Near North Side
Community area
Community Area 08 – Near North Side
Near North Side skyline
Streetmap
Location within the city of Chicago
Coordinates:41°54′N87°38′W / 41.900°N 87.633°W /41.900; -87.633[1]
Country	United States
State	Illinois
County	Cook
City	Chicago
Neighborhoods	List Goose Island Old Town Gold Coast Cabrini–Green Near North Side Magnificent Mile River North Streeterville Dearborn Parkway State Parkway
Area
• Total	2.72 sq mi (7.04 km2)
Elevation [1]	587 ft (179 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	105,481
• Density	38,800/sq mi (15,000/km2)
	population up 44.9% from 2000
Demographics (2023)[2]
• White	66.2%
• Black	8.7%
• Hispanic	7.5%
• Asian	13.5%
• Other	4.2%
Educational Attainment (2023)[2]
• High School Diploma or Higher	98.2%
• Bachelor's Degree or Higher	85.4%
Time zone	UTC-6 (CST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP codes	60611, most of 60610, and parts of 60654 and 60642
Median household income (2023)[2]	$122,603
Source: U.S. Census, Record Information Services

TheNear North Side is one of Chicago's 77community areas. It is the northernmost of the three areas that constitute central Chicago, the others being theLoop and theNear South Side. The community area is located north and east of theChicago River. To its east is the shore ofLake Michigan, and its northern boundary is the early 19th-century city limit of Chicago,North Avenue. In 2020 the Near North Side had 105,481 residents, surpassingLake View as the largest Chicago community area by population. It is also the most densely populated community area and has the second mostskyscrapers, after the Loop. With the exception of areas nearGoose Island in the northwest (which is undergoing development), the Near North Side is known for its affluence, typified by theGold Coast,Magnificent Mile,Navy Pier, and residential skyscrapers.

The Near North Side is arguably the oldest part of Chicago. In the 1780s, in what is now the Near North Side, on the northern banks of theChicago River near today'sMichigan Avenue Bridge,Jean Baptiste Point du Sable built thefirst known permanent settlement in what was called "Eschecagou." Today, this is marked byPioneer Court.

Especially in the vicinity of Rush and Erie streets, the Near North Side was once known as McCormickville; so named because it is here where many branches of the famousMcCormick family of mechanical reaper and publishing fame built their mansions in the late 1800s and early 1900s.^[3]

The Gold Coast consists mostly of luxury high-rise apartment towers and buildings and stone mansions throughout. Its borders are generally defined asNorth Avenue to the north,Lake Michigan to the east,Chicago Avenue to the south, andClark Street to the west.

The Gold Coast became the home of the super-rich in 1885, whenPotter Palmer, former dry goods merchant and owner of thePalmer House hotel, built afanciful castle onLake Shore Drive. Over the next few decades, Chicago's elite gradually migrated fromPrairie Avenue to their new homes north of theLoop.

Along almost every boulevard of the Gold Coast has upscale boutiques and shops. Many upscale auto dearlerships are located here. Many of Chicago's best known and highly rated restaurants are located here as well. Also in the area areLou Malnati's Pizzeria, Gibsons Steakhouse, and the originalMorton's The Steakhouse.

The "Gold Coast Historic District" was listed on theNational Register of Historic Places on January 30, 1978.

The Gold Coast is zoned to the followingChicago Public Schools schools:Ogden School and the prestigiousLatin School of Chicago.

Old Town is a Chicago neighborhood bounded byNorth Avenue on the north, Larrabee Street on the northwest,Division Street on the south, Clybourn Avenue on the southwest, andLaSalle Street on the east. It crosses portions of the community areas of southernLincoln Park, as well as the northern Near North Side, and is part of Chicago's 43rd ward.Old Town includes theOld Town Triangle Historic District which is bounded on its northwest side by the former Ogden Avenue right-of-way, its northeast side by Lincoln Avenue and Wells Street, and on its south side by North Avenue. This historic district sits within the Old Town Triangle Association (OTTA), a Lincoln Park neighborhood bounded by the former Ogden Avenue right-of-way, Clark Street, and North Avenue. It sits inside the community area of Lincoln Park and is part of Chicago's 43rd ward. Old Town north of North Avenue is in Lincoln Park, and south of North Avenue is part of the Near North Side.

Old Town is now an affluent and historic neighborhood, home to many of Chicago's older Victorian-era buildings. However, in the 1950s, most of this area was an enclave to the first emigrants fromPuerto Rico toChicago, who referred to it as part ofLa Clark until commercialization decorated late 1960s shop signs with the name of Old Town. The neighborhood is home toSt. Michael's Church, originally built to serve German immigrants,^[4] and one of only 7 to survive thegreat Chicago fire. St. Michael's, Holy Name Cathedral, Immaculate Conception, and St. Joseph's Catholic churches all catered to Latinos with a Mass in Spanish.

Many of the streets and alleys, particularly in the Old Town Triangle section, predate theGreat Chicago Fire and do not all adhere to the city's typical grid pattern. In 1927, sculptorsSol Kogen andEdgar Miller purchased and subsequently rehabilitated a house on Burton Place, near Wells Street, into theCarl Street Studios. Through the 1930s, an art colony emerged in the neighborhood as artists moved from theTowertown neighborhood near Washington Square Park.

Old Town was home to many gays and lesbians from the 1950s through the 1980s. This was the first "gay ghetto" in Chicago, predating the current large Lake View neighborhood which also contains the Boystown district. There were numerous gay establishments in Old Town (now mostly closed as Lake View is now the main gayborhood) along Wells Street and Old Town was home to the longstanding gay-themed Bijou Theater until it closed in September 2015. As Old Town gentrified, the LGBT population of the nearby Lake View neighborhood continued to increase, as well as the LGBT populations of the Lincoln Park and Andersonville areas.

Old Town is home to the famousSecond City improvisational comedy troupe which has launched the careers of many successful comedians and actors.

Old Town has three"L" rapid transit stations:North/Clybourn,Sedgwick, andClark/Division.

Goose Island is an island inChicago covering 160 acres on theChicago River that is completely surrounded by the rest of the city. It is separated from the mainland by the North Branch of the Chicago River on the west and by the North Branch Canal on the east. The canal was dug in 1853 by mayorWilliam Butler Ogden's administration and was dug for industrial purposes, thus forming the island. After Irish immigrants settled on the island, it took the name Goose Island, as well as that ofKilgubbin, which was the immigrants' original home in Ireland. TheGoose Island Brewery makes Kilgubbin Red Ale, in honor of this name.^[5]

The large facility on the north end of Goose Island (visible from North Avenue, but by car only reachable from the south: Division Street to North Branch to 1132 W. Blackhawk) is theWrigley Global Innovation Center, a 193,000-square-foot (17,900 m²) facility, which opened in September 2005 and was designed byGyo Obata ofHellmuth, Obata and Kassabaum. While cars are able to approach from the south, trains, bicycles, and pedestrians can reach the site via the rail/pedestrianCherry Avenue Bridge spanning from North Avenue to Goose Island.^[6] Additionally, there is seasonal access from the north via theChicago Water Taxi service dock at the south end of theCherry Avenue Bridge.^[7]

On the south end of the island isKendall College's Riverworks campus. The southern end of the island is currently undergoing redevelopment with upscale condominiums, townhouses, and apartments.

River North is a neighborhood known for its fine dining, galleries, nightlife, and riverwalk amenities. It is home to the world headquarters ofConAgra,Groupon,Motorola Mobility, and the regional offices ofYelp. It is bounded by Michigan Avenue to the east,Chicago Avenue to the north, and the Chicago River to the south and west. River North has many towers and high-rises and some of its other famous structures include theMerchandise Mart, theWrigley Building,Holy Name Cathedral, theMarina City towers, and theHouse of Blues.

River North was previously named Smokey Hollow, at the turn of the 20th century, due to the many factories and forges in the area. Smoke from the factories was often so thick that it blocked the sunlight. At the time, Smokey Hollow was a major transportation hub, with railroad tracks linking the ports along the Chicago River to the surrounding areas. The now mixed-use Merchandise Mart was once a major storage warehouse for goods, and it still has railroad tracks underneath its sprawling structure. Former major retailerMontgomery Ward also had a major transportation and storage facility in River North. Massivecoal bins were formerly located throughout the neighborhood, for storage of coal transported by ship.

Little Sicily in Chicago was also located in River North. The first Italian Roman Catholic Church in Chicago was Assumption, on Illinois Street, with a mandate to be the parish church for all Italians fromLake Michigan to theMississippi River. Later, Sicilians began to move north from the immediate vicinity of Assumption and began to form their own parishes. Italians whose family roots were from other parts of Italy tended to move west along Grand Street and form parishes west of Assumption.

The Near North Side formerly included the now demolishedCabrini–Green Homes public housing project that once housed 15,000 subsidized tenants.^[8] It was made up primarily of high-rise and mid-rise buildings. The apartment buildings opened in 1958 and 1962, while the shuttered rowhouses (called the Frances Cabrini Homes, a few of which still exist) had opened in 1942. Cabrini–Green stood in what once was the former Italian enclave called the Little Sicily neighborhood, and the former site of St. Dominic's Church. In the 1920s, Little Sicily developed a reputation for poverty and crime.^[9] Asgentrification began to take hold in the 1990s, the buildings made way for new upscale developments. The final Cabrini-Green tower was demolished in 2011. Following the conclusion of a civil lawsuit, the former Cabrini-Green site was transformed and revitalized with new upscale development spurred by the growth of Old Town to the north, and the already affluent areas of theGold Coast to the east and River North to the south.Goose Island, which sits to the west, is currently undergoing new development.

TheRiver North neighborhood got its name from Chicago real estate developer Albert Friedman (chief executive of Friedman Properties Ltd.), who in 1974 started to buy, restore, and build commercial property in the southeast sector.^[10] Much of the area was ashabby urban neighborhood. In an effort to attract tenants Friedman began calling the area "River North".^[10] Within a few years, Friedman found photographers, ad agencies, and art galleries willing to rent the low-cost space and to coalesce into what is now theRiver North Gallery District,^[10] which has the largest concentration of art galleries in the United States outside of Manhattan.^[11] Along with hundreds of art galleries, the area has many taverns, rooftop bars, dance clubs, popular restaurants, and entertainment venues. Between the years 2000 and 2010, the population in the four census tracts covering River North increased by an average of nearly 82%, boosting population from 9,835 in 2000 to 17,892 in 2010.

Districts of River North include:

• the gallery district, primarily along Superior and Huron streets between Wells and Orleans;
• a theme-restaurant area with many tourist-oriented restaurants, surrounding Clark and Ontario;
• the cathedral district, an area with many newskyscrapers surroundingHoly Name Cathedral (Catholic) andSt. James Cathedral (Episcopal), which are located near State and Superior, and Huron and Wabash, respectively. TheMoody Bible Institute is not located too far away at Chicago Avenue and LaSalle Drive;
• a design district, with shops and showrooms selling commercial and luxury interior furnishings, in the blocks north of theMerchandise Mart;
• and Kingsbury Park, an area of newly built residential high-rises surrounding Montgomery Ward Park, at Erie Street and the Chicago River.

River North is serviced by four CTA "L" train stations: the subway stations of Chicago Avenue (Red Line) and Grand Avenue (Red Line); and the elevated stations of Chicago Avenue (Brown Line) and Merchandise Mart (Brown Line).

Streeterville is the easternmost neighborhood in Chicago north of the Chicago River. It is bounded by the river on the south,Michigan Avenue on the west, andLake Michigan on the north and east.

Streeterville houses some of Chicago's tallestskyscrapers (such as theJohn Hancock Center); many upscale stores, hotels, restaurants; andNorthwestern University'sNorthwestern Memorial Hospital,Feinberg School of Medicine,School of Professional Studies,Kellogg School of Management's downtown campus, andSchool of Law.

The number one tourist attraction in the Midwest,Navy Pier, is located in Streeterville. The neighborhood also houses theMuseum of Contemporary Art, Chicago.

The Magnificent Mile is a stretch of North Michigan Avenue between the Chicago River andOak Street. Along this portion of Michigan Avenue is a mixture of luxury stores,restaurants, office buildings, andhotels. The area has a high concentration of the city's major media firms andadvertising agencies as well, including theChicago Tribunenewspaper.

The street is the home of Chicago's famousWater Tower landmark, Water Tower Park with its historic clock, and the eight-levelWater Tower Place shopping center which grew up next door to the landmark. North of the shopping center can be found the famousJohn Hancock Center, also known as 875 North Michigan Avenue tower; theArt DecoPalmolive Building; and the lavishDrake Hotel that sits across from a beach.

This sectionneeds expansion. You can help byadding to it.(December 2009)

Google's Chicago offices are in the Dearborn Plaza building.^[12]Etihad Airways andQatar Airways have offices in theJohn Hancock Center.^[13][14] TheWrigley Company had its headquarters in theWrigley Building before moving to Goose Island, also within the community area, in 2012.^[15][16]

AfterAmerican Airlines acquiredSimmons Airlines, and before Simmons was dissolved, Simmons had its headquarters on the Near North Side.^[17] At one pointIndigo Airlines was headquartered on the Near North Side.^[18] TheTribune Company had its headquarters in the eponymousTribune Tower before moving toOne Prudential Plaza in theLoop in 2017.^[19]Potbelly Sandwich Works likewise was located in theMerchandise Mart complex before moving to theWest Loop in 2015.^[20][21]

The Near North Side is currently part of the 2nd, 27th, 42nd, and 43rd wards of theChicago City Council, which are respectively represented by Democratic aldermenBrian Hopkins,Walter Burnett Jr.,Brendan Reilly, andMichele Smith.^[22]

In theCook County Board of Commissioners the majority of the area is in the 3rd district, represented by Democrat Bill Lowry. The westernmost part, including the majority of Goose Island, and much of the southwestern part, including the majority of River North, is in the 12th District, represented by DemocratJohn Fritchey. Two parts of the area in the extreme south—the respective vicinities of Wolf Point and the Wabash Avenue Bridge—are part of the 2nd District, represented by DemocratDennis Deer.^[28]

In theIllinois House of Representatives the community area is roughly evenly split lengthwise between, from east to west, Districts 26, 5, 9, and 10, represented respectively by DemocratsChristian Mitchell,Juliana Stratton,Art Turner, andMelissa Conyears. The southwest portion of the area—the western half of River North—is within District 6 represented by DemocratSonya Harper, and the northeastern part—the eastern half of Old Town and the northern half of the Gold Coast—is within District 12, represented by DemocratSara Feigenholtz.^[29]

In theIllinois Senate the biggest portion of the community area is in District 3, represented by DemocratMattie Hunter, while Streeterville and the southern half of the Gold Coast is in District 13, represented by DemocratKwame Raoul, Cabrini–Green, Goose Island, and the western half of Old Town is in District 5, represented by DemocratPatricia Van Pelt, and the eastern part of Old Town and the northern half of the Gold Coast is in District 6, represented by Democrat and Illinois Senate PresidentJohn Cullerton.^[32]

In theUS House of Representatives, the area is mostly withinIllinois's 7th congressional district, which is the most Democratic-leaning district in the State of Illinois according to theCook Partisan Voting Index with a score of D+38 and represented by DemocratDanny K. Davis. Small parts in the north are withinIllinois's 5th congressional district, which is represented by DemocratMike Quigley.

In the2016 presidential election, the Near North Side cast 32,150 votes forHillary Clinton and cast 8,778 votes forDonald Trump (74.5% to 20.4%).^[33] In the2012 presidential election, the Near North Side cast 24,592 votes forBarack Obama and cast 12,939 votes forMitt Romney (64.5% to 34.0%).^[34]

Several consulates are located on the Near North Side. The main building and visa office of theConsulate-General of the People's Republic of China are here.^[35][36] Other countries with missions here includeAustria,^[37]Bosnia and Herzegovina,^[38]Brazil,^[39]Bulgaria,^[40]Chile,^[41]Colombia,^[42]Denmark,^[43]Egypt,^[44]Germany,^[45]Greece,^[46]India,^[47]Ireland,^[48]Italy,^[49]Japan,^[50]South Korea,^[51]Lithuania,^[52]Poland,^[53]Serbia,^[54]Switzerland,^[55]Thailand,^[56] theUnited Kingdom,^[57] andUkraine.^[58]

Three trade missions have offices at 500 North Michigan Avenue: the Austrian Trade Commission is located in Suite 1950,^[59] the Italian-American Chamber of Commerce Midwest is located in Suite 506,^[60] and the Trade Commission of Spain is here.

• The Chicago School of Professional Psychology
• Erikson Institute
• Loyola University Chicago
  • Loyola University Chicago School of Law
• Moody Bible Institute
• Northwestern University School of Law
• Northwestern University Medical School
• University of Chicago'sBooth School of Business Gleacher Center

Chicago Public Schools serves residents of the Near North Side.

• Zoned elementary schools includeOgden International School (Jenner School has merged into Ogden)^[61][62]
• Some students are zoned toWells Community Academy High School while others are zoned toLincoln Park High School^[63]

Magnet schools:

• Walter Payton College Prep

Charter schools:

• Noble Academy

Private schools:

• Latin School of Chicago

• Feltre School

• Newberry Library
• Chicago Public Library Near North Branch
• Chicago Public Library Water Works Branch

• Conor Allen,AHL player with theRochester Americans. He was raised in Old Town.^[64]
• Henry A. Courtney Jr. (1916–1945), officer of theUnited States Marine Corps Reserve and aposthumous recipient of theMedal of Honor. He resided at 30 West Chicago Avenue while studying atLoyola University's School of Law.^[65][66]
• Mike Ditka (born 1939), former professional football player, coach, and television commentator. He has lived on the Near North Side semi-regularly since 2000.^[67]
• Mitch Glasser (born 1989), Israeli-American baseball player^{[citation needed]}
• Nellie Grant (1855–1922), daughter of PresidentUlysses S. Grant. At the time of her death, she resided at 1130 North Lake Shore Drive with her husband Frank Hatch Jones.^[68]
• Dwight H. Green (1897–1958), 30thGovernor of Illinois (1941–1949). He resided at 1360 North Lake Shore Drive at the time of his death.^[69]
• Robert Halperin (1908–1985), athlete and businessman who foundedLands' End. He resided on the Near North Side.^[70]
• James S. Kemper (1886–1981), insurance business executive andUnited States Ambassador to Brazil (1953–1955). He resided at 1500 North Lake Shore Drive at the time of his death.^[71]
• Suzanne Le Mignot, television news anchor and reporter.^[72]
• Walter Paepcke (1896–1960), businessman and founder of theContainer Corporation of America. At the time of his death, he lived at theDrake Hotel.^[73]
• Polo G (born 1999), rapper.^[74]
• Anthony Scariano (1918–2004), judge of theIllinois Appellate Court. He was a childhood resident on the 1000 block of North Sedgewick Street.^[75]
• Gene Siskel (1946–1999), film critic. He resided at 1301 N. Astor St.^[76]
• Jesse White (born 1934), 37thIllinois Secretary of State (1999–2023). He was a childhood resident of at 536 and then 466 West Division Street.^[77]

Wikimedia Commons has media related toNear North Side, Chicago.

Wikivoyage has a travel guide forChicago/Near North.

• Official City of Chicago Near North Side Community Map
• Streeterville Chamber of Commerce
• Downtown Chicago's Comprehensive Website
• Gold Coast Neighbors Association
• Interactive map of Near North Side
• Chicago Park District:
  • Connors Park
  • Washington Square Park
• Navy Pier
• Travel Essay on River North by Max Grinnell
• La Clark neighborhood and Young Lords origins

• Beaches of Cook County, Illinois
• Central Chicago
• Community areas of Chicago
• Entertainment districts in the United States

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