River North’s best apartments – boutique ambiance

Earlier posts in our series on the best apartment towers in River North concentrated on their location. We spotlighted the buildings with the best views, the most convenient grocery shopping, the best access to retail shops, public transit, parks and beaches , the expressway grid, the most nearby dining and nightlife, and the shortest walking distance to the Loop.

We then shifted focus to the buildings themselves, beginning with affordability, the topic that’s top-of-mind with many renters, and moving on to the best building amenities.

There are certain renters – you know who you are – who want to come home to a high-rise that feels dignified without being stuffy, posh but not pushy about it and small enough that everyone can feel big. They want a building, in short, with a boutique personality and ambiance. And they want it to be in a location that’s unabashedly affluent.


The entry hall and lobby lounge set the tone at The Bernardin, conveying the feeling that you’ve entered a private club and setting a tone that pervades the building.

The Bernardin is, in our take, the clear winner in the “boutique ambiance” category.

Chime in with a comment if you disagree with our selection.

You’ll find links to our objective, visually-rich apartment reviews of River North buildings and links to near real-time availability checks for most of them, at our at-a-glance list, and some tips and advice at our Guide to renting in River North.

Next topic: Most pet-friendly.

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