Loop North News

Squeezed by double-digit property tax hikes and new City Hall regulations, Chicago landlords are sounding the alarm—with many questioning if owning rental housing here is still worth the cost and liability. — There is a sweeping regulatory movement underway, pushed by Mayor Brandon Johnson—an avowed Democratic Socialist—to take private property rights away from landlords, and give excessive protection to renters.

Property owners battered by runaway insurance rates now have a state referee empowered to challenge hikes, but whether landmark consumer laws will actually lower bills or spark an industry retreat remains an open question. — Financially squeezed homeowners in Chicago and across Illinois can look forward to some long-awaited relief on soaring property insurance costs, thanks to a landmark package of consumer-protection laws recently signed by Governor J.B. Pritzker.

The 150-year-old Wacker House at 1838 North Lincoln Park West, an iconic Swiss chalet Victorian landmark, is undergoing severe alterations that have drawn outrage from preservationists and neighborhood leaders. — Old Town’s famed Wacker House, once a pristine landmark at 1838 North Lincoln Park West, is undergoing a tragic and unthinkable “remuddling” that has totally defaced the “Mona Lisa” of Chicago’s rare surviving Victorian-era properties.

A 25-year prison sentence for a gunman who fired at a fleeing resident and a swift parole revocation for his co-defendant have brought finality to the prosecution of an armed hold-up inside a River North parking garage. — Both men convicted of a violent 2023 armed robbery inside a River North parking garage are back in prison—one following three years of pro se legal maneuvering, and the other after lasting just 54 days on parole.

North Side homebuyers face a brutally competitive market as median prices hit a record $500,000 in Q2 2026. With inventory down nearly 23 percent, frantic bidding wars are forcing buyers to act fast and pay well over asking price to secure a home. (Above) Uptown market surge: Median sales prices for detached homes in the Chicago neighborhood rose 62.5 percent in the second quarter of 2026 compared with the same period in 2025.

— Driven by nearly $700 million in real estate investment, stabilizing office vacancies, and a $395 million lift from arts and culture, the Loop’s economy gained momentum in the second quarter of 2026, according to a new report from the Chicago Loop Alliance (CLA). The State of the Loop report says $673 million invested in new construction and adaptive reuse was bolstered by local buyers, who made up 18 percent of Chicago property acquisitions over the past year.

While the slow-moving creep of gentrification across Chicago can disrupt apartment renters, it also serves as a vital wealth-building tool for working-class homeowners—a complex reality now clashing with a wave of strict new city housing ordinances. — The slow-moving, ongoing creep of gentrification in Chicago neighborhoods can be disruptive to apartment renters who are being priced out of their long-term family digs. Gentrification can be disruptive, but it is not always a dirty word.

City officials say bike lanes aren’t hurting local business, but for shopkeepers losing street parking and drivers negotiating narrowed roads, Chicago’s transit shift feels less like progress and more like a high-speed squeeze. — Chicago, a city that once was a transportation-oriented hub, now is run by clout-happy Democratic-Socialist politicians who appear to be kissing the bicycle lobby’s sprocket.

Chicago wanted a lucrative casino monopoly, but it also wanted the quick fix of neighborhood video slots. Now, Bally’s is threatening to yank millions in community fees, sparking a high-stakes legal showdown on the Chicago River. — The ambitious casino deal brokered by former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot was once hailed as a jackpot for the city.

When you come to a fork in the road, take the one less traveled to Shipshewana. That’s where you’ll find serenity in the Indiana countryside and simple Amish pleasures of home, food, and family. And a proliferation of red barns. Click images to view larger versions — Shipshewana thrives at the intersection of modern society and deeply rooted Amish culture. LaGrange County, where Shipshewana is located, boasts the third-largest Amish community in the country.