Monday, March 23rd, 2020
If you’re new to the area, you need to know where to live in Chicago if you work downtown. So, where do most advancing professionals live in Chicago? They live wherever their needs are met.
That means proximity to work — whether finance or fine arts — because they spend a lot of time honing their craft. Precious free time shouldn’t be spent in traffic or looking for a place to park. Advancing professionals are looking for easy access to public transportation, shopping, dining, entertainment and recreation. Hopefully, living amidst the other go-getters will energize your own vocational climb all the more.
Advancing professionals who work downtown also want options. In Chicago, each of the best places for ambitious professionals to live come with their own distinctive personalities.
There are a lot of great places to live in the Windy City, but the best Chicago neighborhoods for advancing professionals who work downtown have one thing in common: There’s plenty to do after work.
Check out these neighborhoods to find your best fit.
Wicker Park: This former artists’ enclave (along with neighboring Bucktown) is eminently walkable and is relatively affordable. Two Blue Line stops get you into the Loop with ease — and between the lively boutique culture and vibrant dining scene, there’s so much to do around the neighborhood that work might be the only time you leave. For example, community events include the Bucktown Arts Fest, Wicker Park Farmers Market and Wicker Park Fest.
Lakeview: This area is really three neighborhoods in Chicago for advancing professionals. Wrigleyville is party-central, where the bar scene draws you in to keep the party going after a great game amid tourists and other baseball fans. In fact, when it comes to lifestyle, Lakeview offers the ultimate balance of work and play. Boystown hosts two of the biggest events on Chicago’s summer social calendar: The Pride Parade and North Halsted Market Days. West Lakeview puts a homier spin on things — the al fresco dining is terrific, and the atmosphere is very pet-friendly.
Lincoln Park: Think green and blue. The green park for which the area is named covers more than 1,200 acres, all of it essentially hugging blue Lake Michigan. Joggers and cyclists swarm the park and lakefront trails in droves. Just far enough from the Loop (15 minutes by train) to decompress on the commute home, the neighborhood offers a variety of housing styles, proximity to North Avenue Beach, and an urban lifestyle that is perhaps dialed down the tiniest bit from Lakeview’s fabulous excess. There are also many things to do, including spending the day at Lincoln Park Zoo or the Lincoln Park Conservatory.
Old Town: Just south of Lincoln Park, Old Town is home to Chicago’s famous Second City comedy club. Rich in history and close enough to the Loop to walk, this community is not so gentrified as to be completely shorn of its characters. It boasts a dense urban lifestyle and is home to many restaurants, bars, coffee shops and parks. Two of its biggest summer events — the Old Town Art Fair and the Wells Street Arts Festival — happen on the same weekend in June.
River North: Across the river from the Loop, River North puts power lunchers elbow-to-elbow with tourists along the burgeoning Riverwalk. Residents can walk to the theater district, Navy Pier, the Mag Mile and Millennium Park. Fun community events include the Mid Summer Art Walk and the Taste of River North. The center of Chicago’s gallery scene and loaded with high-end condos, this is upscale urban at its most posh.
The best way to start your search for your next home in Chicago is by visiting Downtown Apartment Collective. We have thousands of constantly updated listings, filtered by price, size, neighborhood and amenities, that you can check out right now.
