“I was on my way to photograph a club called Reserve when I saw the guy with the Hummer," says New Homes photographer Joeff Davis. "On Lake Street there have been a lot of different clubs that have come and gone in the neighborhood; now the clubs are coming and staying. Huge development has made it possible for people to park their Mercedes’ safely [on Lake Street]. On a Thursday night five years ago I don’t think you could get that collection of cars there.”

Fulton Market

“The West Loop is becoming a huge gallery district – it’s an extension of River North,” Davis says. “Fulton Market area is now home of some of the most upscale restaurants in the city, upscale condos – that’s just happened in the last few years.

“I remember it was an area I wouldn’t go over to except to watch people unload vegetables. There is still a fair amount of industry [but] you have to say there has been a fight for the soul of that area for some time and upscale housing and restaurants are winning by a long margin.

“Last time I went for the market I went at 5 a.m. You can see a conflict between the noise of trucks and semis in the area and the people who have paid millions to live in the area.”

A study in contrasts

“It’s visually interesting because of the contrasts. Go down Halsted Street and you’ll see a homeless guy spread-eagled lying on the ground, then go a block from there and run into very upscale housing or upscale cars. There’s a great sushi restaurant down there that used to be a place where they slaughtered animals.”

The United Center

“I walked to a Springsteen concert at The United Center the other night. I wouldn’t have done that five years ago; it wouldn’t have been safe. Now there are a couple of nice bars around there. That’s kind of like me saying I like the place. I sound conflicted, I guess, but I think the area doesn’t have a soul.”

Westhaven Park

“Development is moving westward – you have things like Westhaven Park, which is a mixed-income development at the [Henry Horner Homes] former public housing development. You wonder how many [of the original public housing tenants] were displaced.”