Although a seemingly quiet enclave on the upper northeast corner of the West Loop, Fulton Market is currently among Chicago’s hottest live-work communities. Considered Chicago’s original meatpacking districts, Fulton is now fused with creative design firms, tech giants and high-end eateries galore. Much of the area’s industrial roots, complete with longstanding wholesalers, loading docks, original warehouses, coexist with contemporary newcomers, including Google’s glass-clad corporate campus on Morgan Street. You don’t get much more eclectic than this.

• Best brunch: Publican
• Contemporary dining: Blackbird
• Spirits with speakeasy flair: The Office
• Sweet fix: Glazed and Infused
• Treadmill alternative: Ballroom Dance Chicago Loft OR a swim at Soho House
• Go-to butcher: Publican Quality Meats
• Freshest seafood: Cold Storage
• International cuisine: Duck Duck Goat

There’s no shortage of condos and apartments in Fulton Market, especially considering the number of new development projects proposed, constructed and completed over the past decade. Brick-clad converted mid-rises are the current standard, but given the number of cranes within Fulton Market’s boundaries, new construction high-rises could quickly become the new norm.