Magnificent Mile

The Magnificent Mile is the thirteen-block stretch of North Michigan Avenue running from the Chicago River to Oak Street — the city's flagship retail address, bracketed by the 1869 Water Tower, the Wrigley Building, and 875 North Michigan (the former Hancock). Between the storefronts sit some of Chicago's most recognizable residential towers, with Streeterville to the east and the Gold Coast beginning at Oak Street Beach.

Apartments for rent on and around the Magnificent Mile are high-rise, full-service buildings: doormen, gyms, pools, and lake or river views from glass towers on Michigan, St. Clair, and McClurg. One-bedrooms dominate the rental stock, and corporate and furnished options are more common here than anywhere else in the city. Renters get the Red Line at Grand or Chicago and walkable access to Northwestern's downtown campus and Lurie Children's Hospital.

Homes for sale in the Magnificent Mile corridor are condominiums almost exclusively, from efficient pied-à-terre units in older towers to full-floor residences at 875 N Michigan and the Park Tower. Vintage co-ops with lake exposure trade quietly nearby on East Lake Shore Drive. Assessments and parking costs vary widely tower to tower, which is where building-level diligence earns its keep.