Living in River North, Chicago

Gallery space along Superior and Franklin Streets gives River North its concentration of contemporary art, while the Merchandise Mart's Brown and Purple Line stop sits at the district's northern edge alongside a dense cluster of restaurants and shops. The Chicago Riverwalk lines the river's far bank in the Loop, a car-free stretch reachable over any of the nearby bridges for a walk or a bike ride. Hotels cluster near the district's southern edge, close enough to the Loop that many visitors treat River North as an extension of downtown rather than a separate neighborhood. Nearly every 'L' line passes through or near River North, making it one of the best-connected spots in the city for a resident without a car.

That density has a flip side: sidewalks around the busiest restaurant blocks stay crowded with visitors well into the evening, and weekend bar traffic on Hubbard and Wells adds noise that carries into the surrounding residential towers.

Converted warehouse buildings and glass high-rises sit side by side here, a mix that gives River North a different texture than the more uniform blocks of the Loop just to the south, with gallery walks and dinner reservations both drawing steady foot traffic through the district's core.