Chicago Office Neighborhoods Compared: Loop, River North, West Loop

This guide does not give rents or vacancy, since those change and vary building by building. It also does not recommend any building. It compares how the three areas work, based on transit facts and our own qualitative view as a Chicago tenant-side firm. Boundaries vary, too, so ask what a listing means when it calls itself River North or West Loop. Use it to narrow your search, then confirm the details with a commute map and tours.

The Loop is Chicago's traditional central business district, with the 'L' elevated tracks circling it and the courts, government offices and many financial and professional firms nearby. Building stock runs from historic masonry towers to modern high-rises, which gives a wide range of quality and floor sizes.

• Transit. It has the most options. The Brown, Green, Orange, Pink and Purple Express lines serve stops on the elevated Loop, the Red and Blue lines run below ground, and all four Metra downtown terminals are in or next to the area. LaSalle Street Station serves the Rock Island line and Millennium Station serves Metra Electric.
• Who tends to choose it. Law firms, accounting and financial firms, government-facing organizations, and tenants with staff arriving from many directions.
• Trade-offs. Daytime streets are busy, and evenings and weekends can be quieter in some blocks. Large floor plates may be too much for a small tenant, although multi-tenant floors and spec suites exist. Older buildings vary in systems and layouts, so check them carefully. On-site parking can be limited or expensive.

North of the river, this area combines former industrial and loft buildings with mid-rise and newer office buildings, along with restaurants, galleries, hotels and residential towers. Its offices often appeal to tenants who want character and an after-work environment within reach of downtown.

• Transit. The Red Line stops at Grand and Chicago, and the Brown and Purple lines stop at Chicago. Metra's commuter rail terminals are on the other side of the river, so a Metra commuter may need a longer walk, a bus or a transfer.
• Who tends to choose it. Creative and marketing firms, technology and professional service companies, and firms that recruit people who live on the North Side.
• Trade-offs. Timber-loft buildings have appealing character, but they may offer smaller floors and less modern systems, so ask about HVAC, elevators, acoustics and technology. Traffic and parking can be a problem in busy dining and entertainment areas.

West of the river, the West Loop includes the area around the two big commuter terminals and, further west, the Fulton Market area, with former warehouses and newer office construction mixed among restaurants and residences. Tenants often pick it for its energy and for the ease of the commute from western and northwestern suburbs.

• Transit. It sits next to Ogilvie, which serves Union Pacific North, Northwest and West lines, and Union Station, which serves BNSF, Milwaukee District, North Central, SouthWest and Heritage Corridor lines. The Blue Line stops at Clinton, and the Green and Pink lines stop at Clinton and Morgan.
• Who tends to choose it. Companies that recruit from the suburbs and the West Side, technology and consumer brands, and firms that want a contemporary feel near the commuter stations.
• Trade-offs. Further west, the walk from the terminals gets longer, so measure it for each building. Options can differ a lot by block, from established towers near the river to converted space and new construction further out. Delivery access and street activity near busy dining corridors are worth a look too.

Walk the route yourself at commute time, from the station your staff would actually use. A building that looks close on a map can feel far on a January morning.

Transit lines and stops change, and construction can shift them. When we checked the CTA's pages, the State/Lake station on the elevated Loop was listed as temporarily closed for reconstruction, so check CTA and Metra for current service. With that in mind, here is what we would ask for each candidate address.

• ✓Which Metra terminal or 'L' line would most of our people use, and how long is the walk from it?
• ✓What share of our team would have a harder commute in this area, and could we keep them?
• ✓Is the area convenient for our clients, and is parking for them affordable?
• ✓Does the character of the area fit our brand and the people we want to hire?
• ✓Are there places to eat and meet nearby, and are they open during the hours we work?
• ✓Do the available buildings have the floor size, systems and technology we need?
• ✓How much building choice exists at our size, and how much competition does that create for landlords?
• ✓How do total occupancy costs compare once rent, taxes, operating expenses and parking are added up?

1. Map employee home ZIP codes without names, and calculate rough commute times to a point in each area.
2. Note clients and partners you visit or host often.
3. Rank what matters most to the business: commute, image, parking, floor size or cost.
4. Tour a few buildings in your two leading areas, including at least one option you doubt.
5. Ask for proposals in more than one area when your commute map allows it, so you keep leverage.

A company with no strong tie to any one area can use that flexibility to create competition between landlords in different submarkets. We help tenants set up that comparison and read the differences between proposals. TAG is based in Chicago and works only for occupiers, so we have no building of our own to steer you toward.