Near West Side, Chicago: neighborhood guide

The Near West Side sits immediately west of the Loop, across the river. It was Chicago's main immigrant entry point through the 1800s and early 1900s, and the Maxwell Street Market grew here into a sprawling open-air bazaar of stalls, pushcarts and street performances that ran for more than a century. The blues, the labor movement and Jane Addams' social work all have roots in these blocks.

That history is patchy on the ground today. The Eisenhower Expressway cut the east side off from the rest, and the University of Illinois at Chicago campus replaced housing and, in 1994, the old market itself. What remains is a set of distinct pockets rather than one continuous neighborhood: Little Italy along Taylor Street, Greektown on Halsted Street, the West Loop (Warehouse District) with the city's priciest restaurants and a gallery scene, and University Village around UIC.

The United Center, west of the river, hosts the Chicago Bulls and Blackhawks. Union Station and Ogilvie/Northwestern Station sit on the West Loop's eastern edge, so you can walk west from a train instead of east into the Loop.

Stay here if food is the point of your trip and you want to be minutes from the Loop without Loop prices. The West Loop gives you high-end restaurants and bars; Little Italy and Greektown give you cheaper, older strips; the Blue Line puts UIC-Halsted and Racine within a few stops of downtown.

Do not stay here if you expect to step out of your hotel into a busy, continuous street life. The neighborhood is fragmented, some blocks are quiet or institutional, and the lakefront is a bus or train ride away. Travellers who want the lake at the door should look at Near North or Lakeview-North Center; those who want nightlife and brunch streets should look at Wicker Park.

Practical notes: pick a hotel close to a specific L stop or bus route rather than the middle of the district, and check the walk from the station to the door after dark. Hotel supply is concentrated in the West Loop and around the medical district, so compare a few addresses before booking.

Little Italy on Taylor Street and Greektown on Halsted Street are the two classic strips, both with long-established restaurants and a mix of old and new kitchens. The West Loop has the city's most expensive restaurants along with a dense bar and gallery scene, and it is where you will find the hardest reservations.

Maxwell Street Market still runs in reduced form a few blocks east of its old site, with cheap food and stalls; check current days and location before you go. Deep-dish pizza and the Chicago-style hot dog both have roots in this part of the city, so it is a reasonable place to try either.

For a quick meal near UIC or the medical district, expect campus-oriented places rather than destination dining. Reserve ahead in the West Loop on weekends and on United Center event nights, when the whole area fills up.

The CTA Blue Line (Forest Park branch) serves the neighborhood with stops at UIC-Halsted and Racine for Little Italy, Greektown and Maxwell Street, Illinois Medical District for UIC, and Western for Tri-Taylor. The Green and Pink lines stop at Clinton/Lake and Morgan for the West Loop and Ashland/Lake for the United Center; the Pink Line also branches toward UIC and the edge of Little Italy at Polk.

Buses are often the more direct option. The 8 Halsted runs from Lakeview through Greektown and past old Maxwell Street; the 9 Ashland is an all-night route passing near Little Italy and the United Center; the 12 Roosevelt links the Near South with both strips; the 20 Madison runs all night from the Loop through Greektown and by the arena; the 38 Ogden/Taylor reaches UIC, Maxwell Street and Little Italy; and the 50 Damen comes from Ukrainian Village past the United Center.

On Bulls and Blackhawks nights, the 19 United Center Express runs from Michigan & Chicago in the Near North and Madison in the Loop, starting 90 minutes before game time and ending 15 minutes before it, with buses waiting to run back after the game. If you are driving, avoid the blocks around the United Center in the evening; event traffic is severe. For Greektown by car, exit I-90/94 at Adams or Monroe; from the Eisenhower Expressway, exit at Racine.