October is the last month Chicago lets you walk everywhere in a light jacket. If you’re a student in Chicago apartments in the South Loop, the best of the city is close: the lake, the parks and some of the oldest blocks downtown. Here’s a month of walks from Straits Row.
What can you walk to from Chicago apartments in the South Loop?
A lot. Grant Park and the lakefront are to the east. Printers Row is around the corner. The Loop is to the north. You can fill a month of weekends without a train.
Straits Row is at 633 South LaSalle Street. Pick one walk a week. Here are four.
Walk one: Grant Park
Head east. Grant Park is the big green space between downtown and the lake, and in October the trees turn while the skyline stays put behind them.
Buckingham Fountain is the centerpiece. It runs through the warm months and shuts off for winter, so go early in the month if you want to see it going. The gardens around it are quiet on a weekday.
Bring coffee and a reading for class. A bench in Grant Park is a better study spot than it has any right to be.
Walk two: the Lakefront Trail
Keep going east and you reach the lake. The Lakefront Trail runs for miles in both directions, with separate paths for walking and biking.
Go south toward the Museum Campus for the classic skyline view. The spot near the planetarium is where the postcards are taken. Go at sunset.
It’s windier and colder by the water than on your block. Bring one more layer than you think you need. That rule holds until May.
Walk three: Printers Row
This one is practically next door. Printers Row is a stretch of old printing and publishing buildings along Dearborn Street, now full of cafes, bookshops and restaurants. It feels like a small neighborhood tucked into downtown.
Spend a slow Saturday morning here. Get breakfast. Browse a used bookstore. It’s the kind of place you bring your parents when they visit.
Walk four: where do you go when it rains?
The Harold Washington Library Center. It’s the main branch of the Chicago Public Library, a huge red-brick building a few blocks north, and the top floor has a glass-roofed winter garden that’s one of the best free rooms in the city. A library card is free for Chicago residents. Get one.
The museums are the other answer. The Museum Campus has the Field Museum, the Shedd Aquarium and the Adler Planetarium. The Art Institute is on Michigan Avenue. Several offer free days for Illinois residents and student rates. Check each one’s site before you go.
How should you plan the month?
Around midterms and daylight. Early October is for the long walks: the lakefront, the Museum Campus. Mid-month, when exams hit, keep it short. Twenty minutes in Grant Park between study blocks clears your head.
Halloween is a Saturday this year, October 31. Downtown will be busy. Go with friends and decide how you’re getting home first.
The clocks fall back the next morning, Sunday, November 1. After that, sunset comes before most afternoon classes end. Move your walks to the morning or lunch.
What about getting farther out?
That’s the other thing about this location. Several L lines and bus routes stop within a few blocks, so the rest of the city is a short ride. Use a Ventra card or your school’s transit pass if it has one.
Pick a neighborhood you’ve never been to and go for lunch. Chinatown and Pilsen are both close and both worth an afternoon. Four years goes fast, and most students see less of the city than they meant to.
Is it safe to walk around?
Use the same sense you’d use in any big city. Stick to busy, well-lit streets after dark. Walk with a friend at night. Keep your phone in your pocket at crossings and on platforms. Know your route before you leave.
If this has you thinking about where to live next year, the neighborhood page has more on the area around Straits Row.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Straits Row?
Straits Row is at 633 S LaSalle St, Chicago, IL 60605, in the South Loop.
Can you walk to the lake from the South Loop?
Yes. Grant Park and the Lakefront Trail are east of the neighborhood.
Are Chicago museums free for students?
Some offer free days for Illinois residents or student pricing. Check each museum’s website.
Key Takeaways
- Students in Chicago apartments in the South Loop can walk to Grant Park, the lakefront and Printers Row.
- Do the long walks early in October, while it’s mild.
- Use the Harold Washington Library and museums on cold or wet days.
- After November 1, plan walks for daylight hours.