Chicago Loop
This article discusses the downtown district. For the roller coaster of the same name, see Canobie Corkscrew.
Residents refer to Chicago's downtown district as The Loop. It is the second largest business district in the United States after Midtown Manhattan. It is bordered by the Chicago River to the west and north, Lake Michigan to the east, and Roosevelt Road to the south.
The term loop means something like loop. The name originated at the end of the 19th century. It is disputed whether it comes from the elevated railway or from the cable trams that ran around the square before 1900. Their construction was similar to that of the cable cars in San Francisco.
Since the end of the 19th century, taller and taller buildings have been erected in the Chicago Loop. The Home Insurance Building is considered one of the first skyscrapers. The Willis Tower (formerly the Sears Tower) was the tallest building in the United States from 1974 to 2013 and remains the tallest in the city. In the Loop stands the historic twelve-story Marshall Field & Company Store large building (architect Daniel Burnham), listed on the National Register of Historic Places since June 2, 1978.
The Loop also specifically describes the smaller portion of the neighborhood, Chicago Community Area 32, which is enclosed by the elevated Chicago "EL" loop route. The route runs along Lake Street to the north, Wabash Avenue to the east, Van Buren Street to the south, and Wells Street to the west.
16,388 people live in the Loop, according to the 2000 Census. It also contains an outdoor sculpture by Pablo Picasso, as does the Chicago Art Institute.
On April 13, 1992, a number of high-rise buildings in the Loop experienced a water intrusion into their basements that paralyzed business for a few days because, as a precaution, transformer stations installed in basements were shut down. It turned out that water from the Chicago River had entered the abandoned Chicago Tunnel Company tunnel system and spread through the downtown tunnels. After 3 days, or later for some buildings, regular service was restored. The leak was estimated at about 1 million m3 of water, the damage was 1.95 billion USD.
There's also a movie called Chicago Loop by James Benning.
The Chicago Loop - City Map
The Loop with skyscrapers seen from the John Hancock Center: on the left the Aon Center with Two Prudential Plaza on the right, on the right behind the Willis Tower
See also
- List of the tallest buildings in Chicago
