What do you consider Downtown? (Chicago, Manhattan: area, cities, buildings)

[Codederick]

River North, Streeterville, and the Marvelous Mile have to be considered downtown. The Gold Coast probably too.

[pvande55]

From the lake to Morgan St (1000 W), north to Chicago St (800 W) and south to Roosevelt Rd (1200 S). The western boundary keeps getting pushed, and in a few years will reach Racine Av (1200 W).

[SkylarkPhotoBooth]

I define it as the Loop and at least the closer-in parts of Near North, South Loop, and West Loop. (The exact boundary within those three areas is fuzzy.) To include Near North (River North / Streeterville / Gold Coast) and not South Loop and West Loop is weirdly Northside-centric, particularly in this day and age.

If you're feeling generous you could throw in River West, Greektown, and the easternmost parts of UIC and Pilsen these days.

Or, if you're talking to someone from the burbs, you can just refer to the whole city as "downtown" like they do, so they don't get confused.

[SkylarkPhotoBooth]

Originally Posted by Codederick

The Gold Coast probably too.

The southern part of Gold Coast, yes, but remember Gold Coast extends way up north to the southern border of Lincoln Park. I wouldn't include that part. If you're going to include that part you just about have to include Noble Square (uh, sorry, "East Village") and Chinatown, too, in terms of distance from The Loop.

[FAReastcoast]

Perhaps we can just eliminate the word "downtown" all together? Outside of Manhattan, I'm not really sure I even understand the meaning of the word Downtown.

[personone]

Originally Posted by SkylarkPhotoBooth

The southern part of Gold Coast, yes, but remember Gold Coast extends way up north to the southern border of Lincoln Park. I wouldn't include that part. If you're going to include that part you just about have to include Noble Square (uh, sorry, "East Village") and Chinatown, too, in terms of distance from The Loop.

Exactly. There are a lot of residential stretches of the Gold Coast that most people wouldn't consider "downtown" by most subjective definitions. I agree that the Loop is the major core, and the portions of the South and West Loops that border it. River North and Streerterville complicate things because you are almost forced to include them into the definition because of the Hancock building (the 2nd cluster of downtown high rises), the magnificent mile, Chicago Ave, etc which bring a lot of hustle/bustle, street activity, and tourist crowds.

[andrew61]

Originally Posted by SkylarkPhotoBooth

The southern part of Gold Coast, yes, but remember Gold Coast extends way up north to the southern border of Lincoln Park. I wouldn't include that part. If you're going to include that part you just about have to include Noble Square (uh, sorry, "East Village") and Chinatown, too, in terms of distance from The Loop.

I certainly would consider the stretch of Oak Street just west of Michigan Avenue, with all its upscale boutiques, part of Downtown.

[andrew61]

Originally Posted by Codederick

River North, Streeterville, and the Marvelous Mile have to be considered downtown. The Gold Coast probably too.

LOL! I've heard the Magnificent Mile misnamed the Miracle Mile before (Miracle Mile is actually a stretch of Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles), but never the Marvelous Mile.

[ChicagoMeO]

My boundaries - Eisenhower Expressway, Ogilvie Train Station (Clinton), Oak Street, and the New East Side to the lake.

[prhill]

Originally Posted by andrew61

LOL! I've heard the Magnificent Mile misnamed the Miracle Mile before (Miracle Mile is actually a stretch of Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles), but never the Marvelous Mile.

Many tours I have been on say Michigan Avenue is also known as the Miracle Mile as it takes a Miracle for a woman to go there and not shop