Apartments in River North Chicago

Experience the Magnificent Mile & Michigan Avenue in Chicago’s River North

Chicago was incorporated in 1837 on waterways--for trading--and was re-built in 1871 after the Chicago Fire. The area known today as River North contained warehouses, shipping facilities, railroad tracks, worker’s housing, factories and forges. Because of the number of factories--and the smoke they produced--the area was referred to as Smokey Hollow. When the port was closed the area fell into disrepair as the warehouses and factories vacated and residents moved to the suburbs. From the 1920s through the 1960s it was almost deserted and became known as a red-light district. As artists began to reclaim the large vacated buildings for relatively little money, they turned the old warehouses and factories into galleries, studios, offices and apartments. Real estate developer Albert Friedman coined the name River North to help the area lose its reputation as a derelict district.

River North now has the largest concentration of art galleries outside of Manhattan and a revitalized entertainment industry. It is also home to international corporations such as ConAgra, Groupon and Motorola. The eastern border is Michigan Avenue; the northern edge is Chicago Avenue and the Chicago River is on the south and west perimeters.

Who Lives There

The current population is 27,160 with the median income listed as $105,495. The median home and condo price is $346,200. 47% of the residents in River North have a bachelor’s degree and 35% have a master’s or higher. There is a more decisive curve to resident’s ages in River North than some other neighborhoods throughout Chicago. Only 7% are under the age of ten, 1% fall into the 11-19 group and a mere 9% are 65+. The average age in River North is 31.5.

Places of Interest

River North is a vibrant area of Chicago, sporting a huge number of galleries, restaurants and night spots. You will find iconic architecture like the 330 North Wabash skyscraper, designed by Mies van der Rohe and the Richard H. Driehaus Museum, known as the Marble Palace. The neighborhood’s most famous spot is the Mart, with high-end interior design studios that shoppers from all over the world seek out. The outside of the building has the world’s largest video projection art installation and can be seen each evening. Dining and drinking is a 24 hour affair in River North, from high to low end.