Several hospitals including University of Illinois-Chicago's Medical School are centered in Chicago's Medical Village. The Cook County Hospital, built in 1913, also located in this Chicago neighborhood, was the inspiration for the hit NBC television show, E.R.

I-290 is the northern border of this Chicago neighborhood, with Cermak as its southern border, Ashland as it's eastern, and Western as its western border. The CTA's Blue Line runs both across the northern border with stops at Medical Center and Western and also down the southern border, with stops at Polk, 18th, Hoyne, and Western.