Streeterville

Streeterville describes that giant swath of territory sandwiched between the southern half of the Magnificent Mile and the shores of Lake Michigan. It's city living, pure and simple, and it's pretty much all here.

The top half of the Streeterville neighborhood is dominated by Northwestern Memorial Hospital and the sea of doctor's offices, health clinics, and rehabilitation centers that thrive in its domain. The bottom half of the Streeterville neighborhood includes a generous array of high-rise and mid-rise condominium and apartment buildings, many of recent vintage, as well as the Tribune Tower, the Gleacher Center (i.e., the University of Chicago business school), Navy Pier, NBC Tower, and a string of hotels and office buildings.

The shopping ranges from the upscale to the ritzy, and the restaurants range from fast food to casual dining to steak houses to haute cuisine. If you're willing to breach the neighborhood boundaries by a block or two, the options increase from substantial to overwhelming. Streeterville also plays host to a 21-screen multiplex, several health clubs, and plenty of gourmet grocery options.

In the summer, you're never more than a short walk to the beach, where you can pick up a trail that extends past the Museum of Science and Industry on the south and penetrates through to Evanston on the north.