https://www.loopnorth.com/index.html Serving the Loop and Near North neighborhoods of downtown Chicago Tue, 04 Aug 2026 00:40:08 -0500 sdahlman@loopnorth.com (Steven Dahlman) steved@dcmsoft.com (Steven Dahlman) https://www.loopnorth.com/news/robbery0804.htm Tue, 04 Aug 2026 00:34:56 -0500 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. Steven Dahlman https://www.loopnorth.com/news/record0803.htm Mon, 03 Aug 2026 12:51:15 -0500 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. Don DeBat https://www.loopnorth.com/news/growth0727.htm Mon, 27 Jul 2026 03:54:48 -0500 Driven by nearly $700M in real estate investment, steadying office vacancies, and a $395M boost from arts and culture, the Loop’s economy gained momentum in Q2 2026, according to a new report from the Chicago Loop Alliance. Steven Dahlman https://www.loopnorth.com/news/villain0725.htm Sat, 25 Jul 2026 02:22:17 -0500 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. Don DeBat https://www.loopnorth.com/news/bust0724.htm Fri, 24 Jul 2026 04:33:20 -0500 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. Don DeBat https://www.loopnorth.com/news/bally0713.htm Mon, 13 Jul 2026 16:56:03 -0500 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. Don DeBat https://www.loopnorth.com/news/shipshewana0712.htm Sun, 12 Jul 2026 03:09:49 -0500 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. Pamela Dittmer McKuen https://www.loopnorth.com/news/quigley0711.htm Sat, 11 Jul 2026 16:02:54 -0500 Unanswered emails have canceled a planned 5th Congressional District candidate forum, spotlighting a quiet procedural strategy incumbents can use to limit a challenger’s platform. Steven Dahlman https://www.loopnorth.com/news/shooting0706.htm Mon, 06 Jul 2026 04:59:31 -0500 An increased deployment of Cook County Sheriff’s deputies over the July 4th weekend will maintain a permanent presence in River North following a brazen July 1 gang shooting that left one man dead and a bystander injured at 515 N. State St. Steven Dahlman https://www.loopnorth.com/news/sheriff0629.htm Mon, 29 Jun 2026 07:00:30 -0500 Any hopes of a summer break for home buyers have officially evaporated. With the Federal Reserve signaling its first potential interest rate hike of the year, Chicago’s housing market is bracing for a new era of tougher borrowing costs. Don DeBat