Page "Chicago" Paragraph 67

Downtown is the center of Chicago's financial, cultural, and commercial institutions and home to Grant Park and many of the city's skyscrapers.

Many of the city's financial institutions ( for example, CBOT, Chicago Fed ) are located within a section of downtown called " The Loop ", which is an eight-block by five-block square of city streets that are encircled by elevated rail tracks.

The term " The Loop " is largely used by locals to refer to the entire downtown area as well.

The central area includes the Near North Side, the Near South Side, and the Near West Side, as well as the Loop.

These areas contribute famous skyscrapers, abundant restaurants, shopping, museums, a stadium for the Chicago Bears, convention facilities, parkland, and beaches.