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Rush Street (Chicago)
Encyclopedia
Rush Street is predominantly a northbound one-way street in the Near North Side
community area
of Chicago
in Cook County
, Illinois
, United States. The street which starts at the Chicago River between Wabash and State Streets runs directly north until it slants on a diagonal as it crosses Chicago Avenue then it continues to Cedar and State Streets, making it slightly less than a mile long. One lane also runs southbound from Ohio Street (600N) to Kinzie Street (400N) as part of a two-way street
segment. It runs parallel to and one block west of the Magnificent Mile
on the two-way traffic North Michigan Avenue
, which runs at 100 east up to 950 north. The street, which is also one block east of the one-way southbound Wabash Avenue, formerly ran slightly further south to the Chicago River
where over time various bridges connected it to the Loop
, Chicago's central business district
.
Rush Street's history traces back to the original incorporation of the city in the 1830s. It has since hosted important residences, such as the house of the first Mayor of Chicago
, and significant commerce. Today, it continues to be part of one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in the country and has businesses that correspond to the demands of its residents. The neighborhood hosts highly rated restaurants, five-star hotels, four-star spa
s, an elite senior citizen
residence and prominent bars. The street, which was named after Declaration of Independence
signator Benjamin Rush
, is currently known for its nightlife, especially at the northern end, which features entertainment that attracts locals and visitors. The southern end of the street was an integral part of the city as a main river crossing at various incarnations of the Rush Street Bridge across the main branch of the Chicago River from the mid-19th century until the 1920s. The Rush Street Bridges have a rich cultural history, which includes both a prominent role in facilitating vehicular land traffic and a prominent role as a commercial port location. However, commerce on the Chicago River has declined since the 1930s and the Michigan Avenue Bridge
has taken over the role as the primary river crossing for this neighborhood.
Rush Street was named after Benjamin Rush, one of the four physician signators of the United States Declaration of Independence. It is one of several places named after Rush in Chicago; other such places are Rush Medical College
and Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center.
As part of the original incorporated city of Chicago in 1837, Rush Street is one of the city's oldest thoroughfares. Like Clark Street
, parts of Rush Street roughly follow the path of an Indian trail called Green Bay trail (later Green Bay Road) that ran to Green Bay, Wisconsin
. Early Rush Street was commonly agreed to be desirable place of residence, and hosted the first house designed by an architect
in Chicago (designed for the first Mayor of Chicago
William Ogden
by John M. Van Osdel
). The house, bounded by Erie, Ontario, Rush and Cass (now Wabash Avenue) Streets, did not survive the Great Chicago Fire
of 1871.
After the Great Chicago Fire, the Near North Side became a refuge for many due to its wide streets, high ground, good drainage, and proximity to both the Lake Michigan
lakeshore and Lincoln Park
. Cyrus McCormick
built a mansion at 675 Rush Street between 1875 and 1879. The mansion, located at the corner of Rush and Erie, lured so many relatives to move nearby that the neighborhood became known as "McCormickville" by the 1880s. The street subsequently hosted elite Chicago socialites. Cyrus' brother Leander J. McCormick
built the Virginia Hotel at the northwest corner of Rush and Ohio.
Opening just a few years before the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition
, the 400-room hotel was advertised as "an absolutely fire-proof building and a finished hotel second to no other."
The hotel featured ornate granite interiors decorated with marble statues, separate "gentlemen's smoking room" and "ladies dining room", and a room of boilers and dynamos to offer the latest technology: electric lights.
Well into the 20th century, residential buildings faced Rush Street until the demands of the expanding commerce—especially concentrations of restaurants and night clubs—consumed its real estate.
In the 1950s, the Chicago City Council
began to use the Uniform Vehicle Code of 1931 to fight traffic congestion by creating one-way streets. This was most effectively used in the Loop and Near North Side community areas. Most of the Near North Side streets remain one-way today as a result. Rush Street is among the area's one-way streets: except for a short segment, only northbound travel is permitted.
(the centerline between east and west) at Cedar Street which runs at 1120 north. It is crossed by Ohio Street and Ontario Street which feed from and to the Kennedy Expressway
to the west.
On the north side of Chicago Avenue Rush Street is part of the Gold Coast neighborhood of the Near North Side community area. The Gold Coast is the nation's second wealthiest neighborhood, trailing only the Central Park East neighborhood of Manhattan
's Upper East Side
. Between Chicago Avenue and the Chicago River
, Rush Street is part of the River North Gallery District
. The River North District hosts more art galleries than any neighborhood outside of Manhattan.
Both of the diagonal crossings border Chicago Park District
parks that are situated on the resulting triangular land plots. At the Wabash crossing, which has an official address of 871 North Wabash, a park exists that was renamed Connors Park for former Illinois State Senate Minority Leader William Connors in 1970. This park was acquired by the city in 1848 and has been renamed several times. At the State Street
crossing, which has an official address of 1031 North State Street, Mariano Park exists and was renamed for Louis Mariano in 1970. This park was acquired by the city in 1848 and was transferred to the Park District in 1959. It hosts a structure designed by Birch Burdette Long, who was a Frank Lloyd Wright
protege, according to a plaque in the park. In the area surrounded by the Trump International Hotel & Tower to the west, the Chicago River to the south, Rush Street and the Wrigley Building to the east and McDonald's and River Plaza
to the north the towers designers have planned a 1.2 acres (4,856.2 m²) Riverfront Park & Riverwalk along a space that is 500 feet (152.4 m).
In the Gold Coast neighborhood, honorary streets such as Frank Sinatra
Way (Bellevue Place at 1030 north) and Mike Ditka
Way (East Chesnut Street at 860 north) cross Rush Street. Ditka has a restaurant at 100 East Chestnut and coached the Chicago Bears
to a Super Bowl XX
victory. Sinatra made "My Kind of Town (Chicago is)
" and "Chicago (That Toddlin' Town)
" famous.
s at Rush Street. The first bridge was a floating bridge
that was hinged to one bank. Ropes were used to open and close this bridge. A March 1849 ice storm was the first of two instances in which all bridges on the main stem of the Chicago River were destroyed overnight. An iron and timber swing bridge
with center supports was built in 1857 at a cost of $
48,000. The bridge stood until, on November 3, 1863, a passing ship's whistle spooked a herd of cattle
that was crowding the bridge and stampeded into the river. The bridge was repaired and still in use on October 8, 1871 when it was destroyed in the Great Chicago Fire. In 1872 the Detroit Bridge and Iron Works company built a wrought-iron replacement that stood until 1883, when a barge
struck and collapsed the bridge. It was replaced by another swing bridge that lasted for several decades until after the Michigan Avenue Bridge
was built in 1920. This final 1884 bridge had truss
es measuring 30 feet (9.1 m) in the center and 20 feet (6.1 m) on the ends. Its deck used 4 inches (101.6 mm) white pine
planks.
The southeast corner of the Rush Street Bridge, which connected to Michigan Avenue, was the location of the Goodrich docks from which the SS Christopher Columbus
made its daily round-trip excursions to Milwaukee, Wisconsin
. Although she was used for excursions elsewhere around the Great Lakes, her regular schedule was a daily trip to Milwaukee, leaving Chicago mid-morning, sailing to Milwaukee for a two-hour stopover, and then returning. The Goodrich Transportation Company
used the Goodrich wharves
from the time of the American Civil War
until the 1930s to connect Chicago with other port locations throughout Lake Michigan and the Great Lakes
. Today, skyskrapers have replaced the industrial structures that historically lined the riverbanks of the nations most significant inland port.
Before the Michigan Avenue bridge (pictured right), vehicular traffic crossed the river at Rush and traveled up to Ontario Street before heading east to Pine Street (now North Michigan Avenue after multiple renamings). The bridge carried 77% of all the automobiles and 23% of the commercial vehicles that commuted into the Loop each day. There were several plans starting in the 1880s for improving Michigan Avenue that involved Rush Street, but nothing came of any of them. The final Rush Street Bridge was not designed for automobile
traffic, which caused congestion on the south bank of the River where both Michigan and Wabash fed onto River Street (now Wacker Drive
). In May 1904, the Chicago Tribune
declared that the 36 feet (11 m) wide Rush Street Bridge, which handled approximately 50% of the north–south traffic in the city, was unfit for the contemporary pedestrian and vehicular traffic. Thus Daniel Burnham
's 1909 Plan of Chicago called for the replacement of the bridge with a new bridge at Michigan Avenue and the redevelopment of Wacker Drive. The bridge was quickly removed after the completion of the new Michigan Avenue Bridge.
s, bar
s, club
s and restaurant
s. However, many of the bars migrated north to Division Street as the street gentrified. Rush Street still has a reputation for its singles bar
s, although its glory days have passed. Currently, the late night establishments mostly lure suburbanites, tourists, and young partygoers. The Chicago Sun-Times
describes it as the "hippest strip" in Chicago, with specific kudos to the part between Oak Street
and Chicago Avenue. It continues to be the destination where visiting conventioners in pursuit of Chicago nightlife
are brought by taxi
as well as a preferred place for thirtysomething singles to congregate at night, especially in the summer. Although Rush Street ends two blocks south of Division Street, the nightlife ambiance now continues to Division and spreads west from there.
Rush Street is known for hosting some of the few highly rated and esteemed restaurants in the Chicago Gold Coast neighborhood. According to Frommer's
and Zagat Survey
, Gibsons Steakhouse is one of the favorite restaurants in Chicago, and is located on Rush Street. Rush Street is a block east of the original location of the Chicago-style deep dish pizza
, Uno Chicago Grill
, and it hosts Giordano's, its answer to Uno's. Among the most prominent businesses along this strip is the Bentley
and Lamborghini
Gold Coast showroom, which is located across East Pearson Street from The Clare at Water Tower
along Rush Street. The Clare is one of the tallest residential buildings reserved for seniors anywhere in the world. Rush Street's southern terminus is adjacent to a rear entrance of the Wrigley Building
as well as the Trump International Hotel and Tower
which has a 401-North Wabash address. The 800 block of the Gold Coast neighborhood portion of Rush Street is a block away from Michigan Avenue
and four of the tallest buildings in the world: John Hancock Center
(875 North Michigan Avenue), 900 North Michigan
, Water Tower Place
(845 Michigan), & Park Tower
(800 Michigan). Four more of the fifty tallest buildings in Chicago are also a block from Rush Street: Olympia Centre
(737 Michigan), One Magnificent Mile
, (980 Michigan), Chicago Place
(700 Michigan), and Palmolive Building
, (919 Michigan). 55 East Erie Street
, which was the second tallest all-residential building in the world from 2004 until 2007 when 340 on the Park
was completed, is among the skyscrapers on or with entrances on Rush street. There is a current proposal to redevelop 740 North Rush Street (at the corner of East Superior Street) with a fifty-story skyscraper designed by Skidmore Owings & Merrill and developed by Fordham Company
. This address currently houses the Chicago offices of Crain Communications Inc.
, and it is just north of Giordano's, which has a 730 North Rush Street address.
Several prominent hotels are located on or bounded by Rush street. The Peninsula Chicago
is one of only three five star hotels in the Midwestern United States
, is located on East Superior between Rush Street and Michigan. The Four Seasons Hotel Chicago, another of the Midwest's five star hotels, is also located on a cross street between Rush Street and Michigan Avenue. These two hotels host the highest rated spa
s in Illinois. Although the main entrance and official address of the Chicago Marriott
Downtown Magnificent Mile is 540 North Michigan Avenue, the driveway for the hotel has a 541 North Rush Street address. Similarly, the Chicago Conrad Hotel located at 521 North Rush Street is a reconstruction of the former 520 North Michigan Chicago Landmark
McGraw-Hill Building
.
The former Archbishop Quigley Preparatory Seminary
, which has been converted for use by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago
is located on Rush Street between Superior and Chestnut. The Water Tower Campus of the Loyola University Chicago
is located along East Pearson St., which crosses Rush Street between the Bentley
/Lamborghini
Gold Coast Showroom to the North and The Clare @ Water Tower to the South on the west side of the street. The Quigley Seminary Building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
on February 16, 1996. Rush Street also hosts one of three regional Royal Thai Consulate-General locations to support Royal Thai Embassy in Washington, D.C.
Near North Side, Chicago
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 . To its east is Lake Michigan and its northern boundary is the 19th-century city limit of Chicago,...
community area
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...
in Cook County
Cook County, Illinois
Cook County is a county in the U.S. state of Illinois, with its county seat in Chicago. It is the second most populous county in the United States after Los Angeles County. The county has 5,194,675 residents, which is 40.5 percent of all Illinois residents. Cook County's population is larger than...
, 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. The street which starts at the Chicago River between Wabash and State Streets runs directly north until it slants on a diagonal as it crosses Chicago Avenue then it continues to Cedar and State Streets, making it slightly less than a mile long. One lane also runs southbound from Ohio Street (600N) to Kinzie Street (400N) as part of a two-way street
Two-way street
A two-way street is a street that allows vehicles to travel in both directions. On most two-way streets, especially main streets, a line is painted down the middle of the road to remind drivers to stay on their side of the road. Sometimes one portion of a street is two-way, the other portion one-way...
segment. It runs parallel to and one block west of 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...
on the two-way traffic North 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...
, which runs at 100 east up to 950 north. The street, which is also one block east of the one-way southbound Wabash Avenue, formerly ran slightly further south to 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...
where over time various bridges connected it to 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...
, Chicago's central business district
Central business district
A central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city. In North America this part of a city is commonly referred to as "downtown" or "city center"...
.
Rush Street's history traces back to the original incorporation of the city in the 1830s. It has since hosted important residences, such as the house of the first Mayor of Chicago
Mayor of Chicago
The Mayor of Chicago is the chief executive of Chicago, Illinois, the third largest city in the United States. He or she is charged with directing city departments and agencies, and with the advice and consent of the Chicago City Council, appoints department and agency leaders.-Appointment...
, and significant commerce. Today, it continues to be part of one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in the country and has businesses that correspond to the demands of its residents. The neighborhood hosts highly rated restaurants, five-star hotels, four-star spa
Spa
The term spa is associated with water treatment which is also known as balneotherapy. Spa towns or spa resorts typically offer various health treatments. The belief in the curative powers of mineral waters goes back to prehistoric times. Such practices have been popular worldwide, but are...
s, an elite senior citizen
Senior citizen
Senior citizen is a common polite designation for an elderly person in both UK and US English, and it implies or means that the person is retired. This in turn implies or in fact means that the person is over the retirement age, which varies according to country. Synonyms include pensioner in UK...
residence and prominent bars. The street, which was named after Declaration of Independence
United States Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence was a statement adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, which announced that the thirteen American colonies then at war with Great Britain regarded themselves as independent states, and no longer a part of the British Empire. John Adams put forth a...
signator Benjamin Rush
Benjamin Rush
Benjamin Rush was a Founding Father of the United States. Rush lived in the state of Pennsylvania and was a physician, writer, educator, humanitarian and a Christian Universalist, as well as the founder of Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania....
, is currently known for its nightlife, especially at the northern end, which features entertainment that attracts locals and visitors. The southern end of the street was an integral part of the city as a main river crossing at various incarnations of the Rush Street Bridge across the main branch of the Chicago River from the mid-19th century until the 1920s. The Rush Street Bridges have a rich cultural history, which includes both a prominent role in facilitating vehicular land traffic and a prominent role as a commercial port location. However, commerce on the Chicago River has declined since the 1930s and the 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...
has taken over the role as the primary river crossing for this neighborhood.
Background
Rush Medical College
Rush Medical College is the medical school of Rush University, a private university in Chicago, Illinois. Rush Medical College was one of the first medical colleges in the state of Illinois and was chartered in 1837, two days before the city of Chicago was chartered, and opened with 22 students on...
and Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center.
As part of the original incorporated city of Chicago in 1837, Rush Street is one of the city's oldest thoroughfares. Like 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...
, parts of Rush Street roughly follow the path of an Indian trail called Green Bay trail (later Green Bay Road) that ran to Green Bay, Wisconsin
Green Bay, Wisconsin
Green Bay is a city in and the county seat of Brown County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, located at the head of Green Bay, a sub-basin of Lake Michigan, at the mouth of the Fox River. It has an elevation of above sea level and is located north of Milwaukee. As of the 2010 United States Census,...
. Early Rush Street was commonly agreed to be desirable place of residence, and hosted the first house designed by an architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
in Chicago (designed for the first Mayor of Chicago
Mayor of Chicago
The Mayor of Chicago is the chief executive of Chicago, Illinois, the third largest city in the United States. He or she is charged with directing city departments and agencies, and with the advice and consent of the Chicago City Council, appoints department and agency leaders.-Appointment...
William 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...
by John M. Van Osdel
John M. Van Osdel
John Mills Van Osdel was an American architect who is considered the first Chicago architect. He is considered a peer of the most prominent architects in the history of Chicago...
). The house, bounded by Erie, Ontario, Rush and Cass (now Wabash Avenue) Streets, did not survive the Great Chicago Fire
Great Chicago Fire
The Great Chicago Fire was a conflagration that burned from Sunday, October 8, to early Tuesday, October 10, 1871, killing hundreds and destroying about in Chicago, Illinois. Though the fire was one of the largest U.S...
of 1871.
After the Great Chicago Fire, the Near North Side became a refuge for many due to its wide streets, high ground, good drainage, and proximity to both the 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...
lakeshore and Lincoln Park
Lincoln Park
Lincoln Park is an urban park in Chicago, which gave its name to the Lincoln Park, Chicago community area.Lincoln Park may also refer to:-Urban parks:*Lincoln Park , California*Lincoln Park, San Francisco, California...
. Cyrus McCormick
Cyrus McCormick
Cyrus Hall McCormick, Sr. was an American inventor and founder of the McCormick Harvesting Machine Company, which became part of International Harvester Company in 1902.He and many members of the McCormick family became prominent Chicagoans....
built a mansion at 675 Rush Street between 1875 and 1879. The mansion, located at the corner of Rush and Erie, lured so many relatives to move nearby that the neighborhood became known as "McCormickville" by the 1880s. The street subsequently hosted elite Chicago socialites. Cyrus' brother Leander J. McCormick
Leander J. McCormick
Leander James McCormick was an American farmer, inventor, manufacturer, and businessman. Although born in rural Virginia, he later owned vast amounts of real estate in downtown Chicago.-Life:...
built the Virginia Hotel at the northwest corner of Rush and Ohio.
Opening just a few years before the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition
World's Columbian Exposition
The World's Columbian Exposition was a World's Fair held in Chicago in 1893 to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the New World in 1492. Chicago bested New York City; Washington, D.C.; and St...
, the 400-room hotel was advertised as "an absolutely fire-proof building and a finished hotel second to no other."
The hotel featured ornate granite interiors decorated with marble statues, separate "gentlemen's smoking room" and "ladies dining room", and a room of boilers and dynamos to offer the latest technology: electric lights.
Well into the 20th century, residential buildings faced Rush Street until the demands of the expanding commerce—especially concentrations of restaurants and night clubs—consumed its real estate.
In the 1950s, the Chicago City Council
Chicago City Council
The Chicago City Council is the legislative branch of the government of the City of Chicago in Illinois. It consists of 50 aldermen elected from 50 wards to serve four-year terms...
began to use the Uniform Vehicle Code of 1931 to fight traffic congestion by creating one-way streets. This was most effectively used in the Loop and Near North Side community areas. Most of the Near North Side streets remain one-way today as a result. Rush Street is among the area's one-way streets: except for a short segment, only northbound travel is permitted.
Geography
Rush Street runs partly north–south and partly in a north-northwest direction (see map in external links). It runs north–south at 65 east from 400 north at its southern terminus at Kinzie Avenue to 800 north at Chicago Avenue between Michigan Avenue to the east at 100 east and Wabash Avenue to the west at 44 east. On the north side of Chicago it runs straight on a slight diagonal to the street grid. By the time it travels three blocks north to Delaware Place at 900 north, it intersects Wabash. It then continues on a diagonal for four more blocks where it intersects the north–south running State StreetState 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...
(the centerline between east and west) at Cedar Street which runs at 1120 north. It is crossed by Ohio Street and Ontario Street which feed from and to the Kennedy Expressway
Kennedy Expressway
The John F. Kennedy Expressway is a long highway that travels northwest from the Chicago Loop to O'Hare International Airport. The expressway is named for the 35th U.S. President, John F. Kennedy. The Interstate 90 portion of the Kennedy is a part of the much longer I-90...
to the west.
On the north side of Chicago Avenue Rush Street is part of the Gold Coast neighborhood of the Near North Side community area. The Gold Coast is the nation's second wealthiest neighborhood, trailing only the Central Park East neighborhood of Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
's Upper East Side
Upper East Side
The Upper East Side is a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, between Central Park and the East River. The Upper East Side lies within an area bounded by 59th Street to 96th Street, and the East River to Fifth Avenue-Central Park...
. Between Chicago Avenue and 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...
, Rush Street is part of 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...
. The River North District hosts more art galleries than any neighborhood outside of Manhattan.
Both of the diagonal crossings border Chicago Park District
Chicago Park District
The Chicago Park District is the oldest and largest park district in the U.S.A, with a $385 million annual budget. It has the distinction of spending the most per capita on its parks, even more than Boston in terms of park expenses per capita...
parks that are situated on the resulting triangular land plots. At the Wabash crossing, which has an official address of 871 North Wabash, a park exists that was renamed Connors Park for former Illinois State Senate Minority Leader William Connors in 1970. This park was acquired by the city in 1848 and has been renamed several times. At the 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...
crossing, which has an official address of 1031 North State Street, Mariano Park exists and was renamed for Louis Mariano in 1970. This park was acquired by the city in 1848 and was transferred to the Park District in 1959. It hosts a structure designed by Birch Burdette Long, who was a Frank Lloyd Wright
Frank Lloyd Wright
Frank Lloyd Wright was an American architect, interior designer, writer and educator, who designed more than 1,000 structures and completed 500 works. Wright believed in designing structures which were in harmony with humanity and its environment, a philosophy he called organic architecture...
protege, according to a plaque in the park. In the area surrounded by the Trump International Hotel & Tower to the west, the Chicago River to the south, Rush Street and the Wrigley Building to the east and McDonald's and River Plaza
River Plaza
River Plaza is a 524ft tall skyscraper in Chicago, Illinois. It was completed in 1977 and has 56 floors with a total of 678 units. Gordon & Levin designed the building, which is the 74th tallest building in Chicago....
to the north the towers designers have planned a 1.2 acres (4,856.2 m²) Riverfront Park & Riverwalk along a space that is 500 feet (152.4 m).
In the Gold Coast neighborhood, honorary streets such as Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
Way (Bellevue Place at 1030 north) and Mike Ditka
Mike Ditka
Michael Keller Ditka, Jr. is a former American football NFL player, television commentator, and coach. Ditka coached the Chicago Bears for 11 years and New Orleans Saints for three years. Ditka and Tom Flores are the only two people to win Super Bowls as a player, an assistant coach, and a head...
Way (East Chesnut Street at 860 north) cross Rush Street. Ditka has a restaurant at 100 East Chestnut and coached the Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
to a Super Bowl XX
Super Bowl XX
Super Bowl XX was an American football championship game played on January 26, 1986 at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana to decide the National Football League champion following the 1985 regular season...
victory. Sinatra made "My Kind of Town (Chicago is)
My Kind of Town
My Kind of Town is an American television game show that premiered on August 14, 2005 on ABC. Part variety show, part game show, the series brings 200 people from a small town in the United States to New York City to compete for prizes and participate in games and assorted gags...
" and "Chicago (That Toddlin' Town)
Chicago (That Toddlin' Town)
"Chicago" is a popular song. It was written by Fred Fisher and was published in 1922. The song has been recorded by many artists, but the best-known version is by Frank Sinatra....
" famous.
Bridge
The main stem of the Chicago River has been crossed by four bridgeBridge
A bridge is a structure built to span physical obstacles such as a body of water, valley, or road, for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle...
s at Rush Street. The first bridge was a floating bridge
Pontoon bridge
A pontoon bridge or floating bridge is a bridge that floats on water and in which barge- or boat-like pontoons support the bridge deck and its dynamic loads. While pontoon bridges are usually temporary structures, some are used for long periods of time...
that was hinged to one bank. Ropes were used to open and close this bridge. A March 1849 ice storm was the first of two instances in which all bridges on the main stem of the Chicago River were destroyed overnight. An iron and timber swing bridge
Swing bridge
A swing bridge is a movable bridge that has as its primary structural support a vertical locating pin and support ring, usually at or near to its centre of gravity, about which the turning span can then pivot horizontally as shown in the animated illustration to the right...
with center supports was built in 1857 at a cost of $
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
48,000. The bridge stood until, on November 3, 1863, a passing ship's whistle spooked a herd of cattle
Cattle
Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...
that was crowding the bridge and stampeded into the river. The bridge was repaired and still in use on October 8, 1871 when it was destroyed in the Great Chicago Fire. In 1872 the Detroit Bridge and Iron Works company built a wrought-iron replacement that stood until 1883, when a barge
Barge
A barge is a flat-bottomed boat, built mainly for river and canal transport of heavy goods. Some barges are not self-propelled and need to be towed by tugboats or pushed by towboats...
struck and collapsed the bridge. It was replaced by another swing bridge that lasted for several decades until after the 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...
was built in 1920. This final 1884 bridge had truss
Truss
In architecture and structural engineering, a truss is a structure comprising one or more triangular units constructed with straight members whose ends are connected at joints referred to as nodes. External forces and reactions to those forces are considered to act only at the nodes and result in...
es measuring 30 feet (9.1 m) in the center and 20 feet (6.1 m) on the ends. Its deck used 4 inches (101.6 mm) white pine
Eastern White Pine
Pinus strobus, commonly known as the eastern white pine, is a large pine native to eastern North America, occurring from Newfoundland west to Minnesota and southeastern Manitoba, and south along the Appalachian Mountains to the northern edge of Georgia.It is occasionally known as simply white pine,...
planks.
The southeast corner of the Rush Street Bridge, which connected to Michigan Avenue, was the location of the Goodrich docks from which the SS Christopher Columbus
SS Christopher Columbus
The SS Christopher Columbus was an American excursion liner on the Great Lakes, in service between 1893 and 1933. She was the only whaleback ship ever built for passenger service. The ship was designed by Alexander McDougall, the developer and promoter of the whaleback design.Columbus was built...
made its daily round-trip excursions to Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the...
. Although she was used for excursions elsewhere around the Great Lakes, her regular schedule was a daily trip to Milwaukee, leaving Chicago mid-morning, sailing to Milwaukee for a two-hour stopover, and then returning. The Goodrich Transportation Company
Goodrich Transportation Company
Goodrich Transit Line or Goodrich Steamship Line or Goodrich Transportation Company or Goodrich Transit Company was a passenger steamship line operating in the Great Lakes region, principally in Lake Michigan in the 19th and early 20th century.-History:The line was founded in 1868 by Albert Edgar...
used the Goodrich wharves
Wharf
A wharf or quay is a structure on the shore of a harbor where ships may dock to load and unload cargo or passengers.Such a structure includes one or more berths , and may also include piers, warehouses, or other facilities necessary for handling the ships.A wharf commonly comprises a fixed...
from the time of the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
until the 1930s to connect Chicago with other port locations throughout Lake Michigan and the Great Lakes
Great Lakes
The Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in northeastern North America, on the Canada – United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total surface, coming in second by volume...
. Today, skyskrapers have replaced the industrial structures that historically lined the riverbanks of the nations most significant inland port.
Before the Michigan Avenue bridge (pictured right), vehicular traffic crossed the river at Rush and traveled up to Ontario Street before heading east to Pine Street (now North Michigan Avenue after multiple renamings). The bridge carried 77% of all the automobiles and 23% of the commercial vehicles that commuted into the Loop each day. There were several plans starting in the 1880s for improving Michigan Avenue that involved Rush Street, but nothing came of any of them. The final Rush Street Bridge was not designed for automobile
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
traffic, which caused congestion on the south bank of the River where both Michigan and Wabash fed onto River Street (now Wacker Drive
Wacker Drive
Wacker Drive is a major street in Chicago, Illinois, United States, running along the south side of the main branch and the east side of the south branch of the Chicago River...
). In May 1904, 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...
declared that the 36 feet (11 m) wide Rush Street Bridge, which handled approximately 50% of the north–south traffic in the city, was unfit for the contemporary pedestrian and vehicular traffic. Thus Daniel Burnham
Daniel Burnham
Daniel Hudson Burnham, FAIA was an American architect and urban planner. He was the Director of Works for the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. He took a leading role in the creation of master plans for the development of a number of cities, including Chicago and downtown Washington DC...
's 1909 Plan of Chicago called for the replacement of the bridge with a new bridge at Michigan Avenue and the redevelopment of Wacker Drive. The bridge was quickly removed after the completion of the new Michigan Avenue Bridge.
Commerce and education
In the 1960s, Rush Street was the center of the Chicago nightlife as home to many great cabaretCabaret
Cabaret is a form, or place, of entertainment featuring comedy, song, dance, and theatre, distinguished mainly by the performance venue: a restaurant or nightclub with a stage for performances and the audience sitting at tables watching the performance, as introduced by a master of ceremonies or...
s, bar
Bar (establishment)
A bar is a business establishment that serves alcoholic drinks — beer, wine, liquor, and cocktails — for consumption on the premises.Bars provide stools or chairs that are placed at tables or counters for their patrons. Some bars have entertainment on a stage, such as a live band, comedians, go-go...
s, club
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
s and 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. However, many of the bars migrated north to Division Street as the street gentrified. Rush Street still has a reputation for its singles bar
Singles Bar
Singles Bar is a 1983 studio album from Swedish country and pop singer Kikki Danielsson. On the album charts, "Singles Bar" as best finished 13th in Norway and 35th in Sweden.In July 2009 the album was digitally released to iTunes.-Side A:-Side B:...
s, although its glory days have passed. Currently, the late night establishments mostly lure suburbanites, tourists, and young partygoers. The Chicago Sun-Times
Chicago Sun-Times
The Chicago Sun-Times is an American daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois. It is the flagship paper of the Sun-Times Media Group.-History:The Chicago Sun-Times is the oldest continuously published daily newspaper in the city...
describes it as the "hippest strip" in Chicago, with specific kudos to the part between 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 Chicago Avenue. It continues to be the destination where visiting conventioners in pursuit of Chicago nightlife
Nightlife
Nightlife is the collective term for any entertainment that is available and more popular from the late evening into the early hours of the morning...
are brought by taxi
Taxicab
A taxicab, also taxi or cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choice...
as well as a preferred place for thirtysomething singles to congregate at night, especially in the summer. Although Rush Street ends two blocks south of Division Street, the nightlife ambiance now continues to Division and spreads west from there.
Rush Street is known for hosting some of the few highly rated and esteemed restaurants in the Chicago Gold Coast neighborhood. According to Frommer's
Frommer's
Frommer's is a travel guidebook series and one of the bestselling travel guides in America. The series began in 1957 with the publication of Arthur Frommer's book, Europe on $5 a Day. Frommer's has expanded to include over 350 guidebooks across 14 series, as well as other media including the award...
and Zagat Survey
Zagat Survey
Zagat Survey was established by Tim and Nina Zagat in 1979 as a way to collect and correlate the ratings of restaurants by diners. For their first guide, covering New York City, the Zagats surveyed their friends. As of 2005, the Zagat Survey included 70 cities, with reviews based on the input of...
, Gibsons Steakhouse is one of the favorite restaurants in Chicago, and is located on Rush Street. Rush Street is a block east of the original location of the Chicago-style deep dish pizza
Chicago-style pizza
Chicago-style pizza is a deep-dish pizza style developed in Chicago. Chicago-style pizza has a buttery crust up to three inches tall at the edge, slightly higher than the large amounts of cheese and chunky tomato sauce, acting as a large bowl. The term also refers to "stuffed" pizza, another...
, Uno Chicago Grill
Uno Chicago Grill
Uno Chicago Grill, or more informally as Unos, is the title for a franchised pizzeria restaurant chain under the parent company Uno Restaurant Holdings Corporation...
, and it hosts Giordano's, its answer to Uno's. Among the most prominent businesses along this strip is the 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...
and 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...
Gold Coast showroom, which is located across East Pearson Street from The Clare at Water Tower
The Clare at Water Tower
The Clare at Water Tower. This first-of-its-kind, high-rise senior living community is situated on the Loyola University Chicago Water Tower Campus in Chicago's Gold Coast at Rush Street & Pearson Street. The 53 story building is designed by Perkins and Will, and is one of the tallest buildings...
along Rush Street. The Clare is one of the tallest residential buildings reserved for seniors anywhere in the world. Rush Street's southern terminus is adjacent to a rear entrance of the Wrigley Building
Wrigley Building
The Wrigley Building is a skyscraper located directly across Michigan Avenue from the Tribune Tower on the Magnificent Mile...
as well as the Trump International Hotel and Tower
Trump International Hotel and Tower (Chicago)
The Trump International Hotel and Tower, also known as Trump Tower Chicago and locally as the Trump Tower, is a skyscraper condo-hotel in downtown Chicago, Illinois. The building, named after real estate developer Donald Trump, was designed by architect Adrian Smith of Skidmore, Owings and Merrill...
which has a 401-North Wabash address. The 800 block of the Gold Coast neighborhood portion of Rush Street is a block away from 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...
and four of the tallest buildings in the world: 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...
(875 North Michigan Avenue), 900 North Michigan
900 North Michigan
900 North Michigan in Chicago is a skyscraper completed in 1989. At 871 feet tall, it is currently the seventh tallest building in Chicago and the 25th tallest in the United States...
, 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...
(845 Michigan), & Park Tower
Park Tower (Chicago)
Park Tower, located at 800 North Michigan Avenue in Chicago, is a skyscraper that was completed in 2000. At 844 feet tall with 70 floors — 67 floors for practical use, it is the eleventh tallest building in Chicago, the 35th tallest building in the United States, and the eighty-third tallest in...
(800 Michigan). Four more of the fifty tallest buildings in Chicago are also a block from Rush Street: Olympia Centre
Olympia Centre
The Olympia Centre is a skyscraper in Chicago. It is a mixed use building consisting of offices in the lower part of the building and residences in the narrower upper section. It was designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP, and at 725 ft tall, with 63 floors, it is Chicago's tallest...
(737 Michigan), One Magnificent Mile
One Magnificent Mile
One Magnificent Mile is a mixed-use high-rise tower completed in 1983 at the northern end of Michigan Avenue on the Magnificent Mile in Chicago containing upscale retailers on the ground floor, followed by office space above that & luxury condominium apartments on top.Height: 673 ft / 205 m Total...
, (980 Michigan), Chicago Place
Chicago Place
Chicago Place is a mixed-use high-rise on the 700 block of North Michigan Avenue in Chicago along the Magnificent Mile anchored by Saks Fifth Avenue According to the Chicago Tribune, as of Feb 2009, the mall portion is now shuttered and will be converted to office space...
(700 Michigan), 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....
, (919 Michigan). 55 East Erie Street
55 East Erie Street
55 East Erie is an all-residential skyscraper in Chicago. It is at 647 ft . Designed by Fujikawa Johnson & Associates and Searl & Associates Architects, the 56 story building was completed in 2004 and is the third-tallest all-residential building in the United States after Trump World Tower in New...
, which was the second tallest all-residential building in the world from 2004 until 2007 when 340 on the Park
340 on the Park
340 on the Park is a residential tower in the Lakeshore East development of the neighborhood of New Eastside/ East Loop Chicago and was completed in 2007. The building briefly surpassed 55 East Erie as the tallest all-residential building in Chicago...
was completed, is among the skyscrapers on or with entrances on Rush street. There is a current proposal to redevelop 740 North Rush Street (at the corner of East Superior Street) with a fifty-story skyscraper designed by Skidmore Owings & Merrill and developed by Fordham Company
Fordham Company
The Fordham Company is a real estate development company founded in 1988 and based out of Chicago, Illinois. The company's chairman is Christopher T. Carley....
. This address currently houses the Chicago offices of Crain Communications Inc.
Crain Communications Inc.
Crain Communications Inc is a publishing conglomerate based in Detroit, Michigan. The company publishes a variety of trade newspapers, including some city-based business newspapers, such as Crain's Cleveland Business, Crain's Chicago Business, Crain's Detroit Business, and Crain's New York Business...
, and it is just north of Giordano's, which has a 730 North Rush Street address.
Several prominent hotels are located on or bounded by Rush street. The Peninsula Chicago
The Peninsula Chicago
The Peninsula Chicago is a 20 story luxury hotel located at the intersection of East Superior street and North Michigan Avenue in Chicago, Illinois. The hotel is part of The Peninsula hotels group based in Hong Kong. In late 2009 the hotel was purchased by Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels who...
is one of only three five star hotels in the Midwestern United States
Midwestern United States
The Midwestern United States is one of the four U.S. geographic regions defined by the United States Census Bureau, providing an official definition of the American Midwest....
, is located on East Superior between Rush Street and Michigan. The Four Seasons Hotel Chicago, another of the Midwest's five star hotels, is also located on a cross street between Rush Street and Michigan Avenue. These two hotels host the highest rated spa
Spa
The term spa is associated with water treatment which is also known as balneotherapy. Spa towns or spa resorts typically offer various health treatments. The belief in the curative powers of mineral waters goes back to prehistoric times. Such practices have been popular worldwide, but are...
s in Illinois. Although the main entrance and official address of the Chicago Marriott
Marriott International
Marriott International, Inc. is a worldwide operator and franchisor of a broad portfolio of hotels and related lodging facilities. Founded by J. Willard Marriott, the company is now led by son J.W. Marriott, Jr...
Downtown Magnificent Mile is 540 North Michigan Avenue, the driveway for the hotel has a 541 North Rush Street address. Similarly, the Chicago Conrad Hotel located at 521 North Rush Street is a reconstruction of the former 520 North Michigan Chicago Landmark
Chicago Landmark
Chicago Landmark is a designation of the Mayor of Chicago and the Chicago City Council for historic buildings and other sites in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Listed sites are selected after meeting a combination of criteria, including historical, economic, architectural, artistic, cultural,...
McGraw-Hill Building
McGraw-Hill Building (Chicago)
The McGraw-Hill Building was a 16-story, landmark building in the Near North Side community area of Chicago, Illinois. The facade and its architectural sculpture by Chicago-born artist Gwen Lux was landmarked by the city prior to demolition, then taken down and reinstalled in 2000 on the new...
.
The former Archbishop Quigley Preparatory Seminary
Archbishop Quigley Preparatory Seminary
Archbishop Quigley Preparatory Seminary was an American seminary preparatory school administered by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago for young men considering the priesthood...
, which has been converted for use by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago
The Archdiocese of Chicago was established as a diocese in 1843 and as an Archdiocese in 1880. It serves more than 2.3 million Catholics in Cook and Lake counties in Northeastern Illinois, a geographic area of 1,411 square miles. The Archdiocese is divided into six vicariates and 31 deaneries...
is located on Rush Street between Superior and Chestnut. The Water Tower Campus 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...
is located along East Pearson St., which crosses Rush Street between the 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...
/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...
Gold Coast Showroom to the North and The Clare @ Water Tower to the South on the west side of the street. The Quigley Seminary Building 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 February 16, 1996. Rush Street also hosts one of three regional Royal Thai Consulate-General locations to support Royal Thai Embassy in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....