Wacker and Michigan Ave (Chicago, Ashland: hotel, live, suburban)

[cc27]

My friend lives off of Wacker and Michigan Ave right near the Swiss hotel.

He can walk to the Jimmy John's in the tunnel off of south water.

Is that considered downtown?

Thanks again!

[soulful]

Yes. Very downtown.

[cc27]

Originally Posted by soulful

Yes. Very downtown.

Thanks. I know the west loop and the south loop are not considered downtown right?

[soulful]

Some people use the term "downtown" very broadly to include parts of the south loop and west loop (especially the portions that are very close to the actual "loop").

Personally, I consider "the Loop" and N. Michigan Ave/River North to all be part of "downtown" in addition to the other areas immediately surrounding the Loop.

[cc27]

Originally Posted by soulful

Some people use the term "downtown" very broadly to include parts of the south loop and west loop (especially the portions that are very close to the actual "loop").

Personally, I consider "the Loop" and N. Michigan Ave/River North to all be part of "downtown" in addition to the other areas immediately surrounding the Loop.

I have lived in the burbs of chicago all my life and downtown still confuses me for some reason. I need to learn downtown better. My family is from noble square.

[andrew61]

Originally Posted by soulful

Some people use the term "downtown" very broadly to include parts of the south loop and west loop (especially the portions that are very close to the actual "loop").

Personally, I consider "the Loop" and N. Michigan Ave/River North to all be part of "downtown" in addition to the other areas immediately surrounding the Loop.

Some suburbanites use the term "downtown" very broadly to mean everything within the Chicago city limits. That took some getting used to for me at first.

[emathias]

As others have pointed out, there is no official definition of what "downtown" is.

The only universally accepted area of Chicago that is in everyone's definition of downtown is the Loop. Many people, though not everyone, also include North Michigan Avenue.

Personally, no definition makes me flinch as long as it is constrained within Cermak, North Ave and Ashland, although I usually consider downtown to be Roosevelt to Division, the Lake to about Halsted with some wiggle room here and there.

[Vlajos]

Originally Posted by emathias

Personally, no definition makes me flinch as long as it is constrained within Cermak, North Ave and Ashland, although I usually consider downtown to be Roosevelt to Division, the Lake to about Halsted with some wiggle room here and there.

This is my definition too for the most part. I hate when the whole City is referred to as downtown though

[Jandur]

Downtown is, and always will be a relative term based on 1) each city and 2) where the person saying the word is located at that point in time. To me downtown is anywhere in the Loop or very near north side. Growing up in the burbs everyone called the city "downtown".

[Irishtom29]

Wacker and Michigan was the site of Fort Dearborn, most certainly downtown at one time.