Are you the type of person that likes fast-paced fun?  Do you enjoy being able to have the opportunity to choose from literally thousands of vocations, pastimes, and recreational activities?  Being in the center of it all has many advantages, as many Americans are increasingly realizing.  After decades of moving to the suburbs, there has been a dramatic influx of people into our nation’s inner city areas – as a rise in construction of apartments in Downtown Chicago indicate.  According to the Census, the population of downtown areas such as Chicago’s Loop grew some 37% from 1990 to 2000, and it can only be expected to rise again once the 2010 Census is released.

While the trend is nationwide – and can be seen in big cities like New York, San Francisco, and Boston, or in smaller cities such as Austin and Grand Rapids – urban planning experts often point to Chicago as a good example of urban rejuvenation.  Chicago’s draw extends to all corners of the Midwest, where people often hear stories of the great big city that sprung up on the prairie and envision themselves amongst the tall urban canyons.  In decades past, immigrants from Europe, Asia, and Latin America positioned themselves in Chicago’s working-class neighborhoods with easy access to the city’s factories.  These days, young people pursuing professional careers and a taste of urban life are joining the crowd to find a spot in the city.  Many of these people, however, are trying to find apartments in Downtown Chicago, in addition to the older neighborhoods.

The options available to urban dwellers now far outnumber those in the past.  Gone are the days of the Blues Brothers-style apartments in Downtown Chicago – the kind where the El trains rumble by at all hours of the days and night, shaking the shelves until the fine china comes tumbling to the floor.  There are hundreds of luxury options available to apartment and condominium shoppers: granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, hardwood floors, and so on.  New developments are popping up all the time, from brand new buildings, like Aqua or the Trump Tower, to refurbished commercial or industrial spaces, like lofts in Printers’ Row or the major redevelopment of the Fisher Building.

With all of the nightlife, dining options, proximity to Chicago’s transit center, architecture, museums, and the lakefront, it’s no mystery why urban living in the very heart of the Chicago is catching on in the nation’s third biggest city.