Chicago’s best Loop / New East Side apartments – grocery shopping

Chicago’s Loop includes the area known as the New East Side, which in turn includes the Lakeshore East development. You’ll find all of your major apartment options in the Loop and New East Side on our at-a-glance list of downtown apartments.

Our goal is to help you find the apartment that best fits your needs. Renters simply have so many differing priorities – and budget constraints – that singling out an overall best building would be a pointless exercise. We’ll identify the Loop / New East Side buildings that rank highest on each of eighteen different criteria in three main groups:

Location. Views; Grocery shopping convenience; Public transit access; Close to parks, beach; Proximity to the expressway grid; Walking distance to the Loop; Most dining, nightlife nearby; Shopping

Building features. Affordability; Amenities package; Boutique ambiance; Pet-friendliness

Apartment features. Apartment finishes; Private outdoor space; Studio / convertible floor plan; One-bedroom floor plan; Two-bedroom floor plan; Three-bedroom floor plan

Until recently Chicago’s Loop, apart from the New East Side, had relatively few full-time residents. The result is that the area has limited grocery shopping options apart from convenience stores and Target, which is nearly half a mile from the nearest rental building.

The recently-opened and well-regarded Mariano’s Fresh Market in the New East Side filled a major gap for area residents.

Aqua, The Shoreham, The Tides and North Harbor Tower have almost equally convenient access to Mariano’s.

The Bockwinkel’s next door to North Harbor Tower can be reached via an underground passageway without going outside.

Chime in with a comment if you disagree with our selections.

You’ll find links to our objective, visually-rich apartment reviews of Loop buildings, and links to near real-time availability checks for most of the buildings, at our downtown apartments at-a-glance list, and some tips and advice at our Guide to renting in Chicago’s Loop / New East Side.

We’ve also spotlighted the best apartments in River North, Streeterville, the South Loop and the West Loop / Near West neighborhoods.

Next topic: Public transit access.

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