Business Traveler, July/August 2020
b u s i n e s s t r a v e l e r u s a c o m J U LY A U G U S T 2 0 2 0 4 H O U R S 3 WEST RANDOLPH STREET Head one block north for a stroll along West Randolph Street the red brick buildings of which house lively restaurants and bars The likes of Google and Linkedin have set up bases in West Loop and halfway down West Randolph youll spot Hamburger University the global HQ of McDonalds where you can pick up items from its global menus If thats not your thing grab a coffee from La Colombe which roasts its beans in the Chicago suburbs try a pale ale at Haymarket pub or a glass of red at City Winery which produces its own bottles with grapes from California and Oregon Scandi inspired restaurant Elske has a Michelin star while Little Goat is an upmarket take on the American diner Or try Lou Malnatis a Chi town awarding winning favorite for its deep dish pizza with a buttery base 4 OPEN BOOKS A block north on West Lake Street youll find the friendly team behind Open Books a shop that is also a non profit social venture It runs free reading sessions and creative writing clubs for young people and delivers thousands of books each week to schools in the city The West Loop store stocks more than 50000 new and used books with squishy leather sofas and armchairs to retreat to a good pitstop if youre starting to get sore feet open books org 5 FULTON MARKET Follow the elevated train line west toward West Fulton Market and the streets around it This was once the meatpacking district look out for some colorful graffiti depicting this but today it is being wholly transformed by gentrification Former market buildings with aging exteriors are being gutted to house glass fronted shops offices bars and restaurants and new buildings are on their way that will raise the height of its skyline Its an interesting area to wander and if youre not already sated from your trip to West Randolph Street it has a wealth of food and drink venues One hotspot is the rooftop restaurant and bar at the Hoxton hotel opened by the London based chain in April 2019 Time Out recently opened a 50000 square foot food hall or channel your inner child at Punch Bowl Socials vintage arcade ANTWON MCMULLEN GNAGEL ISTOCK ANTWON MCMULLEN SHUTTERSTOCK 4 5 3 3 6 5
You must have JavaScript enabled to view digital editions.
