River West
Real Estate and Neighborhood Information

Like its neighbor to the immediate south, the Fulton River District, River West, a neighborhood that was once recognized for little more than meatpacking houses and distribution centers, has experienced a cultural revitalization in recent years. River West has long been known to Chicago residents as a market district; the place you might go to stock up on wholesale goods. The neighborhood has always been a major artery in the west side of Chicago's manufacturing corridor—and it still is—but in recent years the neighborhood has radically transformed.

Though warehouses still stand in much of River West, and there still is plenty of truck traffic shipping goods in and out along Halsted Street and Grand Avenue, the area has become increasingly residential. The recent influx of wealthy residents came on the coattails of two major developments in River West: the backdrop of a burgeoning arts scene and an increasingly reputable setting for nightlife and restaurants. As the winds of gentrification generally blow, artists first moved in to capitalize on cheap rents, which started the gradual transformation from a meatpacking and manufacturing district to one that attracts flocks of art enthusiasts and foodies on the weekends.