
Many of the buildings in Chicago's downtown or "Loop" were thriving buisinesses. With the latest housing boom, property values have skyrocketed and many buisinesses have moved. Developers have bought up many of the older buildings in Chicago's downtown and they are being converted into condominiums. I lived downtown for many years. However, my rent went from $950 a month, in 1995, to $1750 a month in 2001. I believe, thanks to Donald Trump and other real estate developers, middle class workers can no longer afford to live downtown. But the elite can find a bargain on condos with only a 200 percent mark up.