Perhaps the Loop's greatest attribute is its high concentration of landmark buildings, designed by such architectural luminaries as Daniel Burnham, John Wellborn Root, William Holabird, Martin Roche, Louis Sullivan, Dankmar Adler, Mies van der Rohe and Frank Lloyd Wright. Spend an hour or so wandering about the neighborhood, paying especially close attention to Mies van der Rohe's sleek, international-style Federal Center and Plaza, home to Alexander Calder's famed Flamingo stabile. Today, peaceful festivals and concerts are frequently staged on the park's lush grounds. Interestingly, Daley's son, the present-day Mayor Richard M. Daley, enjoys a generally strong rapport with Chicago's gay community. First, there's a wonderful gay cocktail bar in River North called the Gentry, a longtime Chicago favorite that moved into handsome new digs in 1997.
Women are less of a presence, but there's definitely a pronounced lipstick lesbian scene here, too.
Art Institute of Chicago, S. Michigan Ave. Andrew Collins authored the greatly expanded second edition of Fodor's Gay Guide to the USA , as well as six gay guides covering the West Coast, New York City, South Florida and Amsterdam. At the Girlfriends store Get some Girlfriends at a discount. At the Hero site Try it for free. At the Alternative Family site Get Alternative Family at a discount.