Home Magazine Articles Guides Videos Galleries Sitemap

Greektown

Overview

It's hard not to notice the Greek influence in this popular neighborhood, thanks to the Greek lettering that appears on business and street signs in the area. A wealth of Greek restaurants are packed tightly together, giving visitors a choice as to where to obtain their favorite gyros. Unique specialty stores dot the area, selling mostly affordable merchandise and Greek-themed items. The after-dark crowd usually settles at one of the outdoor patios in the area; or at large, food-filled tables in the colder months. The campus of the University of Illinois at Chicago borders this neighborhood, and college students who prefer to put off studying can be found in some of the restaurants and nearby bars.

Shopping

Scented candles, soaps, incense and shampoos can be found at local shops like the Athenian Candle Co. The company has been in business since 1919 and owned by the same family who started the shop. The shop also makes candles for the city’s Orthodox churches. The Greektown Gift and Music Shop carries Greek music, videos and various gifts.

Dining/Nightlife

The Parthenon is the oldest restaurant in the area, and over 140 Greek dishes are offered. An entire lamb’s head can even be ordered, as long as you give them time to prepare by calling ahead.

Culture & Attractions

By taking a train into Chicago’s Union Station, you will have a chance to admire this historic property. Unless you enter through the west side of Canal Street, you may miss the Great Hall--the main waiting room for commuters. It features a vaulted skylight, connecting lobbies, staircases, columns and balconies. The room has an old-time 1920s station feel; right down to the sleek, long benches and marble floors. Union Station saw the most passengers during the 1940s, when more than 300 trains arrived and departed daily and about 100,000 passengers made their way through the station. Today, about 50,000 commuters scuffle their way through each day.

Another highlight of the West Loop is the Jane Addams’ Hull House Museum. The museum is a part of the College of Architecture and the Arts at the University of Illinois at Chicago. The Charles J. Hull mansion that came to be known as Hull House was built in 1856, and occupied by Jane Addams and Ellen Gates Starr in 1889. Addams and Star founded the house as a social settlement--a place where people in the highly populated urban area could reside. Kindergarten and day care facilities were provided for working women, an art gallery and library helped to educate, and various types of classes were offered. The historic house mainly helped women and their push for more liberties, such as the right to vote.

The Low Down

This isn't the kind of neighborhood you can spend a whole day wandering. The restaurants are the primary draw, followed by the nightclubs and some one-of-a-kind shopping options, but it's a perfect starting point and Little Italy is close by.