Chicago
Hyde Park
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University of Chicago campus — gothic quadrangles, Obama Presidential Center site, Museum of Science and Industry.
On Chicago's South Side, 11km south of the Loop along the lake. Built around the University of Chicago's gothic campus (founded 1890), Hyde Park is the city's most intellectually weighted neighbourhood and home to the Museum of Science and Industry (in the last surviving 1893 World's Fair building) and the future Obama Presidential Center in Jackson Park. Best for return visitors and history-deep travellers; Metra Electric or 6 bus to Loop in 25 min.
Scores
Walkability
Transit
Price
Local feel
Nightlife
Family-friendly
Centrality
What you gain
- ↑Museum of Science and Industry — largest science museum in the Western Hemisphere
- ↑Frank Lloyd Wright's Robie House — Prairie School masterpiece
- ↑University of Chicago campus walk like a smaller Oxford
What you sacrifice
- ↓11km from the Loop; Metra schedules thin evenings
- ↓Quieter dining and nightlife — not a base for big nights out
Best for
Avoid if
Other Chicago neighbourhoods
Skyscraper canyon — Art Institute, Millennium Park, the Bean, and the Riverwalk under Burnham's towers.
Lakefront residential strip — Lincoln Park Zoo (free), Wrigley Field, brownstones and the Conservatory.
Indie-arts heartland — vintage on Milwaukee Ave, taquerias, brunch culture, the Six Corners intersection.
Know where to stay — now find when to go.
Best time to visit Chicago →