The Newberry Library is located in the “Near North” neighborhood of Chicago. Just north of the Loop (Chicago’s downtown business district), south of Lincoln Park, and a quarter-mile east of Lake Michigan, this neighborhood is within walking distance of many of Chicago’s best-known attractions. The Newberry is just west of the historic lakefront neighborhood known as the “Gold Coast,” which as the name implies is home to many upscale restaurants and stores as well as blocks of beautiful homes. Many, like the Newberry Library, date from the end of the nineteenth century. The famed Hancock Building, the Chicago Water Tower (home of Lookingglass Theatre), the Museum of Contemporary Art, the Driehaus Museum, and Oak Street Beach are within blocks of the Newberry. Due north is Lincoln Park, home of the Chicago History Museum and Chicago’s free Lincoln Park Zoo. Below is a list of resources to help you navigate and enjoy the area:
Restaurants:
List of Neighborhood Lunch Restaurants
Grocery Stores:
Whole Foods Market: 30 W. Huron
Drug Stores:
Picnic and Recreation Spots:
Washington Square Park (in front of the Newberry Library)
Oak Street Beach (Located directly east of library)
Lincoln Park (north of the library)
The lakefront trail, which spans 19 miles of Chicago’s lakefront, is four blocks from the Newberry Library. The path is a favorite place for cyclists, runners, and pedestrians of all kinds.
Coffeeshops
Big Shoulders Coffee, 858 N State St, 312-631-3970
Whispers Coffee and Tea, 1031 N State St
Third Coast, 1260 N. Dearborn, 312-649-0730
Corner Bakery, 676 N St. Clair St., 312-266-2570
La Colombe Coffee, 4 E Elm St, Chicago, IL 60610
Argo Tea Café, 819 N. Rush, 312-951-5302
Starbucks (many area locations, the closest at 39 W. Division, 312-951-6992)
Watering Holes: Chicago Reader Neighborhood Bar Guide
Making Modernism 