With seventy-seven unique neighborhoods in Chicago, how do you decide where to live?
In today’s video, we’re going to explore six of the best neighborhoods in Chicago according
to Google and our clients at Compass Real Estate.
Hey everyone, welcome back to 606 Living. I’m Traivor Morrison and a Realtor® at
Compass Real Estate in Chicago, Illinois. If you are new to my channel, my goal is to
provide value-added content on living in Chicago and buying, selling, and leasing real estate
here. If you haven’t already, please go ahead and subscribe to my channel and turn
on that notification bell to stay in the loop.
Before we dive into some of the most popular neighborhoods in Chicago, determining what
is most important to you is key to finding your perfect home. Do you prefer to live in
a high-rise with spectacular views or in a single family home on a quiet tree-lined street?
Will you head to work by car or will you rely on public transit, bike, or foot? Do you need
top-rated schools? All important questions to ask yourself when determining where to
live.
Thankfully, Chicago is a diverse city and has something for everyone. For our first
neighborhood, we are going to head downtown to River North, which is actually where I
first lived when I moved to Chicago. Just north of the river, River North is a trendy
neighborhood characterized by luxury high-rise residential buildings with spectacular views
and easy access to high-end shopping on Michigan Ave. Another major highlight is Chicago’s
Riverwalk, especially in the summer, where you can take a boozy boat tour, go kayaking,
or just kick back with a beer or a glass of wine along the river and take it all in. With
its walk-to-work appeal and lively after hours scene, River North attracts a large number
of young professionals and is a great neighborhood to live, work, and play.
A few blocks north from River North is the Gold Coast, an affluent neighborhood with
gorgeous tree-lined streets, historic row homes, and doorman buildings. You will also
enjoy easy access to fine dining and shopping, the south end of Lincoln Park, and the city’s
beaches along Lake Michigan. Originally referred to as the Astor Street District after John
Jacob Astor, one of America’s richest men, Chicago’s Gold Coast got its name from the
wealth of its first residents. This neighborhood attracts an affluent blend of young families
and well-established professionals and is also a great place for a daytime or evening
walk to see some of its amazing architecture.
Continuing north, we find Lincoln Park itself, which borders one of the nation’s best urban
parks and offers lakeside recreation, highly-ranked schools, and an abundance of housing options.
It is a well established neighborhood with close proximity to downtown and attracts both
singles and families. Lincoln Park is consistently a top choice for newcomers and
truly appeals to all demographics. You will also find a number of the city’s top brokerages
here in Lincoln Park, including Compass Real Estate where I am based.
Further north is Lakeview, which broadly includes Lakeview East, Boystown, and Wrigleyville.
This neighborhood is an energetic one with a “sports and spirits” vibe. It is also
home to Wrigley Field and the Chicago Cubs and also one of the city’s largest LGBTQ+
communities. Lakeview attracts everyone from students to professionals to homebuyers with
children given its abundance of housing options and mass appeal. The real estate market in
this neighborhood consists of affordable walk-ups, pricier single-family homes and condos, and
a growing array of high-end, mixed-use developments.
Although they don’t show up at the top of a Google search for Chicago’s best neighborhoods,
Uptown, Ravenswood, Andersonville, Edgewater, and even Rogers Park all provide great housing
options at affordable prices. Prices also tend to be more affordable the further from
downtown. My partner and I recently purchased a really reasonable 2-bed, 2-and-one-half-bath
condo in Andersonville, which is Chicago’s shop local capital, and it ticked all the
boxes for us, including a quiet tree-lined street and it was pet-friendly and gay-friendly.
Next we head west to Wicker Park. A jack-of-all-trades neighborhood with trendy hipsters, working
artists, business professionals, and families, Wicker Park appeals to just about every kind
of renter or buyer. The market here consists of spacious apartments, condos, and lofts
with modern amenities. For me, the highlight of this neighborhood is The 606, which is
also the inspiration behind my channel. The 606 is a former elevated rail line that was
converted to a park and 2.7-mile trail that connects the residents of Wicker Park, Bucktown,
Humboldt Park and Logan Square. Why 606? 606 is the zip code prefix that connects all of
us here in Chicago.
Our last neighborhood, the West Loop includes the Fulton River District and is also probably
the hottest neighborhood in Chicago at the moment. With seemingly endless dining on Randolph
Street which has been dubbed ‘restaurant row,’ this area is also home to the chic
Soho House, the gorgeous Hoxton hotel, and the delicious Time Out Market to name a few.
The real estate market in this neighborhood is characterized by new construction and condo/loft
conversions featuring open floor plans and exposed brick. As an example, we currently
have a million dollar listing with an incredible 3,000 sq ft outdoor space that I’ve linked
for you in the info card above. Your neighbors will be a growing population of young professionals
and families, restaurateurs, and some major tech industry players. You will also see tons
of construction here as a testament to this booming and vibrant neighborhood.
Well there you have it. Six of the best neighborhoods in Chicago according to Google and our clients
at Compass Real Estate. If you would like to learn more about these neighborhoods, please
download our free electronic Chicago Moving Guide at 606living.com/relocate.
Thank you so much for watching. If you have any questions or comments, please call or
text me at 312-929-6110 or drop in the comments section below. I’m happy to help. And if
you haven’t already, please give me a thumbs up on this video for the almighty YouTube
algorithm and subscribe to my channel. Thank you again for watching, and I’ll see you
next time.