Is South Loop a good place to stay in Chicago?

The South Loop is a good base if you want the museums, the lakefront and convention halls close by, usually for less than the Loop. Grant Park, the Museum Campus and Soldier Field are all within walking distance, and the Red, Orange and Green lines at Roosevelt take you into the Loop in minutes. It suits families, convention-goers and anyone who prefers a calmer evening.

The area is a mix of old and new. Grand hotels along South Michigan Avenue look over Grant Park and Buckingham Fountain, Printer's Row has handsome old printing buildings with cafés and a bookish feel, and new towers fill the blocks towards the lake. To the east, the Field Museum, the Shedd Aquarium and the Adler Planetarium sit together on the shore, and Chinatown is a short ride south-west.

The downside is that the South Loop is quieter and more spread out than the areas north of the river. There are fewer restaurants and bars on your doorstep, the walk down to McCormick Place is long, and some blocks feel empty after dark. On convention and game days the hotels fill up and prices rise quickly.

What makes the South Loop worth considering is space and value close to the best of Chicago's lakefront. You can walk to some of the city's biggest museums, run or cycle along the lake and be in Millennium Park in minutes, then come back to a calmer street with a better rate than in the Loop.