Where to meet up in River North

River North sits just north of the Chicago River, across from the Loop. Its streets are full of restaurants, bars and galleries, so it suits a group dinner, a birthday night out or drinks after work for people with offices on either side of the river. Its stations are a short ride from the Loop, so it also works when part of the group starts downtown.

Places that work as a meeting point:

• the Merchandise Mart, on the river at Wells Street, with an 'L' station built into it
• Marina City, the two round towers on State Street at the river
• the Grand Red Line station on State Street, at Grand Avenue
• the Chicago Brown and Purple Line station, on Chicago Avenue at Franklin Street

Getting around

• The Red Line runs under State Street, with stops at Grand, at 521 N. State St., and Chicago, at 800 N. State St.
• The Brown and Purple lines stop at Merchandise Mart, at 350 N. Wells St., and at Chicago, at 300 W. Chicago Ave.
• The #66 bus on Chicago Avenue stops at both Chicago stations, so it links the Red Line side of the area with the Brown Line side.

At night and on weekends:

• The Red Line runs at all hours, every day, as the Red Line page says. Grand and Chicago on State Street are the stops to use late at night.
• The Brown Line stops overnight. Its timetable has its last trains leaving the Loop around 2 a.m. on weekdays and Saturdays, and earlier on Sundays.
• The Purple Line stops here only during weekday rush periods, as the Purple Line page says. At other times, only the Brown Line stops at Merchandise Mart and Chicago.