Where the Loop meets Printer's Row
417 S Dearborn sits between Van Buren and Ida B. Wells Drive (still Congress to most of us), with Plymouth Court out back. North is the Loop. South is Printer's Row, the old printing district that runs down to Dearborn Station.
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On the block
Next door to the south is the Manhattan Building, Jenney's 16-story tower with bow windows. Next door to the north is the Old Colony Building. Across Plymouth Court is the back of the Harold Washington Library, with the owls on its roof. The Monadnock is a block north at Jackson.
Down Dearborn
Printer's Row is the loft district south of Ida B. Wells. Its printing houses were turned into homes starting in the 1980s, and the ground floors now hold cafes, a bookstore, and bars.
- Sandmeyer's Bookstore, an independent bookstore on Dearborn since 1982. About 5 minutes.
- Kasey's Tavern, the neighborhood tavern on Dearborn, with the game on. About 5 minutes.
- Jazz Showcase, the jazz club Joe Segal founded in 1947, now in Dearborn Station. About 7 minutes.
- Buddy Guy's Legends, the blues club on Wabash. About 8 minutes.
Each year the Printers Row Lit Fest fills Dearborn from Ida B. Wells to Polk. It's free, and it starts just down the block.
On foot
- The L (Harold Washington Library station, Brown, Orange, Pink, Purple) about 1 minute
- Blue Line (Jackson or LaSalle) about 3 to 4 minutes
- Red Line (Harrison) about 6 minutes
- Metra Rock Island (LaSalle Street Station) about 5 minutes
- Auditorium Theatre about 6 minutes
- CIBC Theatre about 8 minutes
- Symphony Center about 9 minutes
- Art Institute of Chicago about 12 minutes
- Willis Tower about 12 minutes
- Buckingham Fountain, Grant Park about 13 minutes
- Millennium Park (Cloud Gate) about 16 minutes
- Chicago Theatre about 16 minutes
- Chicago Riverwalk about 18 minutes
- Field Museum and Shedd Aquarium about 30 minutes
- Soldier Field about 35 minutes (1.6 miles)
- McCormick Place about 2 miles south, a short ride
Times are rounded from walking routes and will vary.
Game days, festivals, and conventions
Soldier Field is about a mile and a half south. Walk down for a Bears game or a stadium show, then come back to your own kitchen afterward.
Grant Park is about 13 minutes east. During Lollapalooza you can walk to the gates and back.
McCormick Place is about two miles south, so a convention day starts with a short ride instead of a commute from the suburbs.
Museum Campus is about half an hour on foot.
Getting here
From O'Hare: the Blue Line runs 24 hours and takes about 45 minutes to downtown. Get off at Jackson or LaSalle.
From Midway: the Orange Line takes about 25 minutes to the Loop. Get off at Harold Washington Library, at the end of the block.
By Metra: Rock Island trains use LaSalle Street Station, about 5 minutes away. Union Station is west across the river, a short ride.
By car: the Eisenhower (I-290) runs into Ida B. Wells Drive, a block south of the building. There's a paid parking lot directly across the street and more garages within walking distance. Try SpotHero to compare prices. A few suites include parking for one car in the lot across the street. Look for "Parking included" on the suite card.