Near North Side, Chicago
Encyclopedia
The Near North Side is one of 77 well-defined community areas
of Chicago
, Illinois
, United States
. It is located north and east of the Chicago River
, just north of the central business district (the Loop
). To its east is Lake Michigan
and its northern boundary is the 19th-century city limit of Chicago, North Avenue. With the exception of Goose Island and Cabrini–Green on the west, the Near North Side is known for its extreme affluence, typified by the Magnificent Mile
and the Gold Coast
. Navy Pier
, a popular visitor destination, is also here.
In the 1780s, in what is now the Near North Side, on the northern banks of the Chicago River
near today's Michigan Avenue Bridge
, Jean Baptiste Point du Sable built the first known permanent settlement
in "Eschecagou." Today this is marked by Pioneer Court
.
project. Although a small part of it is still located in Chicago's Near Northside, near the North/Clybourn Red Line
stop along with the Chicago and Sedgwick Brown Line
stops, most of the project was torn down between 1997 and 2010. It was made up primarily of mid- and high-rise apartment
buildings. Though Chicago has had many housing projects with crime
problems, this one was very noticeable because it is surrounded by wealthy neighborhoods, notably the Gold Coast and Lincoln Park
just blocks away.
The apartment buildings opened in 1958 (the "reds") and 1962 (the "whites"), while the rowhouses (called the Frances Cabrini Homes, which still exist) opened in 1942. Cabrini–Green stood on what used to be an Italian
neighborhood called "Little Sicily
". In the 1930s, Little Sicily, had a reputation for crime and poverty: a 1931 "map of Chicago's gangland" by Bruce-Roberts, Inc. notes Locust and Sedgwick as "Death Corner": "50 murders: count 'em".
As gentrification began to take hold of the city in the early 1990s, the land on which Cabrini–Green sat became extremely valuable, and one by one, the buildings met the wrecking ball to make way for new development. Destruction of the "reds" began in 1995. The final Cabrini-Green tower was demolished amid much fanfare in Spring 2011.
buildings on Lake Shore Drive
, facing Lake Michigan
, but also includes low-rise residential blocks, inland. As with many neighborhoods, its exact borders are subject to dispute; but, generally they extend from North Avenue, south, to Division Street
and west to Clark Street
; and, it also includes the areas east of State Street
, south, to Oak Street
and east of Michigan Avenue
, south, to Walton Place.
The Gold Coast became the home of the super-rich in 1885, when Potter Palmer
, former dry goods merchant and owner of the Palmer House
hotel, built a fanciful castle
on Lake Shore Drive
. Over the next few decades, Chicago's elite gradually migrated from Prairie Avenue
to their new homes north of the Loop
.
Along almost every boulevard of the Gold Coast, upscale boutiques and shops have opened up. Giorgio Armani
, Chanel
, Hermès
, Gucci
, Prada
, Louis Vuitton
, Cartier SA
, Van Cleef & Arpels
, Yves Saint Laurent
, Harry Winston
, Kate Spade
, Tory Burch
, DKNY
, Ralph Lauren
, Marc Jacobs
, Stuart Weitzman
, Rolex
, Max Mara
, Vera Wang
, Jimmy Choo
, Versace
, Paul Stuart
, Betsey Johnson
, and Lilly Pulitzer
are just a few of the dozens of designers that have locations in the exclusive neighborhood. Also, Lamborghini
, Ferrari
, Bentley
, Porsche
, and Bugatti
have dealership locations in the Gold Coast.
The "Gold Coast Historic District
" was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
on January 30, 1978.
Gold Coast is zoned to the following Chicago Public Schools
schools: Ogden School, O.A. Thorp Scholastic Academy (a magnet school) and Lincoln Park High School.
is a neighborhood in Chicago, Illinois, bounded by the Ogden Avenue
right-of-way on the northwest, Larrabee Street on the west, Division Street
on the south, Clybourn Avenue on the southwest and Clark Steet
on the east and northeast. It crosses portions of the community areas of southern Lincoln Park
, as well the northern Near North Side, and is part of Chicago's 43rd ward. Old Town includes the Old Town Triangle Historic District. The Old Town Triangle Historic District is bounded on its northwest side by the former Ogden Avenue right-of-way,[3] its northeast side by Lincoln Avenue and Wells Street, and on its south side by North Avenue.[4] This historic district sits within the Old Town Triangle Association (OTTA), a Lincoln Park neighborhood bounded by the former Ogden Avenue right-of-way, Clark Street and North Avenue. It sits inside the community area of Lincoln Park and is part of Chicago's 43rd ward. Old Town north of North Avenue is in Lincoln Park, and south of North Avenue is part of the Near North Side. It is now an affluent gentrified neighborhood. Old Town south of North Avenue is a mixture of rich and poor with CHA housing projects (including Marshall Field Apartments and parts of Cabrini–Green) as well as gentrified areas.
Old Town is today considered an affluent and historic neighborhood, home to many of Chicago's older, Victorian-era buildings.In the 1950s, the majority of this area was an enclave to the first Puerto Ricans to emigrate to Chicago. They referred to this area as part of "La Clark" until commercialization decorated late 1960s shop signs with the name of Old Town. The neighborhood is home to St. Michael's Church, originally a Bavarian-built church, and one of 7 to survive the path of the Great Chicago Fire. St. Michael's, Holy Name Cathedral, Immaculate Conception and St. Joseph's catered also to Latinos with Spanish speaking masses.
The neighborhood is also home to the famed The Second City
improvisational comedy troupe. Many of the streets and alleys, particularly in the Old Town Triangle section, predate the Great Chicago Fire and do not all adhere to a typical Chicago grid pattern.
In 1927, sculptors Sol Kogen and Edgar Miller
purchased and subsequently rehabilited a house on Burton Place, near Wells Street, into the Carl Street Studios. Through the 1930s, an art colony emerged in the neighborhood as artists moved from the Towertown neighborhood near Washington Square Park.
Old Town was also home to many gays & lesbians from the 1950s through the 1980s. There were numerous gay bars lining Wells Street (all of them closed now). This was the first "gay ghetto" in Chicago, predating the current Lake View neighborhood (which is the current epicentre of gay life). As the area gentrified, the gays moved further north to Lincoln Park and then Lake View neighborhoods.
Old Town has one Brown-Purple Line El station at 1536-40 North Sedgwick Avenue. It is one of the oldest standing stations on the 'L'.
. It is separated from the mainland by the North Branch of the Chicago River on the west and the North Branch Canal on the east. The canal was dug in 1853 by former Chicago mayor William Butler Ogden
for industrial purposes, thus forming the island. Because he formed the island, at times, it has been known as William B. Ogden Island. After Irish immigrants moved to the island, it took on the name Goose Island as well as Kilgubbin, which was the immigrants' original home in Ireland. The Goose Island Brewery
makes Kilgubbin Red Ale, in honor of this name.
The large facility on the north end of the island (visible from North Avenue, but only reachable from the south: Division Street to North Branch to 1132 W. Blackhawk) is the Wrigley
Global Innovation Center, a 193000 square feet (17,930.3 m²) facility, which opened in September 2005 and was designed by Gyo Obata
of Hellmuth, Obata and Kassabaum
.
On the south end of the island is Kendall College
's Riverworks campus.
River North is a neighborhood in the Near North Side community area of Chicago, Illinois. It is bound by Michigan Avenue to the east, Chicago Avenue to the north, and the Chicago River to the south and west.
History of River North:
The River North neighborhood got its name from Chicago real estate developer Albert Friedman (chief executive of Friedman Properties Ltd.), who in 1974 started to buy, restore and build commercial property in the southeast sector. Much of the area was skid row at the time, so in an effort to attract tenants Friedman started calling the area "River North". Within a few years, Friedman found photographers, ad agencies and art galleries willing to rent the low cost space and coalesce into what is now the The River North Gallery District
, which has the largest concentration of art galleries in the United States outside of Manhattan. Along with hundreds of art galleries, the area holds many bars, dance clubs, popular restaurants, and entertainment venues.
Subsections of River North include:
River North is serviced by four "L" train stations: the above-ground Chicago-Brown and Merchandise Mart-Brown stations and the below-ground Chicago-Red and Grand-Red stations.
on the west, and Lake Michigan
on the north and east.
Streeterville houses some of Chicago's tallest skyscraper
s (such as the John Hancock Center
) and most upscale stores, hotels, restaurants, as well as Northwestern Memorial Hospital
and Northwestern University
's Feinberg School of Medicine
, School of Continuing Studies
, Kellogg School of Management
's downtown campus and School of Law
. The Magnificent Mile portion of Michigan Avenue is part of Streeterville, as is the number one tourist attraction in Chicago, Navy Pier
. The Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago
is located here.
The Magnificent Mile is a stretch of North Michigan Avenue between the Chicago River and Oak Street
in Streeterville. Although actually about three-quarters of a mile, the name "Magnificent Mile" has stuck.
Along this street is a mixture of luxury stores, restaurant
s, office buildings and hotel
s. The area has a high concentration of the city's major media firms and advertising agencies
, including the Chicago Tribune
newspaper
.
It is the home of Chicago's famous Water Tower
landmark, Water Tower Park with its historic clock, and the eight-level Water Tower Place
shopping center which grew up next door to, and overshadowed, the comparatively diminutive landmark. The shopping center is anchored by Macy's
North Michigan store. North of the shopping center can be found the famous John Hancock Center
, the Art Deco
Palmolive Building
and the lavish Drake Hotel
.
Washington Square is a public square bounded by Dearborn, Clark, Delaware, and Walton streets. It was long known as "Bughouse Square," as orators of varying abilities often used its central platform for speeches. It is fronted on the north by the Newberry Library
and partially bounded by the Washington Square landmark district. Immediately west of LaSalle Boulevard, separating this area from Cabrini–Green, is the Moody Bible Institute
, and immediately east is Connors Park.
Census tract 811, a four-block (0.04 sq mi.) area located between State, Dearborn, Chicago, and Division and straddling Washington Square and the Gold Coast, had 3,718 residents in 2000, giving it a population density of 90614.2 PD/sqmi — the highest in Chicago.
north of Chicago Avenue to Division Avenue has been a popular nightlife destination since the 1950s.
Connors Park is a small, triangular park bounded by Rush, Wabash, Chestnut, and Delaware. Part of the Magnificent Mile district (west of Michigan, north of Chicago, east of State, and south of Oak), it has seen new development spilling over from Michigan Avenue. Much of the Loyola University Chicago
Water Tower campus lies in this area.
John Hancock Center
Navy Pier
Chicago Water Tower
International Museum of Surgical Science
Magnificent Mile
Centennial Fountain
The Wrigley Company has its headquarters in the Wrigley Building
. The Tribune Company
has its headquarters in the Tribune Tower
. Potbelly Sandwich Works
has its headquarters in the Merchandise Mart
complex.
Google
's Chicago offices are in the Dearborn Plaza building in the Near North Side. Etihad Airways
and Qatar Airways
have offices in the John Hancock Center
.
After American Airlines
acquired Simmons Airlines
, and before Simmons was dissolved, Simmons had its headquarters in the Near North Side. At one point Indigo Airlines
was headquartered in the Near North Side.
are in the Near North Side; other countries with missions in the Near North Side include Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Chile, Colombia, Denmark, Egypt, Germany, Greece, India, Republic of Ireland, Italy
, Japan, South Korea, Lithuania
, Poland
, Serbia
, Switzerland
, Thailand
, the United Kingdom, and Ukraine
.
Three trade missions have offices at 500 North Michigan Avenue; the Austrian Trade Commission is located in Suite 1950, the Trade Commission of Spain and the Italian-American Chamber of Commerce Midwest is located in Suite 506.
Northwestern University Medical School
Loyola University Chicago School of Law
Loyola University Chicago
Graduate School of Business, School of Social Work, Institute of Pastoral Studies, School of Continuing and Professional Studies, and School of Communication
Kendall College
The Chicago School of Professional Psychology
University of Chicago
's Booth School of Business
Gleacher Center
Erikson Institute
Illinois Institute of Art – Chicago
Moody Bible Institute
serves residents of the Near North Side.
Walter Payton College Prep
Ogden International School of Chicago - East Campus (primary school)
Latin School of Chicago (private)
Chicago Public Library
Near North Branch
Chicago Public Library
Water Works Branch
Pritzker Military Library
Community areas of Chicago
Community areas in Chicago refers to the work of the Social Science Research Committee at University of Chicago which has unofficially divided the City of Chicago into 77 community areas. These areas are well-defined and static...
of Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is located north and east of the Chicago River
Chicago River
The Chicago River is a system of rivers and canals with a combined length of that runs through the city of the same name, including its center . Though not especially long, the river is notable for being the reason why Chicago became an important location, as the link between the Great Lakes and...
, just north of the central business district (the Loop
Chicago Loop
The Loop or Chicago Loop is one of 77 officially designated Chicago community areas located in the City of Chicago, Illinois. It is the historic commercial center of downtown Chicago...
). To its east is Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America and the only one located entirely within the United States. It is the second largest of the Great Lakes by volume and the third largest by surface area, after Lake Superior and Lake Huron...
and its northern boundary is the 19th-century city limit of Chicago, North Avenue. With the exception of Goose Island and Cabrini–Green on the west, the Near North Side is known for its extreme affluence, typified by the Magnificent Mile
Magnificent Mile
The Magnificent Mile, sometimes referred to as The Mag Mile, is a neighborhood in Chicago, Illinois, that runs along a portion of Michigan Avenue extending from the Chicago River to Oak Street in the Near North Side community area. The district is located adjacent to downtown; it is also one block...
and the Gold Coast
Gold Coast Historic District (Chicago, Illinois)
The Gold Coast Historic District is a historic district in Chicago, Illinois. Part of Chicago's Near North Side community area, it is roughly bounded by North Avenue, Lake Shore Drive, Oak Street, and Clark Street....
. Navy Pier
Navy Pier
Navy Pier is a long pier on the Chicago shoreline of Lake Michigan. It is located in the Streeterville neighborhood of the Near North Side community area. The pier was built in 1916 at a cost of $4.5 million, equivalent to $ today. It was a part of the Plan of Chicago developed by architect and...
, a popular visitor destination, is also here.
In the 1780s, in what is now the Near North Side, on the northern banks of the Chicago River
Chicago River
The Chicago River is a system of rivers and canals with a combined length of that runs through the city of the same name, including its center . Though not especially long, the river is notable for being the reason why Chicago became an important location, as the link between the Great Lakes and...
near today's Michigan Avenue Bridge
Michigan Avenue Bridge
The Michigan Avenue Bridge has a north–south orientation, spanning the main stem of the Chicago River between the Near North Side and Loop community areas of Chicago. Its northern portal lies at the foot of the Magnificent Mile, between the Wrigley Building and Tribune Tower...
, Jean Baptiste Point du Sable built the first known permanent settlement
Jean Baptiste Point Du Sable Homesite
The Jean Baptiste Point Du Sable Homesite is the location where, in the 1780s, Jean Baptiste Point du Sable located his home and trading post. This home is generally considered to be the first permanent, non Native, residence in Chicago, Illinois. The site of Point du Sable's home is now partially...
in "Eschecagou." Today this is marked by Pioneer Court
Pioneer Court
Pioneer Court is a plaza located near the junction of the Chicago River and Upper Michigan Avenue in Chicago's Magnificent Mile. It is believed to be the site of Jean Baptiste Point du Sable's original residence and trading post. In 1965, the plaza was built on the former site of his homestead as...
.
Cabrini–Green
Cabrini–Green was a notorious public housingPublic housing
Public housing is a form of housing tenure in which the property is owned by a government authority, which may be central or local. Social housing is an umbrella term referring to rental housing which may be owned and managed by the state, by non-profit organizations, or by a combination of the...
project. Although a small part of it is still located in Chicago's Near Northside, near the North/Clybourn Red Line
Red Line (Chicago Transit Authority)
The northern terminus of the Red Line is Howard Street in the Rogers Park neighborhood of Chicago , on the City Limits farthest north. The Red Line extends southeasterly on an elevated embankment structure about a half-mile west of the lakefront to Touhy Avenue then turns south along Glenwood...
stop along with the Chicago and Sedgwick Brown Line
Brown Line (Chicago Transit Authority)
The Brown Line starts out in northwest Chicago, at the Kimball and Lawrence Avenue terminal in Albany Park, where there is a storage yard and servicing shop for the trains to the east of the passenger station...
stops, most of the project was torn down between 1997 and 2010. It was made up primarily of mid- and high-rise apartment
Apartment
An apartment or flat is a self-contained housing unit that occupies only part of a building...
buildings. Though Chicago has had many housing projects with crime
Crime
Crime is the breach of rules or laws for which some governing authority can ultimately prescribe a conviction...
problems, this one was very noticeable because it is surrounded by wealthy neighborhoods, notably the Gold Coast and Lincoln Park
Lincoln Park, Chicago
Lincoln Park, is one of the 77 community areas on Chicago, Illinois North Side, USA. Named after Lincoln Park, a vast park bordering Lake Michigan, the community area is anchored by the Lincoln Park Zoo and DePaul University...
just blocks away.
The apartment buildings opened in 1958 (the "reds") and 1962 (the "whites"), while the rowhouses (called the Frances Cabrini Homes, which still exist) opened in 1942. Cabrini–Green stood on what used to be an Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
neighborhood called "Little Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
". In the 1930s, Little Sicily, had a reputation for crime and poverty: a 1931 "map of Chicago's gangland" by Bruce-Roberts, Inc. notes Locust and Sedgwick as "Death Corner": "50 murders: count 'em".
As gentrification began to take hold of the city in the early 1990s, the land on which Cabrini–Green sat became extremely valuable, and one by one, the buildings met the wrecking ball to make way for new development. Destruction of the "reds" began in 1995. The final Cabrini-Green tower was demolished amid much fanfare in Spring 2011.
Gold Coast
The Gold Coast consists mostly of high-rise apartmentApartment
An apartment or flat is a self-contained housing unit that occupies only part of a building...
buildings on Lake Shore Drive
Lake Shore Drive
Lake Shore Drive is a mostly freeway-standard expressway running parallel with and alongside the shoreline of Lake Michigan through Chicago, Illinois, USA. Except for the portion north of Foster Avenue , Lake Shore Drive is designated as part of U.S...
, facing Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America and the only one located entirely within the United States. It is the second largest of the Great Lakes by volume and the third largest by surface area, after Lake Superior and Lake Huron...
, but also includes low-rise residential blocks, inland. As with many neighborhoods, its exact borders are subject to dispute; but, generally they extend from North Avenue, south, to Division Street
Division Street (Chicago)
Division Street is a major east-west street in Chicago, Illinois, located at 1200 North . Division Street begins in the Gold Coast neighborhood near Lake Shore Drive, passes through Polonia Triangle at Milwaukee Avenue into Wicker Park and continues to Chicago's city limits and into the city's...
and west to Clark Street
Clark Street (Chicago)
Clark Street is a north-south street in Chicago, Illinois that runs close to the shore of Lake Michigan from the northern city boundary with Evanston, to 2200 South in the city street numbering system...
; and, it also includes the areas east of State Street
State Street (Chicago)
State Street is a large south-north street in Chicago, Illinois, USA and its south suburbs. It begins on the Near North Side at North Avenue. For much of its course, it lies between Wabash Avenue on the east and Dearborn Street/Lafayette Avenue on the west...
, south, to Oak Street
Oak Street (Chicago)
Oak Street is a short street on Chicago's Gold Coast at 1000 North in Chicago's street numbering system, running from 138 east to 648 west in the Near North Side community area of Chicago in Cook County, Illinois, United States. It ends without crossing the North Branch of the Chicago River...
and east of Michigan Avenue
Michigan Avenue (Chicago)
Michigan Avenue is a major north-south street in Chicago which runs at 100 east south of the Chicago River and at 132 East north of the river from 12628 south to 950 north in the Chicago street address system...
, south, to Walton Place.
The Gold Coast became the home of the super-rich in 1885, when Potter Palmer
Potter Palmer
Potter Palmer was an American businessman who was responsible for much of the development of State Street in Chicago.-Retailing career:...
, former dry goods merchant and owner of the Palmer House
Palmer House
The Palmer House Hilton is a famous and historic hotel in downtown Chicago.-History:There have been three Palmer House Hotels at the corner of State and Monroe Streets in Chicago....
hotel, built a fanciful castle
Palmer Mansion
The Palmer Mansion, constructed 1882–1885 at 1350 N. Lake Shore Drive, was once the largest private residence in Chicago, Illinois, located in the Near North Side neighborhood and facing Lake Michigan. It was designed by architects Henry Ives Cobb and Charles Sumner Frost of the firm Cobb and Frost...
on Lake Shore Drive
Lake Shore Drive
Lake Shore Drive is a mostly freeway-standard expressway running parallel with and alongside the shoreline of Lake Michigan through Chicago, Illinois, USA. Except for the portion north of Foster Avenue , Lake Shore Drive is designated as part of U.S...
. Over the next few decades, Chicago's elite gradually migrated from Prairie Avenue
Prairie Avenue
Prairie Avenue is a north–south thoroughfare on the South Side of Chicago, which historically extended from 16th Street in the Near South Side community area of Chicago in Cook County, Illinois, United States, to the city's southern limits and beyond. The street has a rich history from its origins...
to their new homes north of the Loop
Chicago Loop
The Loop or Chicago Loop is one of 77 officially designated Chicago community areas located in the City of Chicago, Illinois. It is the historic commercial center of downtown Chicago...
.
Along almost every boulevard of the Gold Coast, upscale boutiques and shops have opened up. Giorgio Armani
Giorgio Armani
Giorgio Armani is an Italian fashion designer, particularly noted for his menswear. He is known today for his clean, tailored lines. He formed his company, Armani, in 1975, and by 2001 was acclaimed as the most successful designer to come out of Italy, with an annual turnover of $1.6 billion and a...
, Chanel
Chanel
Chanel S.A. is a French fashion house founded by the couturier Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel, well established in haute couture, specializing in luxury goods . She gained the name "Coco" while maintaining a career as a singer at a café in France...
, Hermès
Hermès
Hermès International S.A., or simply Hermès is a French high fashion house established in 1837, today specializing in leather, lifestyle accessories, perfumery, luxury goods, and ready-to-wear...
, Gucci
Gucci
The House of Gucci, better known simply as Gucci , is an Italian fashion and leather goods label, part of the Gucci Group, which is owned by French company PPR...
, Prada
Prada
Prada S.p.A. is an Italian fashion label specializing in luxury goods for men and women , founded by Mario Prada.-Foundations:...
, Louis Vuitton
Louis Vuitton
Louis Vuitton Malletier – commonly referred to as Louis Vuitton , or shortened to LV – is a French fashion house founded in 1854 by Louis Vuitton. The label is well known for its LV monogram, which is featured on most products, ranging from luxury trunks and leather goods to ready-to-wear, shoes,...
, Cartier SA
Cartier SA
Cartier S.A., commonly known as Cartier , is a French luxury jeweler and watch manufacturer. The corporation carries the name of the Cartier family of jewellers whose control ended in 1964 and who were known for numerous pieces including the "Bestiary" , the diamond necklace created for Bhupinder...
, Van Cleef & Arpels
Van Cleef & Arpels
Van Cleef & Arpels is a French jewellery, watch, and perfume company that was founded in 1896 by Charles Arpels and Alfred Van Cleef. They opened their first boutique in 1906 at 22 place Vendôme, Paris...
, Yves Saint Laurent
Yves Saint Laurent (brand)
Yves Saint Laurent or YSL is a luxury fashion house founded by Yves Saint Laurent and his partner, Pierre Bergé. Today, its chief designer is Stefano Pilati. Yves Saint Laurent, founder of the brand, died in 2008.-History:...
, Harry Winston
Harry Winston
Harry Winston was an American jeweler. He donated the Hope Diamond to the Smithsonian Institution in 1958 after owning it for a decade, and traded the Portuguese Diamond to the Smithsonian in 1963.-History:...
, Kate Spade
Kate Spade
Kate Brosnahan Spade is the co-founder and namesake of the designer brand, Kate Spade New York .- Early life and beginnings :...
, Tory Burch
Tory Burch
Tory Burch is an American fashion designer, business woman and philanthropist who was born, raised and educated in the Philadelphia metropolitan area....
, DKNY
DKNY
DKNY is a label of fashion designer Donna Karan. It is also the name of a clothing store in New York City featuring Donna Karan's associated line.-History:...
, Ralph Lauren
Ralph Lauren
Ralph Lauren is an American fashion designer and business executive; best known for his Polo Ralph Lauren clothing brand.-Early life:...
, Marc Jacobs
Marc Jacobs
Marc Jacobs is an American fashion designer. He is the head designer for Marc Jacobs, as well as Marc by Marc Jacobs, a diffusion line, with more than 200 retail stores in 60 countries. He has been the creative director of the French design house Louis Vuitton since 1997...
, Stuart Weitzman
Stuart Weitzman
Stuart A. Weitzman is the designer of the international, high-end shoe company, Stuart Weitzman.Stuart Weitzman's trademark use of unique materials , and his attention to detail, garnered him and his company a global following...
, Rolex
Rolex
Rolex SA is a Swiss watchmaking manufacturer of high-quality, luxury wristwatches. Rolex watches are popularly regarded as status symbols and BusinessWeek magazine ranks Rolex No.71 on its 2007 annual list of the 100 most valuable global brands...
, Max Mara
Max Mara
MaxMara, or The House of MaxMara, is a luxury Italian fashion house known for its ready-to-wear clothing. Established in 1951 in Reggio Emilia by Achille Maramotti...
, Vera Wang
Vera Wang
Vera Ellen Wang is a Chinese American fashion designer based in New York City and former figure skater. She is known for her wide clientele of couture bridesmaid gowns and wedding gown collections.-Personal life:...
, Jimmy Choo
Jimmy Choo
Dato' Jimmy Choo, OBE, born Choo Yeang Keat, is a Malaysian fashion designer based in London, United Kingdom. He is best known for founding Jimmy Choo Ltd that became known for its handmade women's shoes....
, Versace
Versace
Gianni Versace S.p.A. , usually referred to as Versace, is an Italian fashion label founded by Gianni Versace in 1978.The first Versace boutique was opened in Milan's Via della Spiga in 1978, and its popularity was immediate. Today, Versace is one of the world's leading international fashion houses...
, Paul Stuart
Paul Stuart
Paul Stuart is a men's and women's clothing store in the United States. Founded in 1938 in New York City, New York, USA, by haberdasher Ralph Ostrove, who named the company after his son Paul Stuart Ostrove...
, Betsey Johnson
Betsey Johnson
Betsey Johnson is an American fashion designer best known for her feminine and whimsical designs. Many of her designs are considered "over the top" and embellished...
, and Lilly Pulitzer
Lilly Pulitzer
Lillian Pulitzer Rousseau , better known as Lilly Pulitzer, is a socialite and prominent fashion designer. She is known for founding Lilly Pulitzer, Inc., which produces clothing and other wares featuring bright, colorful prints...
are just a few of the dozens of designers that have locations in the exclusive neighborhood. Also, Lamborghini
Lamborghini
Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A., commonly referred to as Lamborghini , is an Italian car manufacturer. The company was founded by manufacturing magnate Ferruccio Lamborghini in 1963, with the objective of producing a refined grand touring car to compete with established offerings from marques like...
, Ferrari
Ferrari
Ferrari S.p.A. is an Italian sports car manufacturer based in Maranello, Italy. Founded by Enzo Ferrari in 1929, as Scuderia Ferrari, the company sponsored drivers and manufactured race cars before moving into production of street-legal vehicles as Ferrari S.p.A. in 1947...
, Bentley
Bentley
Bentley Motors Limited is a British manufacturer of automobiles founded on 18 January 1919 by Walter Owen Bentley known as W.O. Bentley or just "W O". Bentley had been previously known for his range of rotary aero-engines in World War I, the most famous being the Bentley BR1 as used in later...
, Porsche
Porsche
Porsche Automobil Holding SE, usually shortened to Porsche SE a Societas Europaea or European Public Company, is a German based holding company with investments in the automotive industry....
, and Bugatti
Bugatti
Automobiles E. Bugatti was a French car manufacturer founded in 1909 in Molsheim, Alsace, as a manufacturer of high-performance automobiles by Italian-born Ettore Bugatti....
have dealership locations in the Gold Coast.
The "Gold Coast Historic District
Gold Coast Historic District (Chicago, Illinois)
The Gold Coast Historic District is a historic district in Chicago, Illinois. Part of Chicago's Near North Side community area, it is roughly bounded by North Avenue, Lake Shore Drive, Oak Street, and Clark Street....
" was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
on January 30, 1978.
Gold Coast is zoned to the following Chicago Public Schools
Chicago Public Schools
Chicago Public Schools, commonly abbreviated as CPS by local residents and politicians and officially classified as City of Chicago School District #299 for funding and districting reasons, is a large school district that manages over 600 public elementary and high schools in Chicago, Illinois...
schools: Ogden School, O.A. Thorp Scholastic Academy (a magnet school) and Lincoln Park High School.
Old Town
Old TownOld Town, Chicago
Old Town is a neighborhood in Chicago, Illinois, bounded by the Ogden Ave. right-of-way on the northwest, Larrabee Street on the west, Clybourn Avenue on the southwest and Division Street on the south and Clark Street on the east and northeast. It spans across eastern parts of the community areas...
is a neighborhood in Chicago, Illinois, bounded by the Ogden Avenue
Ogden Avenue (Chicago)
Ogden Avenue is an arterial street extending from the Near West Side of Chicago to Aurora, Illinois.The street follows the route of the Southwestern Plank Road, which opened in 1848 across swampy terrain between Chicago and Riverside, Illinois, and was extended to Naperville by 1851.The 1909 Plan...
right-of-way on the northwest, Larrabee Street on the west, Division Street
Division Street (Chicago)
Division Street is a major east-west street in Chicago, Illinois, located at 1200 North . Division Street begins in the Gold Coast neighborhood near Lake Shore Drive, passes through Polonia Triangle at Milwaukee Avenue into Wicker Park and continues to Chicago's city limits and into the city's...
on the south, Clybourn Avenue on the southwest and Clark Steet
Clark Street (Chicago)
Clark Street is a north-south street in Chicago, Illinois that runs close to the shore of Lake Michigan from the northern city boundary with Evanston, to 2200 South in the city street numbering system...
on the east and northeast. It crosses portions of the community areas of southern Lincoln Park
Lincoln Park, Chicago
Lincoln Park, is one of the 77 community areas on Chicago, Illinois North Side, USA. Named after Lincoln Park, a vast park bordering Lake Michigan, the community area is anchored by the Lincoln Park Zoo and DePaul University...
, as well the northern Near North Side, and is part of Chicago's 43rd ward. Old Town includes the Old Town Triangle Historic District. The Old Town Triangle Historic District is bounded on its northwest side by the former Ogden Avenue right-of-way,[3] its northeast side by Lincoln Avenue and Wells Street, and on its south side by North Avenue.[4] This historic district sits within the Old Town Triangle Association (OTTA), a Lincoln Park neighborhood bounded by the former Ogden Avenue right-of-way, Clark Street and North Avenue. It sits inside the community area of Lincoln Park and is part of Chicago's 43rd ward. Old Town north of North Avenue is in Lincoln Park, and south of North Avenue is part of the Near North Side. It is now an affluent gentrified neighborhood. Old Town south of North Avenue is a mixture of rich and poor with CHA housing projects (including Marshall Field Apartments and parts of Cabrini–Green) as well as gentrified areas.
Old Town is today considered an affluent and historic neighborhood, home to many of Chicago's older, Victorian-era buildings.In the 1950s, the majority of this area was an enclave to the first Puerto Ricans to emigrate to Chicago. They referred to this area as part of "La Clark" until commercialization decorated late 1960s shop signs with the name of Old Town. The neighborhood is home to St. Michael's Church, originally a Bavarian-built church, and one of 7 to survive the path of the Great Chicago Fire. St. Michael's, Holy Name Cathedral, Immaculate Conception and St. Joseph's catered also to Latinos with Spanish speaking masses.
The neighborhood is also home to the famed The Second City
The Second City
The Second City is a improvisational comedy enterprise which originated in Chicago's Old Town neighborhood.The Second City Theatre opened on December 16, 1959 and has since expanded its presence to several other cities, including Toronto and Los Angeles...
improvisational comedy troupe. Many of the streets and alleys, particularly in the Old Town Triangle section, predate the Great Chicago Fire and do not all adhere to a typical Chicago grid pattern.
In 1927, sculptors Sol Kogen and Edgar Miller
Edgar Miller
Edgar E. "Rip" Miller was an American football player, coach, and college athletics administrator. Miller played college football as a tackle at the University of Notre Dame from 1922 to 1924. He was a member of the "Seven Mules" line that blocked for the famous "Four Horsemen" backfield on...
purchased and subsequently rehabilited a house on Burton Place, near Wells Street, into the Carl Street Studios. Through the 1930s, an art colony emerged in the neighborhood as artists moved from the Towertown neighborhood near Washington Square Park.
Old Town was also home to many gays & lesbians from the 1950s through the 1980s. There were numerous gay bars lining Wells Street (all of them closed now). This was the first "gay ghetto" in Chicago, predating the current Lake View neighborhood (which is the current epicentre of gay life). As the area gentrified, the gays moved further north to Lincoln Park and then Lake View neighborhoods.
Old Town has one Brown-Purple Line El station at 1536-40 North Sedgwick Avenue. It is one of the oldest standing stations on the 'L'.
Goose Island
Goose Island is the only island on the Chicago RiverChicago River
The Chicago River is a system of rivers and canals with a combined length of that runs through the city of the same name, including its center . Though not especially long, the river is notable for being the reason why Chicago became an important location, as the link between the Great Lakes and...
. It is separated from the mainland by the North Branch of the Chicago River on the west and the North Branch Canal on the east. The canal was dug in 1853 by former Chicago mayor William Butler Ogden
William Butler Ogden
William Butler Ogden was the first Mayor of Chicago.Ogden was born in Walton, New York. When still a teenager, his father died and Ogden took over the family real estate business...
for industrial purposes, thus forming the island. Because he formed the island, at times, it has been known as William B. Ogden Island. After Irish immigrants moved to the island, it took on the name Goose Island as well as Kilgubbin, which was the immigrants' original home in Ireland. The Goose Island Brewery
Goose Island Brewery
Goose Island Brewery is a brewery located in Chicago, Illinois, that began as a single brewpub known as Clybourn, which was opened in May 1988 by John Hall in Lincoln Park, Chicago, Illinois. The larger brewery was opened in 1995, while the second brewpub, Wrigleyville, was opened in 1999...
makes Kilgubbin Red Ale, in honor of this name.
The large facility on the north end of the island (visible from North Avenue, but only reachable from the south: Division Street to North Branch to 1132 W. Blackhawk) is the Wrigley
Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company
The William Wrigley Jr. Company is a company headquartered in the Wrigley Building in Near North Side, Chicago, Illinois. The company was founded on April 1, 1891, originally selling products such as soap and baking powder. In 1892, William Wrigley, Jr., the company's founder, began packaging...
Global Innovation Center, a 193000 square feet (17,930.3 m²) facility, which opened in September 2005 and was designed by Gyo Obata
Gyo Obata
Gyo Obata is a significant American architect, the son of renowned painter Chiura Obata and his wife, Haruko Obata, a floral designer. In 1955, he co-founded global architectural firm HOK . He lives in St. Louis, Missouri and still works in HOK's St. Louis office...
of Hellmuth, Obata and Kassabaum
Hellmuth, Obata and Kassabaum
HOK is a global architecture, interiors, engineering, planning and consulting firm. HOK is the largest U.S.-based architecture-engineering firm and the "No. 1 role model for sustainable and high-performance design." HOK also is the second-largest interior design firm...
.
On the south end of the island is Kendall College
Kendall College
-Summary:Kendall College in Chicago is a for-profit college offering programs in hospitality management, culinary arts, business, and early childhood education. Kendall College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and is a member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools...
's Riverworks campus.
River North
History of River North:
The River North neighborhood got its name from Chicago real estate developer Albert Friedman (chief executive of Friedman Properties Ltd.), who in 1974 started to buy, restore and build commercial property in the southeast sector. Much of the area was skid row at the time, so in an effort to attract tenants Friedman started calling the area "River North". Within a few years, Friedman found photographers, ad agencies and art galleries willing to rent the low cost space and coalesce into what is now the The River North Gallery District
River North Gallery District, Near North Side, Chicago
The River North Gallery District, in Chicago, is in the Near North Side, Chicago. It hosts the largest concentration of art galleries in the United States, outside of Manhattan. A common definition puts the District in the area north of the Merchandise Mart, south of Chicago Avenue, east of...
, which has the largest concentration of art galleries in the United States outside of Manhattan. Along with hundreds of art galleries, the area holds many bars, dance clubs, popular restaurants, and entertainment venues.
Subsections of River North include:
- the gallery district, primarily along Superior and Huron streets between Wells and Orleans;
- a theme-restaurant area with many tourist-oriented restaurants, surrounding Clark and Ontario;
- "the Cathedral District," an area with many new residential skyscapersSkyscraperA skyscraper is a tall, continuously habitable building of many stories, often designed for office and commercial use. There is no official definition or height above which a building may be classified as a skyscraper...
surrounding Holy Name Cathedral (Catholic)Holy Name Cathedral, ChicagoHoly Name Cathedral, formally the Cathedral of the Holy Name, is the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago, one of the largest Roman Catholic dioceses in the United States. It is also the parish church of the Archbishop of Chicago...
and St. James Cathedral (Episcopal)St. James Cathedral, ChicagoSt. James Cathedral or formally Cathedral of Saint James is the motherchurch of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America Diocese of Chicago in Chicago, Illinois. It is the oldest church of the Anglican Communion and Episcopal tradition in the Chicago area, having been founded in 1834. ...
, located near State and Superior, and Huron and Wabash, respectively; - a design district, with shops and showrooms selling commercial and luxury interior furnishings, in the blocks north of the Merchandise MartMerchandise MartWhen opened in 1930, the Merchandise Mart or the Merch Mart, located in the Near North Side, Chicago, Illinois, was the largest building in the world with of floor space. Previously owned by the Marshall Field family, the Mart centralized Chicago's wholesale goods business by consolidating vendors...
; and - Kingsbury Park, an area of newly built residential high-rises surrounding Montgomery Ward Park, at Erie Street and the Chicago River.
River North is serviced by four "L" train stations: the above-ground Chicago-Brown and Merchandise Mart-Brown stations and the below-ground Chicago-Red and Grand-Red stations.
Streeterville
Streeterville is the easternmost neighborhood in Chicago, north of the Chicago River. It is bounded by the river on the south, Michigan AvenueMichigan Avenue (Chicago)
Michigan Avenue is a major north-south street in Chicago which runs at 100 east south of the Chicago River and at 132 East north of the river from 12628 south to 950 north in the Chicago street address system...
on the west, and Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America and the only one located entirely within the United States. It is the second largest of the Great Lakes by volume and the third largest by surface area, after Lake Superior and Lake Huron...
on the north and east.
Streeterville houses some of Chicago's tallest skyscraper
Skyscraper
A skyscraper is a tall, continuously habitable building of many stories, often designed for office and commercial use. There is no official definition or height above which a building may be classified as a skyscraper...
s (such as the John Hancock Center
John Hancock Center
John Hancock Center at 875 North Michigan Avenue in the Streeterville area of Chicago, Illinois, is a 100-story, 1,127-foot tall skyscraper, constructed under the supervision of Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, with chief designer Bruce Graham and structural engineer Fazlur Khan...
) and most upscale stores, hotels, restaurants, as well as Northwestern Memorial Hospital
Northwestern Memorial Hospital
Northwestern Memorial Hospital is one of the nation's preeminent academic medical centers and is the primary teaching hospital for Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine. It is the second tallest hospital in the United States and the fourth tallest hospital in the world...
and Northwestern University
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
's Feinberg School of Medicine
Feinberg School of Medicine
Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, located in the Streeterville neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois and situated near Lake Michigan and the Magnificent Mile, is one of Northwestern University's 11 schools and colleges...
, School of Continuing Studies
Northwestern University School of Continuing Studies
The Northwestern University School of Continuing Studies is one of eleven schools comprising Northwestern University, with campuses in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois...
, Kellogg School of Management
Kellogg School of Management
The Kellogg School of Management is the business school of Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, downtown Chicago, Illinois and Miami, Florida. Kellogg offers full-time, part-time, and executive programs, as well as partnering programs with schools in China, India, Hong Kong, Israel,...
's downtown campus and School of Law
Northwestern University School of Law
The Northwestern University School of Law is a private American law school in Chicago, Illinois. The law school was founded in 1859 as the Union College of Law of the Old University of Chicago. The first law school established in Chicago, it became jointly controlled by Northwestern University in...
. The Magnificent Mile portion of Michigan Avenue is part of Streeterville, as is the number one tourist attraction in Chicago, Navy Pier
Navy Pier
Navy Pier is a long pier on the Chicago shoreline of Lake Michigan. It is located in the Streeterville neighborhood of the Near North Side community area. The pier was built in 1916 at a cost of $4.5 million, equivalent to $ today. It was a part of the Plan of Chicago developed by architect and...
. The Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago
Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago
The Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago is a contemporary art museum near Water Tower Place in downtown Chicago in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The museum, which was established in 1967, is one of the world's largest contemporary art venues...
is located here.
Magnificent Mile
Oak Street (Chicago)
Oak Street is a short street on Chicago's Gold Coast at 1000 North in Chicago's street numbering system, running from 138 east to 648 west in the Near North Side community area of Chicago in Cook County, Illinois, United States. It ends without crossing the North Branch of the Chicago River...
in Streeterville. Although actually about three-quarters of a mile, the name "Magnificent Mile" has stuck.
Along this street is a mixture of luxury stores, restaurant
Restaurant
A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...
s, office buildings and hotel
Hotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...
s. The area has a high concentration of the city's major media firms and advertising agencies
Advertising agency
An advertising agency or ad agency is a service business dedicated to creating, planning and handling advertising for its clients. An ad agency is independent from the client and provides an outside point of view to the effort of selling the client's products or services...
, including the Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
.
It is the home of Chicago's famous Water Tower
Chicago Water Tower
The Chicago Water Tower is a contributing property in the Old Chicago Water Tower District landmark district. It is located at 806 North Michigan Avenue along the Magnificent Mile shopping district in the Near North Side community area of Chicago, Illinois...
landmark, Water Tower Park with its historic clock, and the eight-level Water Tower Place
Water Tower Place
Water Tower Place is a large urban, mixed-use development comprising a shopping mall and 74 story skyscraper in Chicago, Illinois, United States. The complex is located at 835 North Michigan Avenue, along the Magnificent Mile. It is named after the nearby Chicago Water Tower...
shopping center which grew up next door to, and overshadowed, the comparatively diminutive landmark. The shopping center is anchored by Macy's
Macy's
Macy's is a U.S. chain of mid-to-high range department stores. In addition to its flagship Herald Square location in New York City, the company operates over 800 stores in the United States...
North Michigan store. North of the shopping center can be found the famous John Hancock Center
John Hancock Center
John Hancock Center at 875 North Michigan Avenue in the Streeterville area of Chicago, Illinois, is a 100-story, 1,127-foot tall skyscraper, constructed under the supervision of Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, with chief designer Bruce Graham and structural engineer Fazlur Khan...
, the Art Deco
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
Palmolive Building
Palmolive Building
The Palmolive Building, formerly the Playboy Building, is a 37-story Art Deco building at 919 N. Michigan Avenue in Chicago. Built by Holabird & Root, it was completed in 1929 and was home to Colgate-Palmolive-Peet....
and the lavish Drake Hotel
Drake Hotel (Chicago)
The Drake Hotel, 140 East Walton Place, Chicago, Illinois, is a luxury full-service hotel, located downtown on the lake side of Michigan Avenue two blocks north of the John Hancock Center and a block south of Oak Street Beach at the top of the Magnificent Mile.Overlooking Lake Michigan, it was...
.
Washington Square
Newberry Library
The Newberry Library is a privately endowed, independent research library for the humanities and social sciences in Chicago, Illinois. Although it is private, non-circulating library, the Newberry Library is free and open to the public...
and partially bounded by the Washington Square landmark district. Immediately west of LaSalle Boulevard, separating this area from Cabrini–Green, is the Moody Bible Institute
Moody Bible Institute
Moody Bible Institute is a Christian institution of higher education and related ministries that was founded by evangelist and businessman Dwight Lyman Moody in 1886. Since its founding, MBI's main campus has been located in the Near North Side of Chicago. MBI's primary ministries are education,...
, and immediately east is Connors Park.
Census tract 811, a four-block (0.04 sq mi.) area located between State, Dearborn, Chicago, and Division and straddling Washington Square and the Gold Coast, had 3,718 residents in 2000, giving it a population density of 90614.2 PD/sqmi — the highest in Chicago.
Rush Street and Connors Park
Rush StreetRush Street (Chicago)
Rush Street is predominantly a northbound one-way street in the Near North Side community area of Chicago in Cook County, Illinois, United States...
north of Chicago Avenue to Division Avenue has been a popular nightlife destination since the 1950s.
Connors Park is a small, triangular park bounded by Rush, Wabash, Chestnut, and Delaware. Part of the Magnificent Mile district (west of Michigan, north of Chicago, east of State, and south of Oak), it has seen new development spilling over from Michigan Avenue. Much of the Loyola University Chicago
Loyola University Chicago
Loyola University Chicago is a private Jesuit research university located in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1870 under the title St...
Water Tower campus lies in this area.
SoNo (South of North Avenue)
The SoNo neighborhood is bordered by North Avenue, Halsted Street, the North Branch of the Chicago River and Division Street. It includes the North/Clybourn Red Line 'L' Stop as well as many nightclubs, the British School of Chicago, an Apple Store and some high rise housing. It is also home to the Weed Street District. This is a rapidly changing area with more and more retail going up as an extension of the big box stores on Clybourn Avenue and North Avenue. Lincoln Park is to the north and Cabrini–Green is to the southwest.NEWCITY
NEWCITY is the name of a retail/housing development between Old Town and SoNo named for being the former site of the New City YMCA. It comprises the area between Old Town on the Near North Side and the SoNo neighborhood. It will consist of many retail stores and housing. It is bounded by Clybourn Avenue, Ogden Avenue, Halsted Street and Eastman Street on the south. Not related to the New City Community Area on the South Side.
Attractions
Museum of Contemporary Art, ChicagoMuseum of Contemporary Art, Chicago
The Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago is a contemporary art museum near Water Tower Place in downtown Chicago in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The museum, which was established in 1967, is one of the world's largest contemporary art venues...
John Hancock Center
John Hancock Center
John Hancock Center at 875 North Michigan Avenue in the Streeterville area of Chicago, Illinois, is a 100-story, 1,127-foot tall skyscraper, constructed under the supervision of Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, with chief designer Bruce Graham and structural engineer Fazlur Khan...
Navy Pier
Navy Pier
Navy Pier is a long pier on the Chicago shoreline of Lake Michigan. It is located in the Streeterville neighborhood of the Near North Side community area. The pier was built in 1916 at a cost of $4.5 million, equivalent to $ today. It was a part of the Plan of Chicago developed by architect and...
Chicago Water Tower
Chicago Water Tower
The Chicago Water Tower is a contributing property in the Old Chicago Water Tower District landmark district. It is located at 806 North Michigan Avenue along the Magnificent Mile shopping district in the Near North Side community area of Chicago, Illinois...
International Museum of Surgical Science
International Museum of Surgical Science
The International Museum of Surgical Science is a museum located in the Gold Coast neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. It is operated by the and features exhibits dealing with various aspects of Eastern and Western medicine. It was founded by Dr. Max Thorek in 1954.- External links :*...
Magnificent Mile
Magnificent Mile
The Magnificent Mile, sometimes referred to as The Mag Mile, is a neighborhood in Chicago, Illinois, that runs along a portion of Michigan Avenue extending from the Chicago River to Oak Street in the Near North Side community area. The district is located adjacent to downtown; it is also one block...
Centennial Fountain
Centennial Fountain
Nicholas J Melas Centennial Fountain is located on the north bank of the Chicago River at McClurg Court in Near North Side, Chicago. It was dedicated in 1989, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, perhaps best known for its major...
Economy
Wrigley Building
The Wrigley Building is a skyscraper located directly across Michigan Avenue from the Tribune Tower on the Magnificent Mile...
. The Tribune Company
Tribune Company
The Tribune Company is a large American multimedia corporation based in Chicago, Illinois. It is the nation's second-largest newspaper publisher, with ten daily newspapers and commuter tabloids including Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times, Hartford Courant, Orlando Sentinel, South Florida...
has its headquarters in the Tribune Tower
Tribune Tower
The Tribune Tower is a neo-Gothic building located at 435 North Michigan Avenue in Chicago, Illinois. It is the home of the Chicago Tribune and Tribune Company. WGN Radio also broadcasts from the building, with ground-level studios overlooking nearby Pioneer Court and Michigan Avenue. CNN's...
. Potbelly Sandwich Works
Potbelly Sandwich Works
Potbelly Sandwich Works is a privately held restaurant chain that sells submarine sandwiches in the United States. Its name is derived from potbelly stoves common in the late 19th century. The company is headquartered in the tower of the Merchandise Mart in the Near North Side, Chicago,...
has its headquarters in the Merchandise Mart
Merchandise Mart
When opened in 1930, the Merchandise Mart or the Merch Mart, located in the Near North Side, Chicago, Illinois, was the largest building in the world with of floor space. Previously owned by the Marshall Field family, the Mart centralized Chicago's wholesale goods business by consolidating vendors...
complex.
Google
Google Inc. is an American multinational public corporation invested in Internet search, cloud computing, and advertising technologies. Google hosts and develops a number of Internet-based services and products, and generates profit primarily from advertising through its AdWords program...
's Chicago offices are in the Dearborn Plaza building in the Near North Side. Etihad Airways
Etihad Airways
Etihad Airways is the flag carrier of the United Arab Emirates. Established in July 2003 and based at Abu Dhabi International Airport, Etihad commenced operations in November 2003....
and Qatar Airways
Qatar Airways
Qatar Airways Company Q.C.S.C. , operating as Qatar Airways, is the flag carrier of Qatar. Headquartered in the Qatar Airways Tower in Doha, it operates a hub-and-spoke network, linking over 100 international destinations from its base in Doha, using a fleet of over 100 aircraft...
have offices in the John Hancock Center
John Hancock Center
John Hancock Center at 875 North Michigan Avenue in the Streeterville area of Chicago, Illinois, is a 100-story, 1,127-foot tall skyscraper, constructed under the supervision of Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, with chief designer Bruce Graham and structural engineer Fazlur Khan...
.
After American Airlines
American Airlines
American Airlines, Inc. is the world's fourth-largest airline in passenger miles transported and operating revenues. American Airlines is a subsidiary of the AMR Corporation and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas adjacent to its largest hub at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport...
acquired Simmons Airlines
Simmons Airlines
Simmons Airlines is the predecessor to American Eagle Airlines based in the United States. Its headquarters were originally near Marquette, Michigan, at the Marquette County Airport in Negaunee, and were eventually moved to the Near North Side of Chicago, Illinois.- History :Simmons Airlines, Inc....
, and before Simmons was dissolved, Simmons had its headquarters in the Near North Side. At one point Indigo Airlines
Indigo Airlines
Indigo Airlines was an American airline headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. It is generally regarded as the world's first business jet airline. It was founded in 1997 by aviation veteran and University of Chicago graduate Matt Andersson; business executive and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University...
was headquartered in the Near North Side.
Diplomatic missions
Several consulates reside in the Near North Side. The main building and visa office of the Consulate-General of the People's Republic of ChinaDiplomatic missions of the People's Republic of China
This is a list of diplomatic missions of the People's Republic of China. The People's Republic of China has a large diplomatic network, representing the country's significant economic, commercial, political, cultural and military links around the world....
are in the Near North Side; other countries with missions in the Near North Side include Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Chile, Colombia, Denmark, Egypt, Germany, Greece, India, Republic of Ireland, Italy
Diplomatic missions of Italy
This is a list of diplomatic missions of Italy, excluding honorary consulates. Italy has a large global network of diplomatic missions. It is the only country in the world to have an embassy on its own territory - the Italian embassy to the Holy See is in Rome....
, Japan, South Korea, Lithuania
Diplomatic missions of Lithuania
This is a list of diplomatic missions of Lithuania. Lithuania has a modest network of embassies and consulates around the world.-Europe:** Yerevan ** Vienna ** Baku ** Minsk ** Brussels...
, Poland
Consulate-General of Poland in Chicago
The Consulate-General of Poland in Chicago is Poland's diplomatic mission in Chicago, Illinois, United States; it is situated in Chicago on account of that city's central location in the United States and the large number of Polish Americans in Chicago and the Midwest...
, Serbia
Diplomatic missions of Serbia
This is a list of diplomatic missions of Serbia, excluding honorary consulates. Serbia has a significant number of diplomatic missions abroad, representing its growing ties with the West along with Yugoslavia's historical ties with eastern Europe and the Non-Aligned Movement.Serbia inherited about...
, Switzerland
Diplomatic missions of Switzerland
This is a list of diplomatic missions of Switzerland, excluding honorary consulates. Switzerland is well known as a protecting power, having used its embassies abroad to represent the interests of states hostile to each other since the Franco-Prussian War...
, Thailand
Diplomatic missions of Thailand
This is a list of diplomatic missions of Thailand, excluding honorary consulates.-Europe:** Vienna ** Brussels ** Prague ** Copenhagen ** Helsinki ** Paris ** Berlin...
, the United Kingdom, and Ukraine
Diplomatic missions of Ukraine
This is a list of diplomatic missions of Ukraine, excluding honorary consulates.- Europe :** Vienna ** Yerevan ** Baku ** Minsk ** Brest ** Brussels ** Sarajevo...
.
Three trade missions have offices at 500 North Michigan Avenue; the Austrian Trade Commission is located in Suite 1950, the Trade Commission of Spain and the Italian-American Chamber of Commerce Midwest is located in Suite 506.
Colleges and universities
Northwestern University School of LawNorthwestern University School of Law
The Northwestern University School of Law is a private American law school in Chicago, Illinois. The law school was founded in 1859 as the Union College of Law of the Old University of Chicago. The first law school established in Chicago, it became jointly controlled by Northwestern University in...
Northwestern University Medical School
Loyola University Chicago School of Law
Loyola University Chicago School of Law
Loyola University Chicago School of Law is the law school of the Loyola University Chicago, in Illinois. Established in 1909, by the Society of Jesus, the Roman Catholic order of the Jesuits, the School of Law is located in downtown Chicago, within walking distance of the Water Tower , the John...
Loyola University Chicago
Loyola University Chicago
Loyola University Chicago is a private Jesuit research university located in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1870 under the title St...
Graduate School of Business, School of Social Work, Institute of Pastoral Studies, School of Continuing and Professional Studies, and School of Communication
Kendall College
Kendall College
-Summary:Kendall College in Chicago is a for-profit college offering programs in hospitality management, culinary arts, business, and early childhood education. Kendall College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and is a member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools...
The Chicago School of Professional Psychology
The Chicago School of Professional Psychology
The Chicago School of Professional Psychology, known as "The Chicago School," is a graduate university specializing in psychology. With nearly 3,000 students and 1,500 graduates, it is the nation’s largest not-for-profit graduate school dedicated to psychology and behavioral sciences...
University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
's Booth School of Business
Booth School of Business
The University of Chicago Booth School of Business is a graduate business school located in Chicago, Illinois, at the University of Chicago. Formerly known as the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business, Chicago Booth is the second oldest business school in the U.S., the first such school...
Gleacher Center
Erikson Institute
Erikson Institute
Erikson Institute is a graduate school in child development located in downtown Chicago, Illinois. It is named for the noted psychoanalyst and developmental psychologist, Erik Erikson.-History and mission:...
Illinois Institute of Art – Chicago
Moody Bible Institute
Moody Bible Institute
Moody Bible Institute is a Christian institution of higher education and related ministries that was founded by evangelist and businessman Dwight Lyman Moody in 1886. Since its founding, MBI's main campus has been located in the Near North Side of Chicago. MBI's primary ministries are education,...
Primary and secondary schools
Chicago Public SchoolsChicago Public Schools
Chicago Public Schools, commonly abbreviated as CPS by local residents and politicians and officially classified as City of Chicago School District #299 for funding and districting reasons, is a large school district that manages over 600 public elementary and high schools in Chicago, Illinois...
serves residents of the Near North Side.
Walter Payton College Prep
Walter Payton College Prep
Walter Payton College Preparatory High School is a selective enrollment public high school in Chicago, Illinois.- History :Walter Payton College Prep, founded in 2000, is part of the Chicago Public Schools system. The school, which is located on Chicago's near north side, is notably one of the...
Ogden International School of Chicago - East Campus (primary school)
Latin School of Chicago (private)
Libraries
Newberry LibraryNewberry Library
The Newberry Library is a privately endowed, independent research library for the humanities and social sciences in Chicago, Illinois. Although it is private, non-circulating library, the Newberry Library is free and open to the public...
Chicago Public Library
Chicago Public Library
The Chicago Public Library is the public library system that serves the City of Chicago in Illinois. It consists of 79 branches, including a central library, two regional libraries, and branches distributed throughout the city....
Near North Branch
Chicago Public Library
Chicago Public Library
The Chicago Public Library is the public library system that serves the City of Chicago in Illinois. It consists of 79 branches, including a central library, two regional libraries, and branches distributed throughout the city....
Water Works Branch
Pritzker Military Library
Pritzker Military Library
The Pritzker Military Library is a research library for the study of military history in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded in 2003 by COL James N. Pritzker, IL ARNG to be a non-partisan institution for the study of "the citizen soldier as an essential element for the preservation of...
Notable residents
- Robert HalperinRobert HalperinRobert Sherman "Bob" Halperin , nicknamed "Buck", was an American competitive Star class sailor, and Olympic bronze medalist and Pan American Games gold medalist....
, Olympic and Pan American Games yachting medalist, college and professional football player, one of Chicago's most-decorated World War II heroes, and Chairman of Commercial Light Co. - Suzanne Le MignotSuzanne Le MignotSuzanne Le Mignot is an award-winning television news anchor and reporter for WBBM-TV in Chicago.- Early life and education :...
, television news anchor and reporter
External links
- Streeterville Chamber of Commerce
- Downtown Chicago's Comprehensive Website
- Gold Coast Neighbors Association
- Chicago Landmarks Commission map of landmarks and landmark districts on the near north side
- Chicago Park District:
- Navy Pier
- Travel Essay on River North by Max Grinnell
- La Clark neighborhood and Young Lords origins
- Friedman Properties