Near North Side

Located just north of the Loop and the Chicago River, the Near North Side is a large community area that includes the Gold Coast, Old Town, River North and Streeterville neighborhoods. Its most famous area is the Magnificent Mile, the elegant Parisian-inspired shopping boulevard that developed along Michigan Avenue after the opening of the DuSable Bridge in 1920. The “Mag Mile” divides the dense lakefront area of Streeterville, largely taken up with residential towers and medical campus buildings, from the western reaches of the community, defined more by repurposed industrial buildings and a bustling dining and club scene. The Near North Side has undergone constant reinvention throughout the history of Chicago, a process that continues today as more people yearn to live downtown.