I carved River North and the Gold Coast out of the Near North Side community area. Goose Island could easily be removed again from River North and Streeterville from the Gold Coast.

While the name "River North" only came into being in the 1960s and 1970s with the creation of a gallery district there, the area was long distinct from the Gold Coast to the east. While the Gold Coast became the neighborhood of choice for Chicago's wealthy elite, the presents of the river and the industrial operations that encrusted it ensured that the area now known as River North would be a miserable slum.

In recent times, the gallery district and convertible warehouse buildings conspired to bring gentrification to River North. While the area retains some grit, it is one of the more trendy areas of the city.