GALLERY


MAP OF RIVER NORTH

While the geographic boundaries are the Chicago River on the South and West, Division Street on the North and Wabash Avenue on the East, there are no boundaries to the excitement and entertainment you'll find on its streets. Located just north of the Chicago River and steps away from The Magnificent Mile and State Street shopping corridors, River North is where it all begins in Chicago. The area is known for its world-class restaurants; trendsetting nightclubs; top hotels: wonderful gallery district and so much more. If it's new, unique, or what people will be reading about in the newspapers tomorrow, you will discover it in River North today!

Past and present meet in an eclectic mix of modern condos, high-rise offices and hotels that soar over vintage loft buildings with the architectural richness of times past. River North is where the very best the city has to offer comes together in one easily walked and vibrant neighborhood, day and night. Discover River North for yourself to see why this exciting urban neighborhood has something special for everyone!

In the 1890's, after railroad tracks were laid along the Chicago River's North bank, industry moved in. Soon, the area became known as "Smokey Hollow". Like much of downtown Chicago, River North was rebuilt after the Chicago Fire of 1881. It quickly filled with municipal buildings, worker housing, warehouses and shipping facilities to serve the Port of Chicago.

But from the 1920s through 1960s, the port relocated, the economy staggered and the neighborhood lost its industrial purpose. It gained notoriety as Chicago's red light district.

The first stirrings of change came in 1964 when the two Marina City condominium towers opened on the North side of the river at State Street. But complete rebirth was still years away. By the mid-1970's, it was an urban wasteland with many neglected or abandoned buildings.

Then the revival dawned. Low real estate prices and large spaces attracted the artistic set and creative entrepreneurs. They moved in and began the reclamation. Great old buildings were rehabbed into new galleries, studios, offices, apartments, restaurants and shops. Lofts from the 1890's to 1920's attracted lawyers, architects, advertising agencies, design firms and other businesses. River North now has the highest concentration of restaurants and entertainment venues in the city! In the 1990s, continued commercial growth encouraged housing development. During the decade, more than 2,500 condominium and rental units were built, from industrial conversions in the central and western sections to the construction of high rises in the east and west. But since 2000, residential growth has exploded. An estimated 25,000 new residents, occupying some 10,000 new condominiums, have moved into the neighborhood since 2000. If these estimates hold true, the Near North neighborhoods population is nearing 100,000 residents, a 34.3% increase from the year 2000.

The colorful, energetic neighborhood of River North is cultured by day and boisterous by night. The people who live in and visit this area know how to make the most of its extensive antique and art arena, as well as sit back and enjoy its festive nightlife. River North, like so many of Chicago's neighborhoods, evades simple labeling and serves up something for everyone!