# Chicago's River North



## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

Chicago's River North neighborhood is located north of the Chicago River, west of Michigan Avenue, and south of Chicago Avenue. The River North area began as an industrial center, with railroad tracks that lined the Chicago River encouraging factories and warehouses to open up nearby. After World War II, industry declined, and the neighborhood began to see decay. Revitalization started in the 1970s, when cheaper housing attracted artists and other entrepreneurs. Warehouses were turned into lofts, and lofts from earlier in the neighborhood's history were ideal for others who wished to live near the Loop. Today, River North has the largest concentration of art galleries in the United States, outside of Manhattan.


The Boutique Cartier, on Michigan Avenue at Ontario Street. The building was originally the Woman's Athletic Club, and was built in 1928.










Bloomingdale's Home Store, on Ontario Street at Wabash Avenue. The structure was built in 1912 as the Medinah Temple. The Medinah Temple was an auditorium, until the Bloomingdale's store opened in 2003.










The Ransom Cable House, at Erie Street & Wabash Avenue. The Cable House was built in 1886 for Ransom Cable, president of the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railway Company. 










St. James Cathedral, on Wabash Avenue at Huron Street. The cathedral is the seat of the Episcopal Diocese of Chicago, and was built in 1857, then rebuilt in 1871 after the Great Chicago Fire burned everything except the bell tower and stone walls. The Samuel Nickerson House is on the right, and the John Hancock Center is in the background.










Businesses on Dearborn Street.










Buildings on Dearborn Street.










Noly Name Cathedral, on State Street at Superior Street. The Cathedral was built in 1874 for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Chicago.










In 1880, the Diocese of Chicago became an Archdiocese for the Catholic Church.










The ceiling of the cathedral is 70 feet high, and together with other aspects of the church, are meant to represent the Tree of Life.










Pope John Paul II celebrated Mass in Holy Name Cathedral during his visit in 1979.










Lawson YMCA, on Chicago Avenue. The Lawson YMCA was built in 1934.










Buildings on the corner of State Street & Chicago Avenue.










Buildings on Huron Street at State Street.










Excalibur, a bar at Dearborn & Ontario Streets. The building was originally the home of the Chicago Historical Society, and was built in 1892.










Looking west down Ontario Street. The Rock N Roll McDonald's is in the background. The Rock N Roll McDonald's was opened in 1983 and is one of the busiest McDonald's locations in the nation. The flagship location includes a two-lane drive-through, and a Rock & Roll exhibit.










The old Tree Studios buildings, at the corner of State & Ontario Streets. The original part of the building, on the right, was constructed in 1894, and one of the additions, on the left, was constructed in 1913. The Tree Studios were built to be a home for artists.










Pizzeria Due, on Wabash Avenue at Ontario Street. Pizzeria Due was founded by Pizzeria Uno founder Ike Sewell when he ran out of room in his original Pizzeria Uno restaurant. Behind Pizzeria Due is Su Casa, a Tex-Mex restaurant also opened by Ike Sewell, who was born and raised in Texas.










Cyrus McCormick House, on Rush Street at Erie Street. Cyrus McCormick built his house on Rush Street in the late 1870s after making a fortune developing a reaper and selling them through his McCormick Harvesting MAchine Company.










The Allerton Crowne Plaza Hotel, on Huron Street at Michigan Avenue. The Allerton Hotel was built in 1924. The neon signs for the Allerton Hotel and Tip Top Tap, a bar inside the hotel, remain on the building, even though neither exist anymore.










The John Hancock Center, from Michigan Avenue. The John Hancock Center is 1,127 feet tall and was completed in 1969.










Looking up Michigan Avenue at the Chicago Water Tower. The Water Tower was built in 1866 to house the standpipe, which provided water pressure for distributing the water to the city.










The Reid, Murdoch & Company Building, also called the City of Chicago Central Office Building, on the Chicago River between LaSalle Street and Clark Street. The building was built in 1914 for commercial and warehousing purposes, and docks were installed in the Chicago River in front of the building to allow for loading and unloading of goods. The Reid, Murdoch & Company Building is now the headquarters for Encyclopedia Britannica.










The Reid, Murdoch & Company Building, with the LaSalle Street Bridge in the foreground. The Reid, Murdoch & Company Building was originally symmetrical, but a section of the building on the west side was demolished to accommodate the enlargement of the approach of the LaSalle Street Bridge. The Reid, Murdoch & Company Building now has 5 section on the left side, and 6 sections on the right side.










The Merchandise Mart is a building along the Chicago River, between Franklin Street and Wells Street. The structure was built in 1930 as a wholesale facility for Marshall Field & Company. The Merchandise Mart consolidated all of the previous warehouses that Marshall Field & Company used.










Wolf Point, from Lake Street. The original site of the city of Chicago was at Wolf Point, and it was here that










The busts of eight merchandisers, retailers, and other business magnates face the Merchandise Mart, along Merchandise Mart Plaza. It is said that these eight men make up the Merchandise Mart Hall of Fame, and that they guard the building from their location.










The Merchandise Mart is the largest office building in Chicago, and was the largest building in the world when completed. It is now one of the twenty largest buildings in the world.










Buildings along the Chicago River. The Merchandise Mart is in the center, and the Chicago School of Professional Psychology is on the right. The Wells Street Bridge is in the foreground.










A bridge house for the Clark Street Bridge, in front of the Reid, Murdoch & Company Building. The Clark Street Bridge was built in 1929 in the typical Chicago-style bascule fashion.










Looking down the Main Branch of the Chicago River at the Clark Street Bridge. Clark Street was named after George Rogers Clark, leader of the Kentucky militia, the highest-ranking Patriot in the Northwest Territory, and the "Conquerer of the Old Northwest". Clark Street was once an Indian trail that continued north all the way to Green Bay, Wisconsin.










Marina City is a pair of mixed-use buildings on the Chicago River, between Dearborn Street and State Street. The buildings were completed in 1964 and are called a "city within a city".


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## spyguy (Apr 16, 2005)

Nice thread.


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## philadweller (Oct 30, 2003)

Thanks for the thread and the info. I would hope that anyone that has an interest in US cities would know about Marina City. That should be considered common knowledge.


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## philadweller (Oct 30, 2003)

So where are all of the art galleries? I am seeing Bloomingdales.


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## ericts (Nov 9, 2007)

Great descriptions.


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## bobbycuzin (May 30, 2007)

what does the inside of marina city look like?


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## Brisbaner21 (Jul 17, 2007)

Great shots, mate.


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## MNiemann (Sep 5, 2007)

ugh, absolutely gorgeous. i will live there someday. i can't wait.


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## spyguy (Apr 16, 2005)

philadweller said:


> So where are all of the art galleries? I am seeing Bloomingdales.


You can see some in a couple of photos, but they're more concentrated in other parts of River North not shown in this thread.


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## philadweller (Oct 30, 2003)

Yeah thanks... I remember a different part of River North where there were mostly low rise galleries a little farther in from the lake.


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## tpe (Aug 10, 2005)

Just to be sure, here is a map of some River North galleries. You'll see where many of them are concentrated.

http://chicagogallerynews.com/gmaps.asp?d=3


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## tpe (Aug 10, 2005)

And just some added info: over the years, River North has been giving way to the West Loop in terms of gallery space and auction houses. But there is still a lot of galleries in the River North area...


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## palermodude (Aug 5, 2008)

I consider myself very fortunate/lucky to have lived in this neighborhood.
I love Chicago, Illinois - one of the best cities in one of the best states in the US. I wish more were like this.


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## palermodude (Aug 5, 2008)

I guess nobody cares about near north
maybe i was not so fortunate to live there


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