Two neighborhoods dominate Chicago’s downtown rental market. River North, with 43 buildings in this directory, and West Loop / Fulton Market, with 42, are separated only by the Chicago River, and together they account for close to 30 percent of the 290 buildings listed here. Both offer high-rise living within walking distance of the Loop, but they differ in age, feel and the kind of building you are likely to end up in.
Short answer: Choose West Loop / Fulton Market for the city’s best restaurant scene, a wave of brand-new towers built since 2020, and easy access to Union Station and Ogilvie. Choose River North for the tallest towers, the widest range of building ages, the gallery district and Red and Brown Line access close to the Magnificent Mile.
Side by side
| West Loop / Fulton Market | River North | |
|---|---|---|
| Buildings in this directory | 42 | 43 |
| CTA rail | Green and Pink at Morgan; Blue nearby at UIC-Halsted | Red and Brown at Chicago; Red at Grand; Brown at Merchandise Mart |
| Commuter rail | Union Station and Ogilvie just east | A short ride or walk to Ogilvie |
| Tallest buildings listed | Presidential Towers (50 floors), The Row Fulton Market (43) | One Chicago (78), Wolf Point East (60), Grand Plaza (57) |
| Largest by units | Presidential Towers, 2,346 units (1986) | Alta at K Station, 848 units (2010) |
| Signature draw | Randolph Street and Fulton Market dining | Gallery district, nightlife, proximity to Michigan Avenue |
West Loop / Fulton Market: the new-construction neighborhood
Fulton Market was a meatpacking and wholesale produce district for more than a century. The Fulton-Randolph Market District became a Chicago Landmark District in 2015, and in the years since, corporate headquarters for companies such as McDonald’s and Mondelez have moved in. Apartment development followed fast. Arthur on Aberdeen, Flora at Fulton Market, The Elizabeth and Coppia all opened in 2024, and Stead 220 in 2026. If you want a brand-new building, the West Loop has more choice than anywhere else in this directory. Mary Bartelme Park, with its dog area, anchors the residential blocks.
River North: towers of every generation
River North was a warehouse and factory district after the 1871 fire and was rebranded in the 1970s as galleries and ad agencies moved into its loft buildings. Today it has the widest spread of building ages of any neighborhood here, from The Bush Temple, a landmarked 1901 building paired with a new tower, to One Chicago, a 78-story tower completed in 2022. The neighborhood’s gallery district is one of the largest in the country. Note that this directory’s River North category also includes a handful of towers on its edges, in the Fulton River District and near Lakeshore East.
How to decide
- Commuting by Metra? West Loop, next to Union Station and Ogilvie.
- Want the newest amenities? West Loop’s 2023 and 2024 deliveries.
- Want a skyline view from a very tall tower? River North.
- Want the Red Line? River North, at Chicago and Grand.
- Food first? West Loop, without much debate.
Open either neighborhood page above to compare every building by year built and unit count.
