission and many exciting events throughout the year. Admission is US$10 for adults, US$8 for seniors and students, and US$7 for kids aged 3 to 12 (as of July 2024). It’s typically open Thursday through Sunday.
Athenian Candle Company
One of the most historic businesses in Greektown is the Athenian Candle Company, which sells hand dipped candles and Greek Orthodox religious items. It’s been around since 1922 and is the only original Greektown business still in existence.
Festivals in Greektown
There are two major festivals that occur in Greektown every year. The first is the Greek Independence Day Parade, usually in April but sometimes closer to actual Greek Independence Day on 25 March.
The other is the Taste of Greece. This is one of my favorite events in Chicago. Halsted Street is transformed into a Greek village with all the restaurants opening booths and selling their specialties, with chairs and tables in the street to enjoy them. The air is filled with the smells of roasted lamb and oregano. Vendors sell Greek goods, music, religious items, games, and more. Greek bands perform and people dance in the street. Fortune tellers read your Greek coffee cups. It’s simply a lot of fun. The Taste of Greece usually takes place the third weekend every August.
Where to Eat in the West Loop
Other than the restaurants in Greektown, I’ve eaten at a lot of places in the West Loop over the years. In this post, I’ll highlight just one that I’ve visited since 2015. When I have the chance to revisit old haunts or try new ones, I’ll come back and add them here.
Lou Mitchell’s
A block west of Union Station on Jackson is one of Chicago’s iconic breakfast and lunch spots, Lou Mitchell’s. It was opened in 1923 by a Greek immigrant and has evolved into a Route 66 institution. It’s open Wednesday through Sunday until 2pm.
Greek hospitality is shown to every visitor, with women and children receiving Milk Duds and all customers receiving donut holes. Gigantic omelettes are cooked in skillets, pancakes are fluffy, French toast is perfectly battered, and the juice is always fresh.
