Near North Side
Oak Street Beach, the Magnificent Mile, Walk to the Loop
MEDIAN: $303,000
The Neighborhoods of the Near North Side
The Near North Side is downtown living with a beach. It sits just across the Chicago River from the Loop, running north to North Avenue and from the river east to Lake Michigan.
People move here to walk everywhere. The office is often a 10- to 15-minute walk, the Magnificent Mile runs through the middle, and Oak Street Beach sits right where the Magnificent Mile meets the lake.
Its four neighborhoods feel surprisingly different. Gold Coast is stately and quiet, River North is lofts and nightlife, Streeterville is full-service towers by the lake, and Old Town is a historic village with a comedy club on its main street.
Gold Coast
Tree-lined streets of greystones, brownstones and Gilded Age mansions between Clark Street and the lake, from Chicago Avenue up to North Avenue. Pre-war co-ops and boutique high-rises face Oak Street Beach and Lincoln Park. Life here moves at a gentler pace than the rest of downtown: a morning run along the lake, coffee and shopping on Oak Street, dinner on Rush Street and a quiet walk home on tree-lined blocks.
Old Town
The historic village at the north end, centered on Wells Street, with Second City, Victorian storefronts and a June art fair dating to the 1950s. Rowhouses, cottages and condos sit a short walk from Lincoln Park and the zoo. It's a neighborhood of regulars, where weekends mean brunch on Wells Street, a show at Second City and a walk through the park, lively without the downtown crowds.
River North
The area west of Michigan Avenue and north of the river, packed with restaurants, galleries and rooftop bars. Brick-and-timber lofts sit beside glass towers, and the Riverwalk and Merchandise Mart are steps away. Life here runs late, with gallery openings on Friday nights, a new dinner reservation most weeks and rooftop bars all summer, for people who want the city's busiest dining scene right outside the door.
Streeterville
The lakefront side east of Michigan Avenue, home to full-service towers with door staff, pools and parking. Navy Pier, the Museum of Contemporary Art and Ohio Street Beach are the neighbors. Daily life is polished and easy: the gym and pool are downstairs, the Magnificent Mile is a short walk, and the Lakefront Trail is across the street.
Getting Around the Near North Side
Here, your feet are the main commute. Most of the neighborhood is within a 10- to 25-minute walk of the Loop, and the train and bus fill in the rest.
The Red Line runs underneath. It stops at Grand, Chicago and Clark/Division in the subway under State Street, and at North/Clybourn near Old Town, 24 hours a day. River North and Gold Coast are a few blocks from a station.
The Brown and Purple lines serve the west side. Merchandise Mart and Chicago stations sit in River North, and Sedgwick serves Old Town. The Brown Line circles the Loop's elevated tracks, so many riders get to the office without a transfer.
Streeterville rides the bus. The Red Line is a 10- to 15-minute walk west of the lakefront towers, so most residents walk to work or use the buses along Michigan Avenue, Lake Shore Drive and Columbus Drive. Metra's Ogilvie and Union stations are across the river in the West Loop. It’s a short walk to L stations.
Parking is a building amenity. Street parking is scarce and metered across the area. Many towers in Streeterville and River North include garage parking, while Gold Coast's vintage buildings and Old Town's rowhouses often don't, so ask before you buy.
Lake Shore Drive is right here. Ramps at Chicago Avenue and North Avenue put drivers on DuSable Lake Shore Drive in minutes, and the Kennedy Expressway runs just west of River North.
Is the Near North Side right for you?
John will help you narrow it down, then match you with a Chicago agent who knows these blocks, at no cost to you.
Housing on the Near North Side
Almost every home here is a condo in a tower, a loft or a vintage building. The neighborhood you pick decides which kind.
Streeterville: full-service towers. Post-war and modern high-rises dominate, many with 24-hour door staff, indoor pools, fitness centers and garage parking. Units range from studios to large single-level homes with lake views.
River North: lofts and glass. Timber-and-brick lofts in former warehouses sit beside boutique mid-rises and newer towers. Buildings tend to be leaner on amenities and closer to the restaurants.
Gold Coast: pre-war character. Vintage co-ops with full-floor units, boutique buildings with two homes per floor, and blocks of greystones, brownstones and rowhouses. Much of the neighborhood is a National Register historic district, and Astor Street's mansions are its showpiece.
Old Town: rowhouses and cottages. Victorian-era rowhouses, worker's cottages and small condo buildings line the side streets, with converted loft buildings near Wells Street.
Houses are rare across the whole area, and most sit in Gold Coast and Old Town. Before buying a condo or co-op, ask about monthly assessments and the building's reserves, which vary widely here.
Living on the Near North Side
Everything a city offers is a walk away here. The difference between the four neighborhoods is what's closest to your door.
What you can walk to. River North has the densest run of restaurants, galleries and rooftop bars, plus the Riverwalk. Streeterville puts Navy Pier, the Museum of Contemporary Art and the Magnificent Mile's shopping next door. Gold Coast has Oak Street's boutiques and the cafes of Rush and Division, and Old Town has Second City, Wells Street's shops and the Old Town Art Fair every June.
The lake. Oak Street Beach and Ohio Street Beach are downtown's two beaches, and the Lakefront Trail runs north from them to North Avenue Beach and Lincoln Park. From Gold Coast and Streeterville, the sand is a few minutes' walk. From River North, plan on 25 to 30 minutes.
Groceries. A Whole Foods sits in the One Chicago tower at Chicago and State, another on Grand Avenue in Streeterville, and a third on Kingsbury Street near Old Town. A large Jewel-Osco anchors Clark and Division in the Gold Coast.
LetsMovetoChicago.com founder John knows how to find the right real estate agent because he has been one since 2015. When it’s time to start your home search, John can connect you with a local real estate agent who specializes in the neighborhoods you’re focused on, at no cost to you!
Get Personalized Guidance
Find Your Fit
Match what you want most to the neighborhood that does it best.
A doorman, a pool in the building and the lake out the window: start with Streeterville.
A loft in the middle of the restaurant and gallery scene: start with River North.
A vintage co-op or a greystone on a quiet, tree-lined block near the beach: start with Gold Coast.
A rowhouse on a village-scale street, with Lincoln Park a short walk away: start with Old Town.
Still deciding? John can help you weigh them.