If you’re moving to Chicago for a new job, you need to know about the best neighborhoods in Chicago for young professionals to live.

According to Choose Chicago, there are 77 vibrant neighborhoods making up the city. Each neighborhood has its own history, flavor, and features to make it unique. However, you can’t possibly research ALL the neighborhoods. We are here to help renters make the apartment search process efficient.

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What are the Best Neighborhoods in Chicago for Young Professionals?

While the boundaries of downtown Chicago are open to interpretation, at Luxury Living Chicago, we define 6 Chicago neighborhoods as the “downtown core.” These seven neighborhoods are closest to the city’s central business district within the Loop. They also have the most full-amenity, high-rise buildings for renters to choose from. Consequently, these are the 6 best neighborhoods in Chicago for young professionals to rent.

River North

River North is one of the largest downtown neighborhoods. West of Michigan Avenue to LaSalle Street you’ll find Chicago’s famous shopping, world-class dining, and nightlife. From LaSalle to the River you’ll find quiet streets, parks, boutiques and trendy restaurants. River North is also home to the gallery, design and apparel district, featuring the Merchandise Mart.

Must Visit Spot: The Chicago River Walk

Good to Know: There are a lot of bars and late-night spots in River North. Certain areas can be loud and boisterous at night because of the social scene.

New River North Apartments: On the East end of the Chicago River, Wolf Point East is a River North apartment building with unparalleled views of the river and city at 313 W Wolf Point Plaza.

On the west bend of the Chicago River, Wolf Point West is a River North tower offering residents unmatched amenities including business center, fitness center, river gallery and lounge, outdoor pool and hot tub, golf simulator, dog run, club room, sky lounge, sauna and steam, and sky deck with outdoor kitchens, TVs, fire pit and lounge seating.

Marlowe is a boutique luxury apartment building that will keep you close to the must-sees and must-easts in the Gold Coast, retail in the Merchandise Mart, or one of the many art galleries in River North.

Streeterville

The Streeterville neighborhood is home to Northwestern University’s downtown campus, University of Chicago Gleacher Center, NBC Tower, Northwestern Hospital, Lurie Children’s Hospital, popular downtown hotels and gourmet grocery stores. Streeterville features weekly firework displays at Navy Pier in the summer.

Must Visit Spot: The Ferris wheel at Navy Pier

Good to Know: Streeterville can feel crowded and congested at times because of the number of tourist attractions and traffic on Michigan Avenue.

Apartments Now Leasing in Streeterville: 

One Bennett Park is a luxury Streeterville tower located at 451 E Grand Avenue. The property is part privately-owned condos and part apartment rentals.

465 North Park offers access to Chicago’s best entertainment and exceptional conveniences.

The Streeter is a 50-story luxury apartment complex offers exceptional living to its residents in one of the most vibrant areas of the city.

Gold Coast

From shopping on Michigan Avenue, upscale restaurants on Rush Street, the bars and nightclubs on Division Street, Loyola University and Oak Street Beach this neighborhood defines classic (and classy) Chicago.

Must Visit Spot: Restoration Hardware Chicago

Good to Know: The Gold Coast can be one of Chicago’s more expensive neighborhoods because the high-priced real estate in the area brings up the total cost of living.

New Gold Coast Apartments: 

The Ritz-Carlton is a luxurious condominium community that offers luxury residences ranging from two to three bedroom apartments.

The Sinclair Gold Coast luxury apartments, at 1201 N LaSalle, offers upscale living in a downtown Chicago location. This is a beautifully designed building with expansive and thoughtful amenities and details that go above and beyond.

61 Banks Street is located in Chicago’s iconic Gold Coast neighborhood. This boutique apartment community offers luxury residences ranging from two to three bedroom apartments with breathtaking views of Lake Michigan.

Loop

The Loop is nicknamed for the “L” train tracks encircling the business district. The Loop has tons of dining, shopping and features Chicago icons such as the Willis Tower, Chicago Mercantile Exchange, Board of Trade and many of the city’s largest companies.

Must Visit Spot: Block 37

Good to Know: While the Loop is changing, it’s still the city’s business district and filled with office towers. After 5 PM, and on the weekends, the neighborhood can feel a little empty.

Apartments Now Leasing in the Loop: 330 South Wells Loop apartments are pet-friendly and feature a rooftop outdoor lounge with fire pits and grills, indoor sky lounge with demonstration kitchen and living room style seating, full fitness center with yoga studio, bike room, controlled-building access, and conference room.

73 East Lake is one block from Michigan Avenue, making it a premier walk-to-work location, and is near the CTA Red, Brown, Orange, Pink, Green, and Blue Lines, plus several bus stops.

Linea apartments thought of everything, even a dog-friendly outdoor terrace at 215 W Lake Street. These beautiful luxury Loop apartments offer expansive apartment and community spaces.

South Loop

There are two sections of the South Loop neighborhood – Museum Park and Printer’s Row. Museum Park is a sprawling lakefront community of brand new high-rise buildings close to Chicago’s museum campus and Soldier Field. The historic Printer’s Row features many buildings that used to be printing plants and publishing houses. This neighborhood has been steadily growing in popularity due to the neighborhood’s trendy and eclectic restaurants, artistic shops, as well as its proximity to the Loop.

Must Visit Spot: Museum Campus

Good to Know: The South Loop is rapidly developing. The dining and shopping scene continues to grow.

Apartments Now Leasing in South Loop: River City is an iconic building that offers 449 residential units with more than 250,000 square feet of office and retail space. These renovated, modern residences offer floor plans ranging from studios to townhomes & penthouses.

NEMA Chicago is a luxurious skyscraper offering 800 apartments with 70,000 square feet of unparalleled amenities. Inspired by unparalleled culture and history, residents will experience hospitality-style service, state-of-the-art technology, and unobstructed panoramic views of Chicago’s city center and Lake Michigan.

Located at 1326 South Michigan, The Paragon Chicago South Loop apartments offers easy access to everything in downtown Chicago. This 47-story contemporary building includes offers studios, one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments.

West Loop

In the West Loop, you’ll find amazing restaurants on Randolph Street and Greek Town. The West Loop is home to the old manufacturing warehouses of Chicago that are being converted into cool office spaces to form a hub of start-up technology companies.

Must Visit Spot: Soho House

Good to Know: Rents are steadily increasing because of the neighborhood’s popularity.

Apartments Now Leasing in the West Loop: The Jax features in-demand amenities such as a rooftop terrace, lounge, and state-of-the-art fitness center. The Jax mixes modern design with vibrant lifestyle features that integrate to create the optimal living experience for West Loop Chicago renters.

Adams Laflin Place feature gourmet chef’s kitchen, stainless steel appliances, granite countertops and island, gas cooking, hardwood floors throughout, high ceilings, open floor plans, modern bath fixtures, and in-unit washer dryer.

727 West Madison is Chicago’s tallest building west of the Kennedy at 727 W. Madison Street. The property features a large sun terrace with a pool, spa, cabanas, fitness club with a yoga, barre and Pilates studio, private massage room, and high-speed Wi-Fi.

In conclusion, with so much action and lots of new apartments, these are the best neighborhoods in Chicago for young professionals.

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Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in February 2017 and has been updated for freshness, accuracy, and comprehensiveness. 

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