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Photograph: Neal O'Bryan

Things to do in the Chicago Loop

Explore the heart of downtown with our guide to the best restaurants, bars and attractions in the Chicago Loop.

Morgan Olsen
Written by
Morgan Olsen
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The Loop has a reputation for rolling up its sidewalks at 5pm and being a ghost town on the weekends. But a lot has changed in recent years. Millennium Park and big-ticket events like Lollapalooza have made downtown a major destination for concerts in Chicago all summer long. The revitalized Downtown Theater District has put high-profile musicals on the cultural map next to longstanding institutions like the Art Institute, CSO and Lyric Opera. DePaul University, Columbia College and SAIC have a strong student population living downtown, and long-term living has followed with dozens of new residential towers—which leads to more evening and late-night dining and drinking options. Here are the best things to do in the Chicago Loop.

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