Near North Side

The Near North Side packs the Magnificent Mile, River North's gallery-and-restaurant grid, Old Town's historic lanes, and Gold Coast mansions into one community area. It posts a Walk Score of 98 and a Transit Score of 88, the second best in the city after the Loop. Living here means the elevator is the longest part of many commutes.

Housing is overwhelmingly high-rise, from vintage co-ops to glass towers, with rents to match the address. The math still works for a specific person: no car, no parking spot, a walking commute, and a life that happens downtown anyway. Add up what a suburban household spends on two cars and the drive, and the Near North premium starts to look less like extravagance and more like a transfer of the transportation budget into the rent line.

Near North Side offers exceptional transit access: buses and trains are frequent enough that most residents get around without a car. A car-free lifestyle is realistic here, which is the single biggest driver of the true-cost advantage.

With a Walk Score of 98, Near North Side is a "Walker's Paradise": daily errands almost never require a car.

At roughly $0/year for 0 cars, transportation is negligible line item in Near North Side's true cost. The neighborhood is served by the Red line.