Industrial long before ‘industrial chic’ entered our vocabulary, the West Loop was once neighborhood non-grata for house hunters. But with its recent geyser of development – including Lennar’s tony Gateway high rise – the area now boasts the trendy cache of previous up-and-comers like Wicker Park and Bucktown. Here, some meditations on why the West Loop is Chicago’s coolest quarter.
Posh housing has infiltrated the West Loop, with Lennar’s Gateway building leading the pack. A pet-friendly high-rise that’s in close proximity to Mariano’s and Whole Foods, its 16 floors boast sleek, contemporary units treated with wood floors and stainless steel appliances (with a sky lounge, valet dry cleaning service, and complimentary coffee center to boot). The only challenge about living there? Deciding what hour to Instagram from the rooftop pool deck.
What it lacks in lakefront vistas, the West Loop makes up for in green environs. Mary Bartelme Park’s smartly-designed 1.4 acres boasts a sunken dog park, roomy walking paths, and a fountain plaza for warm-weather relief. Further west on Adams Street is leafy Skinner Park, just a few blocks south of spacious Pitchfork Festival-host Union Park.
