Technically a part of Near North, River North is a neighborhood that commands a strong presence all its own. In the 1970s, artists attracted by low rents and spacious abandoned storage areas and shop floors, began to move into the neighborhood, and it eventually became the go-to spot for art lovers to gallery hop. Then developers caught the scent and began buying up properties with an eye to renovation. Today, struggling artists might find it hard to afford a cup of coffee in this high-rent district dotted with tourist-pleasing restaurants and upscale retail shops.