Best Chicago neighborhoods for professionals

Each of the neighborhoods for young professionals in Chicago has a unique charm: here’s a guide to help you find your next great home.

Editorial Team

By Editorial Team

giant bean downtown Chicago

If you’re moving to Chicago for business, your first step is to find a neighborhood where you can enjoy being among your peers. This shouldn’t be hard. Chicago is filled with fantastic neighborhoods for young professionals. It’s just a matter of finding your favorite. Between the numerous urban neighborhoods and the coworking spaces, Chicago will quickly feel like home to you.

Here are a few of the “Windy City’s” best neighborhoods that you should absolutely check out this year.

 

Gold Coast

While this is one of the more expensive areas, it’s also one of the best neighborhoods in Chicago. Known for its shopping, upscale restaurants, bars, nightclubs, and beautiful apartments and studios, this neighborhood is exceedingly classy, welcoming, and beautiful.

gold coast, one of chicago's best neighborhoods for young professionals

Young professionals see this as one of the best neighborhoods in Chicago because it offers such a high quality of life. This is a place where you’ll find like-minded professionals, plenty of new friends, and lots to do when you’re not working. The real estate here comes at a premium but you’re guaranteed to find a beautiful apartment you won’t want to leave.

Streeterville

Streeterville is home to the downtown campus of Northwestern University. It’s also home to the University of Chicago’s Gleacher Center, the NBC Tower, Lurie Children’s Hospital, and Northwestern Hospital. As if that weren’t enough, you’ll find numerous downtown hotels, grocery stores, bars, boutiques, and more here.

It’s a gorgeous place to enjoy living and working. It’s also one of the best neighborhoods in Chicago for young families. While home to many tourist attractions, it’s also one of the best places to check out art and culture in the city. So, the crowds are a small price to pay.

The Loop

The Loop in Chicago is named for the L train tracks, which circle the business district. This area is one of the best neighborhoods in Chicago for shopping, dining, and sightseeing. The neighborhood is home to many iconic attractions, including the Willis Tower, the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, the Board of Trade, and more.

the loop neighborhood, busy road during nighttime

The must-visit spot here is Block 37, although there’s plenty to walk around and enjoy. People who live here for business will find that it’s close to everything. This makes it a fantastic choice for young professionals. The benefit (or drawback, depending on how you look at it) is that the neighborhood drains out on weekends and after 5 p.m. during weekdays when the professionals go home.

 

River North

One of the larger neighborhoods in the downtown area, River North is known for being home to much of Chicago’s famous shopping, dining, and nightlife. Offering plenty of quiet places to get away from the crowds, River North has plenty of quiet running and biking paths, parks, boutiques, and trendy restaurants.

Residents and visitors alike love the Merchandise Mart, the Chicago River Walk, and other such attractions in this beautiful neighborhood. One of the best neighborhoods in Chicago for people who like to be away from the bustle yet close to it all, this is a great place to check out as you look for housing in the city.

 

The South Loop

The South Loop actually has two neighborhoods within it. There is Museum Park and a neighborhood called Printer’s Row. Printer’s Row is a historic neighborhood that features lots of cool, old brick buildings. These buildings used to be both publishing houses and printing plants.

Museum Park, on the other hand, is a lakefront community filled with a selection of brand-new luxury apartments and ritzy coffee shops. It’s close to both Soldier Field and the campus of the Chicago Museum. The neighborhood has been growing steadily in popularity thanks to its trendy feel and the fact that it’s widely considered one of the best neighborhoods in Chicago for both professionals and young people, with a variety of things to do.

The South Loop area is still in a big state of development, so new attractions are being added almost daily.

 

Lakeshore East

Lakeshore East is tucked away where the river comes together with the Lake. It’s also one of the best neighborhoods in Chicago for young professionals who want to be in nature. Situated just a stone’s throw from a sprawling, six-acre public park, Lakeshore East is a quiet place to call home. If you choose to live here, be aware that the location does require you to sacrifice proximity to public transportation and easy commutes. Although to make up for this, you always have the option to look into carshares.

Lakeshore East, view from the sea, cloudy sky with some sunrays coming through

When you move to Chicago for work, the best neighborhoods in the city are close by. There really is a neighborhood for everyone. Enjoy these beautiful places to live with the help of Blueground. Blueground leases select properties and employs their in-house interior design team to furnish and equip these apartments so they are move-in ready. You won’t have to worry about anything at all, not even things like cleaning, maintenance, or pest control. All you have to do is show up and start living.

Editorial Team

Editorial Team

The Blueground editorial team covers the best things to see, do, and experience in our cities around the world.