The Near North Side is the eighth of Chicago's 77
community areas. It is the northernmost of the three areas that constitute central Chicago, the others being the
Loop
Loop or LOOP may refer to:
Brands and enterprises
* Loop (mobile), a Bulgarian virtual network operator and co-founder of Loop Live
* Loop, clothing, a company founded by Carlos Vasquez in the 1990s and worn by Digable Planets
* Loop Mobile, an ...
and the
Near South Side. The community area is located north and east of the
Chicago River
The Chicago River is a system of rivers and canals with a combined length of that runs through the city of Chicago, including its center (the Chicago Loop). Though not especially long, the river is notable because it is one of the reasons for ...
. To its east is
Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is the second-largest of the Great Lakes by volume () and the third-largest by surface area (), after Lake Superior and Lake Huron. To the east, its basin is conjoined with that o ...
, and its northern boundary is the early 19th-century city limit of Chicago,
North Avenue. In 2020 the Near North Side had 105,481 residents, surpassing
Lake View as the largest Chicago community area by population. It is also the most densely populated community area and has the second most
skyscrapers
A skyscraper is a tall continuously habitable building having multiple floors. Modern sources currently define skyscrapers as being at least or in height, though there is no universally accepted definition. Skyscrapers are very tall high-ris ...
, after the Loop. With the exception of
Goose Island (which is undergoing development), the Near North Side is known for its
extreme affluence, typified by the
Gold Coast
Gold Coast may refer to:
Places Africa
* Gold Coast (region), in West Africa, which was made up of the following colonies, before being established as the independent nation of Ghana:
** Portuguese Gold Coast (Portuguese, 1482–1642)
** Dutch G ...
,
Magnificent Mile
The Magnificent Mile, sometimes referred to as The Mag Mile, is an upscale section of Chicago's Michigan Avenue, running from the Chicago River to Oak Street in the Near North Side. The district is located within downtown, and one block ...
,
Navy Pier
Navy Pier is a pier on the shoreline of Lake Michigan, located in the Streeterville neighborhood of the Near North Side community area in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Navy Pier encompasses over of parks, gardens, shops, restaurants, family ...
, and skyscrapers.
The Near North Side is the oldest part of Chicago. In the 1780s, in what is now the Near North Side, on the northern banks of the
Chicago River
The Chicago River is a system of rivers and canals with a combined length of that runs through the city of Chicago, including its center (the Chicago Loop). Though not especially long, the river is notable because it is one of the reasons for ...
near today's
Michigan Avenue Bridge,
Jean Baptiste Point du Sable
Jean Baptiste Point du Sable (also spelled ''Point de Sable'', ''Point au Sable'', ''Point Sable'', ''Pointe DuSable'', ''Pointe du Sable''; before 1750 – 28 August 1818) is regarded as the first permanent non-Indigenous settler of what would ...
built the
first known permanent settlement in what was called "Eschecagou." Today, this is marked by
Pioneer Court.
Especially in the vicinity of Rush and Erie streets, the Near North Side was once known as McCormickville; so named because it is here where many branches of the famous
McCormick family
The McCormick family of Chicago and Virginia is an American family of Scottish and Scotch-Irish descent that attained prominence and fortune starting with the invention of the McCormick Reaper, a machine that revolutionized agriculture, helped b ...
of mechanical reaper fame built their mansions in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
Neighborhoods
Gold Coast
The Gold Coast consists mostly of luxury high-rise apartment towers and buildings and stone mansions throughout. Its borders are generally defined as
North Avenue to the north,
Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is the second-largest of the Great Lakes by volume () and the third-largest by surface area (), after Lake Superior and Lake Huron. To the east, its basin is conjoined with that o ...
to the east,
Chicago Avenue
Chicago Avenue is a major east–west street in Chicago, Illinois that runs at 800 north from 385 east to 5968 west in the Chicago street address system from which point it enters the suburbs and goes into several different suburban address ...
to the south, and
Clark Street to the west.
The Gold Coast became the home of the super-rich in 1885, when
Potter Palmer
Potter Palmer (May 20, 1826 – May 4, 1902) was an American businessman who was responsible for much of the development of State Street in Chicago. Born in Albany County, New York,[Palmer House
The Palmer House – A Hilton Hotel is a historic hotel in Chicago's Loop area. It is a member of the Historic Hotels of America program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The Palmer House was the city's first hotel with elevators ...]
hotel, built a
fanciful castle on
Lake Shore Drive
Lake Shore Drive (officially Jean Baptiste Pointe du Sable Lake Shore Drive, and called DuSable Lake Shore Drive, The Outer Drive, The Drive, or LSD) is a multilevel expressway that runs alongside the shoreline of Lake Michigan, and adjacent to ...
. Over the next few decades, Chicago's elite gradually migrated from
Prairie Avenue
Prairie Avenue is a north–south street on the South Side of Chicago, which historically extended from 16th Street in the Near South Side to the city's southern limits and beyond. The street has a rich history from its origins as a major trail ...
to their new homes north of the
Loop
Loop or LOOP may refer to:
Brands and enterprises
* Loop (mobile), a Bulgarian virtual network operator and co-founder of Loop Live
* Loop, clothing, a company founded by Carlos Vasquez in the 1990s and worn by Digable Planets
* Loop Mobile, an ...
.
Along almost every boulevard of the Gold Coast has upscale boutiques and shops.
Giorgio Armani,
Barney's
Barneys New York Inc. is an American luxury brand founded in New York City in 1923. It has introduced major designers including Armani, Azzedine Alaïa, Comme des Garçons, Christian Louboutin, and Ermenegildo Zegna to the US market.
Barneys Ne ...
,
Brioni,
Brunello Cucinelli
Brunello Cucinelli (; born 3 September 1953 in Castel Rigone) is an Italian luxury creative director and the chief executive of his eponymous made in Italy brand, Brunello Cucinelli. He donates 20% of his profits through the Brunello Cucine ...
,
Bulgari,
Tory Burch
Tory Burch (née Robinson; born June 17, 1966) is an American fashion designer, businesswoman, and philanthropist. She is the Executive Chairman and Chief Creative Officer of her own brand, Tory Burch LLC. She was listed as the 88th most powerf ...
,
Cartier SA
Cartier International SNC, or simply Cartier (; ), is a French high-end luxury goods conglomerate that designs, manufactures, distributes, and sells jewellery, leather goods, and watches. Founded by Louis-François Cartier (1819–1904) in Paris ...
,
Chanel
Chanel ( , ) is a French high-end luxury fashion house founded in 1910 by Coco Chanel in Paris. Chanel specializes in women's ready-to-wear, luxury goods, and accessories and licenses its name and branding to Luxottica for eyewear. Chanel is ...
,
,
Christian Dior
Christian Ernest Dior (; 21 January 1905 – 24 October 1957) was a French fashion designer, best known as the founder of one of the world's top fashion houses, Christian Dior SE, which is now owned by parent company LVMH. His fashion houses a ...
,
Dolce & Gabbana
Dolce & Gabbana (), also known by initials D&G, is an Italian luxury fashion house founded in 1985 in Legnano by Italian designers Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana. The house specializes in ready-to-wear, handbags, accessories, and cosmetic ...
,
Escada
Escada SE is a luxury women's designer clothing company headquartered in Munich, Germany. The company is owned by Regent, L.P., an international private equity firm led by investor Michael Reinstein.
The company was founded in 1978 by design ...
,
Tom Ford
Thomas Carlyle Ford (born August 27, 1961) is an American fashion designer and filmmaker. He launched his eponymous luxury brand in 2005, having previously served as the creative director at Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent. Ford wrote and directe ...
,
Gucci
Gucci (, ; ) is an Italian high-end luxury fashion house based in Florence, Italy. Its product lines include handbags, ready-to-wear, footwear, accessories, and home decoration; and it licenses its name and branding to Coty, Inc. for fragrance ...
,
Hermès
Hermès International S.A., or simply Hermès ( , ), is a French luxury design house established in 1837. It specializes in leather goods, lifestyle accessories, home furnishings, perfumery, jewelry, watches and ready-to-wear. Its logo, since ...
,
Lanvin
Lanvin () is a French Luxury goods, luxury fashion house based in Paris. Founded in 1889 by Jeanne Lanvin, it is the oldest French fashion house still in operation. Since 2018, it has been a subsidiary of Shanghai-based Lanvin Group. Bruno Sialel ...
,
Christian Louboutin
Christian Louboutin (; born 7 January 1963) is a French fashion designer whose high-end stiletto footwear incorporates shiny, red-lacquered soles that have become his signature. Initially a freelance designer for fashion houses, he started hi ...
,
Marc Jacobs,
Max Mara
Max Mara (Italian aks 'ma:ra is an Italian fashion business. It markets up-market ready-to-wear clothing. It was established in 1951 in Reggio Emilia by Achille Maramotti (7 January 1927 – 12 January 2005). In March 2008, the company had 2,2 ...
,
Moncler
Moncler S.p.A. is an Italian luxury fashion house specialized in ready-to-wear outerwear headquartered in Milan, Italy. Since its start as a down jacket boutique, Moncler has expanded to design vests, raincoats, windbreakers, knitwear, leather ...
,
Prada
Prada S.p.A. (, ; ) is an Italian luxury fashion house founded in 1913 in Milan by Mario Prada. It specializes in leather handbags, travel accessories, shoes, ready-to-wear, and other fashion accessories. Prada licenses its name and branding t ...
,
Yves Saint Laurent,
Paul Stuart
Paul Stuart is a men's and women's luxury clothing brand founded in 1938 in New York City by haberdasher Ralph Ostrove (1898-1981), who named the company after his son, Paul Stuart Ostrove. The company has four standalone boutiques in the US, a ...
,
Van Cleef & Arpels
Van Cleef & Arpels is a French high-end luxury jewelry company. It was founded in 1896 by the Dutch diamond-cutter Alfred Van Cleef and his father-in-law Salomon Arpels in Paris. Their pieces often feature flowers, animals, and fairies, and hav ...
,
Versace
Gianni Versace S.r.l. (), usually referred to as Versace ( ), is an Italian luxury fashion company founded by Gianni Versace in 1978 known for flashy prints and bright colors. The company produces Italian-made ready-to-wear and accessories, as w ...
,
Louis Vuitton
Louis Vuitton Malletier, commonly known as Louis Vuitton (, ), is a French high-end luxury fashion house and company founded in 1854 by Louis Vuitton. The label's LV monogram appears on most of its products, ranging from luxury bags and leather ...
,
Vera Wang
Vera Ellen Wang (; born June 27, 1949) is an American fashion designer.
Early life
Vera Ellen Wang was born June 27, 1949 in New York City to Chinese parents who emigrated to the United States in the mid-1940s. Her mother, Florence Wu (Wu ...
, and
Harry Winston
Harry Winston (March 1, 1896December 8, 1978) was an American jeweler. He donated the Hope Diamond to the Smithsonian Institution in 1958 after owning it for a decade. He also traded the Portuguese Diamond to the Smithsonian in 1963 in exchan ...
are just a few of the dozens of designers that have locations in the exclusive neighborhood. Also,
Aston Martin
Aston Martin Lagonda Global Holdings PLC is an English manufacturer of luxury sports cars and grand tourers. Its predecessor was founded in 1913 by Lionel Martin and Robert Bamford. Steered from 1947 by David Brown, it became associated with ...
,
BMW,
Bentley
Bentley Motors Limited is a British designer, manufacturer and marketer of luxury cars and SUVs. Headquartered in Crewe, England, the company was founded as Bentley Motors Limited by W. O. Bentley (1888–1971) in 1919 in Cricklewood, North ...
,
Bugatti
Automobiles Ettore Bugatti was a German then French manufacturer of high-performance automobiles. The company was founded in 1909 in the then-German city of Molsheim, Alsace, by the Italian-born industrial designer Ettore Bugatti. The cars w ...
,
Lamborghini
Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A. () is an Italian brand and manufacturer of luxury sports cars and SUVs based in Sant'Agata Bolognese. The company is owned by the Volkswagen Group through its subsidiary Audi.
Ferruccio Lamborghini (1916–1993) ...
,
Maserati
Maserati S.p.A. () is an Italian luxury vehicle manufacturer. Established on 1 December 1914, in Bologna, Italy, the company's headquarters are now in Modena, and its emblem is a trident. The company has been owned by Stellantis since 2021. Ma ...
,
Rolls-Royce
Rolls-Royce (always hyphenated) may refer to:
* Rolls-Royce Limited, a British manufacturer of cars and later aero engines, founded in 1906, now defunct
Automobiles
* Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, the current car manufacturing company incorporated in ...
, and
Tesla all have dealerships in the Gold Coast.
Many of Chicago's best known and highly rated restaurants are located here as well. Also in the area are
Lou Malnati's Pizzeria
Lou Malnati's Pizzeria is an American Chicago-style pizza restaurant chain headquartered in Northbrook, Illinois. It was founded by the son of Rudy Malnati, who was instrumental in developing the recipe for Chicago-style pizza, and it has become o ...
, Gibsons Steakhouse, and the original
Morton's The Steakhouses
Morton's The Steakhouse is a chain of steak restaurants with locations in the United States and Franchising, franchised abroad, founded in Chicago in 1978. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Landry's.
History
Morton's was co-founded in 1978 by Ar ...
.
The "
Gold Coast Historic District" was listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
on January 30, 1978.
The Gold Coast is zoned to the following
Chicago Public Schools
Chicago Public Schools (CPS), officially classified as City of Chicago School District #299 for funding and districting reasons, in Chicago, Illinois, is the third-largest school district in the United States, after New York and Los Angeles.
...
schools
Ogden Schooland the prestigious
Latin School of Chicago
Latin School of Chicago is a selective private elementary, middle, and high school located in the Gold Coast neighborhood on the Near North Side of Chicago, Illinois, United States. The school was founded in 1888 by Mabel Slade Vickery. Latin S ...
.
Old Town
Old Town
In a city or town, the old town is its historic or original core. Although the city is usually larger in its present form, many cities have redesignated this part of the city to commemorate its origins after thorough renovations. There are ma ...
is a Chicago neighborhood bounded by
North Avenue on the north, Larrabee Street on the northwest,
Division Street on the south, Clybourn Avenue on the southwest, and
LaSalle Street
LaSalle Street is a major north-south street in Chicago named for Robert de La Salle, a 17th century French explorer of the Illinois Country. The portion that runs through the Chicago Loop is considered to be Chicago's financial district.
Sout ...
on the east. It crosses portions of the community areas of southern
Lincoln Park
Lincoln Park is a park along Lake Michigan on the North Side of Chicago, Illinois. Named after US President Abraham Lincoln, it is the city's largest public park and stretches for seven miles (11 km) from Grand Avenue (500 N), on the south, ...
, as well as the northern Near North Side, and is part of Chicago's 43rd ward.
Old Town includes the
Old Town Triangle Historic District
Old or OLD may refer to:
Places
*Old, Baranya, Hungary
*Old, Northamptonshire, England
* Old Street station, a railway and tube station in London (station code OLD)
*OLD, IATA code for Old Town Municipal Airport and Seaplane Base, Old Town, Ma ...
which is bounded on its northwest side by the former Ogden Avenue right-of-way, its northeast side by Lincoln Avenue and Wells Street, and on its south side by North Avenue. 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 neighborhood.
Old Town is now an affluent and historic neighborhood, home to many of Chicago's older Victorian-era buildings. However, in the 1950s, most of this area was an enclave to the first emigrants from
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and Unincorporated ...
to
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
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, subdivision_type = Country
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, who referred to it 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 built to serve German immigrants,
and one of only 7 to survive the
great Chicago fire
The Great Chicago Fire was a conflagration that burned in the American city of Chicago during October 8–10, 1871. The fire killed approximately 300 people, destroyed roughly of the city including over 17,000 structures, and left more than 10 ...
. St. Michael's, Holy Name Cathedral, Immaculate Conception, and St. Joseph's Catholic churches all catered to Latinos with a Mass in Spanish.
Many of the streets and alleys, particularly in the Old Town Triangle section, predate the
Great Chicago Fire
The Great Chicago Fire was a conflagration that burned in the American city of Chicago during October 8–10, 1871. The fire killed approximately 300 people, destroyed roughly of the city including over 17,000 structures, and left more than 10 ...
and do not all adhere to the city's typical grid pattern. In 1927, sculptors
Sol Kogen and
Edgar Miller purchased and subsequently rehabilitated a house on Burton Place, near Wells Street, into the
Carl Street Studios
The Carl Street Studios is an enclave in Chicago's Old Town neighborhood.
Early years
The Carl Street Studios complex began its life as a single family three story mansion built during the 1880s, and was, during part of these early years, reput ...
. Through the 1930s, an art colony emerged in the neighborhood as artists moved from the
Towertown
The Old Chicago Water Tower District is a historic district along the Magnificent Mile shopping district in the Near North Side community area of Chicago, Illinois. The district is located on both sides of North Michigan Avenue between Eas ...
neighborhood near Washington Square Park.
Old Town was home to many gays and lesbians from the 1950s through the 1980s. This was the first "gay ghetto" in Chicago, predating the current large Lake View neighborhood which also contains the Boystown district. There were numerous gay establishments in Old Town (now mostly closed as Lake View is now the main gayborhood) along Wells Street and Old Town was home to the longstanding gay-themed Bijou Theater until it closed in September 2015. As Old Town gentrified, the LGBT population of the nearby Lake View neighborhood continued to increase, as well as the LGBT populations of the Lincoln Park and Andersonville areas.
Old Town is home to the famous
Second City improvisational comedy troupe which has launched the careers of many successful comedians and actors.
Old Town has three
"L" rapid transit stations:
North/Clybourn,
Sedgwick, and
Clark/Division.
Goose Island
Goose Island is an island in
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
covering 160 acres on the
Chicago River
The Chicago River is a system of rivers and canals with a combined length of that runs through the city of Chicago, including its center (the Chicago Loop). Though not especially long, the river is notable because it is one of the reasons for ...
that is completely surrounded by the rest of the city. It is separated from the mainland by the North Branch of the Chicago River on the west and by the North Branch Canal on the east. The canal was dug in 1853 by mayor
William Butler Ogden
William Butler Ogden (June 15, 1805 – August 3, 1877) was an American politician and railroad executive who served as the first Mayor of Chicago. He was referred to as "the Astor of Chicago." He was, at one time, the city's richest citizen ...
's administration and was dug for industrial purposes, thus forming the island. After Irish immigrants settled on the island, it took the name Goose Island, as well as that of
Kilgubbin, which was the immigrants' original home in Ireland. The
Goose Island Brewery
Goose Island Beer Company is a brewery in Chicago, Illinois, that began as a single brewpub opened in 1988 in Lincoln Park, Chicago, and named after a nearby island. The larger production brewery opened in 1995, and a second brewpub, in Wrigle ...
makes Kilgubbin Red Ale, in honor of this name.
The large facility on the north end of Goose Island (visible from North Avenue, but by car only reachable from the south: Division Street to North Branch to 1132 W. Blackhawk) is the
Wrigley Global Innovation Center, a facility, which opened in September 2005 and was designed by
Gyo Obata
Gyo Obata (小圃 暁, February 28, 1923 – March 8, 2022) was an American architect, the son of painter Chiura Obata and his wife, Haruko Obata, a floral designer. In 1955, he co-founded the global architectural firm HOK (formerly Hellmuth, O ...
of
Hellmuth, Obata and Kassabaum
HOK, formerly Hellmuth, Obata + Kassabaum and legally HOK Group, Inc., is an American design, architecture, engineering, and urban planning firm, founded in 1955.
As of 2018, HOK is the largest U.S.-based architecture-engineering f ...
. While cars are able to approach from the south, trains, bicycles, and pedestrians can reach the site via the rail/pedestrian
Cherry Avenue Bridge
The Cherry Avenue Bridge (North Avenue railroad bridge, or Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway, Bridge No. Z-2) is an asymmetric bob-tail swing bridge in Chicago, Illinois that carries the Chicago Terminal Railroad, pedestrians, and cyclists ac ...
spanning from North Avenue to Goose Island. Additionally, there is seasonal access from the north via the
Chicago Water Taxi service dock at the south end of the
Cherry Avenue Bridge
The Cherry Avenue Bridge (North Avenue railroad bridge, or Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway, Bridge No. Z-2) is an asymmetric bob-tail swing bridge in Chicago, Illinois that carries the Chicago Terminal Railroad, pedestrians, and cyclists ac ...
.
On the south end of the island is
Kendall College
Kendall College at National Louis University is a private college which is part of National Louis University (NLU) in Chicago, Illinois, specializing in culinary arts and hospitality management. Kendall is accredited by the Higher Learning Commi ...
's Riverworks campus. The southern end of the island is currently undergoing redevelopment with upscale condominiums, townhouses, and apartments.
River North
River North is a neighborhood known for its fine dining, galleries, nightlife, and riverwalk amenities. It is home to the world headquarters of
ConAgra
Conagra Brands, Inc. (formerly ConAgra Foods) is an American consumer packaged goods holding company headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. Conagra makes and sells products under various brand names that are available in supermarkets, restaurants, ...
,
Groupon
Groupon is an American global e-commerce marketplace connecting subscribers with local merchants by offering activities, travel, goods and services in 13 countries. Based in Chicago, Groupon was launched there in November 2008, launching soon af ...
,
Motorola Mobility
Motorola Mobility LLC, marketed as Motorola, is an American consumer electronics manufacturer primarily producing smartphones and other mobile devices running Android OS, Android. It is a subsidiary of the Chinese multinational technology company ...
, and the regional offices of
Yelp
Yelp Inc. is an American company that develops the Yelp.com website and the Yelp mobile app, which publish crowd-sourced reviews about businesses. It also operates Yelp Guest Manager, a table reservation service. It is headquartered in San Fra ...
. It is bounded by Michigan Avenue to the east,
Chicago Avenue
Chicago Avenue is a major east–west street in Chicago, Illinois that runs at 800 north from 385 east to 5968 west in the Chicago street address system from which point it enters the suburbs and goes into several different suburban address ...
to the north, and the Chicago River to the south and west. River North has many towers and high-rises and some of its other famous structures include the
Merchandise Mart
The Merchandise Mart (or the Merch Mart, or the Mart) is a commercial building located in downtown Chicago, Illinois. When it was opened in 1930, it was the largest building in the world, with of floor space. The Art Deco structure is locate ...
, the
Wrigley Building
The Wrigley Building is a skyscraper located at 400–410 North Michigan Avenue on Chicago's Near North Side. It is located on the Magnificent Mile directly across Michigan Avenue from the Tribune Tower. Its two towers in an elaborate style wer ...
,
Holy Name Cathedral, the
Marina City
Marina City is a mixed-use residential-commercial building complex in Chicago, Illinois, United States, North America, designed by architect Bertrand Goldberg. The multi-building complex opened between 1963 and 1967 and occupies almost an entir ...
towers, and the
House of Blues
House of Blues is an American chain of live music concert halls and restaurants. It was founded by Isaac Tigrett, the co-founder of Hard Rock Cafe, and Dan Aykroyd, co-star of the 1980 film ''The Blues Brothers''. The first location opened at ...
.
Smokey Hollow
River North was previously named Smokey Hollow, at the turn of the 20th century, due to the many factories and forges in the area. Smoke from the factories was often so thick that it blocked the sunlight. At the time, Smokey Hollow was a major transportation hub, with railroad tracks linking the ports along the Chicago River to the surrounding areas. The now mixed-use Merchandise Mart was once a major storage warehouse for goods, and it still has railroad tracks underneath its sprawling structure. Former major retailer
Montgomery Ward
Montgomery Ward is the name of two successive U.S. retail corporations. The original Montgomery Ward & Co. was a world-pioneering mail-order business and later also a leading department store chain that operated between 1872 and 2001. The curren ...
also had a major transportation and storage facility in River North. Massive
coal bin
A coal bin, coal store or coal bunker is a storage container for coal awaiting use or transportation. This can be either in domestic, commercial or industrial premises, or on a ship or locomotive tender, or at a coal mine or processing plant.
Do ...
s were formerly located throughout the neighborhood, for storage of coal transported by ship.
Little Sicily
Little Sicily in Chicago was also located in River North. The first Italian Roman Catholic Church in Chicago was Assumption, on Illinois Street, with a mandate to be the parish church for all Italians from
Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is the second-largest of the Great Lakes by volume () and the third-largest by surface area (), after Lake Superior and Lake Huron. To the east, its basin is conjoined with that o ...
to the
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it f ...
. Later, Sicilians began to move north from the immediate vicinity of Assumption and began to form their own parishes. Italians whose family roots were from other parts of Italy tended to move west along Grand Street and form parishes west of Assumption.
=Cabrini–Green
=
The Near North Side formerly included the now demolished Cabrini–Green
public housing
Public housing is a form of housing tenure in which the property is usually owned by a government authority, either central or local. Although the common goal of public housing is to provide affordable housing, the details, terminology, def ...
project that once housed 15,000 subsidized tenants. It was made up primarily of high-rise and mid-rise buildings. The apartment buildings opened in 1958 and 1962, while the shuttered rowhouses (called the Frances Cabrini Homes, a few of which still exist) had opened in 1942. Cabrini–Green stood in what once was the former Italian enclave called the Little Sicily neighborhood, and the former site of St. Dominic's Church. In the 1920s, Little Sicily developed a reputation for poverty and crime. As gentrification began to take hold in the 1990s, the buildings made way for new upscale developments. The final Cabrini-Green tower was demolished in 2011. Following the conclusion of a civil lawsuit, the former Cabrini-Green site was transformed and revitalized with new upscale development spurred by the growth of Old Town to the north, and the already upscale/luxurious areas of the Gold Coast to the east and River North to the south.
Goose Island, which sits to the west, is currently undergoing new upscale development.
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 a
shabby urban neighborhood. In an effort to attract tenants Friedman began 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 to coalesce into what is now 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 has many taverns, rooftop bars, dance clubs, popular restaurants, and entertainment venues. Between the years 2000 and 2010, the population in the four census tracts covering River North increased by an average of nearly 82%, boosting population from 9,835 in 2000 to 17,892 in 2010.
Districts 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
skyscraper
A skyscraper is a tall continuously habitable building having multiple floors. Modern sources currently define skyscrapers as being at least or in height, though there is no universally accepted definition. Skyscrapers are very tall high-ris ...
s surrounding
Holy Name Cathedral (Catholic) and
St. James Cathedral (Episcopal), which are located near State and Superior, and Huron and Wabash, respectively. The
Moody Bible Institute
Moody Bible Institute (MBI) is a private evangelical Christian Bible college founded in the Near North Side of Chicago, Illinois, US by evangelist and businessman Dwight Lyman Moody in 1886. Historically, MBI has maintained positions that have i ...
isn't located too far away at Chicago Avenue and LaSalle Drive;
* a design district, with shops and showrooms selling commercial and luxury interior furnishings, in the blocks north of the
Merchandise Mart
The Merchandise Mart (or the Merch Mart, or the Mart) is a commercial building located in downtown Chicago, Illinois. When it was opened in 1930, it was the largest building in the world, with of floor space. The Art Deco structure is locate ...
;
* 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 CTA "L" train stations: the subway stations of Chicago Avenue (Red Line) and Grand Avenue (Red Line); and the elevated stations of Chicago Avenue (Brown Line) and Merchandise Mart (Brown Line).
Streeterville
Streeterville is the easternmost neighborhood in Chicago north of the Chicago River. It is bounded by the river on the south,
Michigan Avenue on the west, and
Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is the second-largest of the Great Lakes by volume () and the third-largest by surface area (), after Lake Superior and Lake Huron. To the east, its basin is conjoined with that o ...
on the north and east.
Streeterville houses some of Chicago's tallest
skyscraper
A skyscraper is a tall continuously habitable building having multiple floors. Modern sources currently define skyscrapers as being at least or in height, though there is no universally accepted definition. Skyscrapers are very tall high-ris ...
s (such as the
John Hancock Center
The John Hancock Center is a 100- story, 1,128-foot supertall skyscraper located in Chicago, Illinois. Located in the Magnificent Mile district, the building was officially renamed 875 North Michigan Avenue in 2018.
The skyscraper was designed ...
); many upscale stores, hotels, restaurants; and
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston, Illinois. Founded in 1851, Northwestern is the oldest chartered university in Illinois and is ranked among the most prestigious academic institutions in the world.
Charte ...
's
Northwestern Memorial Hospital
Northwestern Memorial Hospital (NMH) is a nationally ranked academic medical center located on Northwestern University’s Chicago campus in Streeterville, Chicago, Illinois. It is the flagship campus for Northwestern Medicine and the primary ...
,
Feinberg School of Medicine
Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine is the medical school of Northwestern University and is located in the Streeterville neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. Founded in 1859, Feinberg offers a full-time Doctor of Medicine degree p ...
,
School of Professional Studies,
Kellogg School of Management
The Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University (also known as Kellogg) is the business school of Northwestern University, a private research university in Evanston, Illinois. Founded in 1908, Kellogg is one of the oldest and most p ...
's downtown campus, and
School of Law
A law school (also known as a law centre or college of law) is an institution specializing in legal education, usually involved as part of a process for becoming a lawyer within a given jurisdiction.
Law degrees Argentina
In Argentina, ...
.
![20070513 Magnificent Mile](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bb/20070513_Magnificent_Mile.JPG)
The number one tourist attraction in the Midwest,
Navy Pier
Navy Pier is a pier on the shoreline of Lake Michigan, located in the Streeterville neighborhood of the Near North Side community area in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Navy Pier encompasses over of parks, gardens, shops, restaurants, family ...
, is located in Streeterville. The neighborhood also houses the
Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago
The Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) 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 ...
.
Magnificent Mile
The Magnificent Mile is a stretch of North Michigan Avenue between the Chicago River and
Oak Street. Along this portion of Michigan Avenue is a mixture of luxury stores,
restaurant
A restaurant is a business that prepares and serves food and drinks to customers. Meals are generally served and eaten on the premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services. Restaurants vary greatly in appearan ...
s, office buildings, and
hotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. Facilities provided inside a hotel room may range from a modest-quality mattress in a small room to large suites with bigger, higher-quality beds, a dresser, a ref ...
s. The area has a high concentration of the city's major media firms and
advertising agencies
An advertising agency, often referred to as a creative agency or an ad agency, is a business dedicated to creating, planning, and handling advertising and sometimes other forms of promotion and marketing for its clients. An ad agency is generally ...
as well, including the ''
Chicago Tribune
The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television ar ...
''
newspaper
A newspaper is a periodical publication containing written information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background.
Newspapers can cover a wide variety of fields such as politics, business, sports a ...
.
The street is the home of Chicago's famous
Water Tower
A water tower is an elevated structure supporting a water tank constructed at a height sufficient to pressurize a water distribution system, distribution system for potable water, and to provide emergency storage for fire protection. Water towe ...
landmark, Water Tower Park with its historic clock, and the eight-level
Water Tower Place
Water Tower Place is a large urban, mixed-use development comprising a shopping mall, hotel, theater, and condominiums in a 74-story skyscraper in Chicago, Illinois, United States. The mall is located at 835 North Michigan Avenue, along the Mag ...
shopping center which grew up next door to the landmark. North of the shopping center can be found the famous
John Hancock Center
The John Hancock Center is a 100- story, 1,128-foot supertall skyscraper located in Chicago, Illinois. Located in the Magnificent Mile district, the building was officially renamed 875 North Michigan Avenue in 2018.
The skyscraper was designed ...
, also known as 875 North Michigan Avenue tower; the
Art Deco
Art Deco, short for the French ''Arts Décoratifs'', and sometimes just called Deco, is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design, that first appeared in France in the 1910s (just before World War I), and flourished in the Unite ...
Palmolive Building; and the lavish Drake Hotel (Chicago), Drake Hotel that sits across from a beach.
Attractions
;Architecture/Buildings
* Chicago Water Tower
*
John Hancock Center
The John Hancock Center is a 100- story, 1,128-foot supertall skyscraper located in Chicago, Illinois. Located in the Magnificent Mile district, the building was officially renamed 875 North Michigan Avenue in 2018.
The skyscraper was designed ...
*
Water Tower Place
Water Tower Place is a large urban, mixed-use development comprising a shopping mall, hotel, theater, and condominiums in a 74-story skyscraper in Chicago, Illinois, United States. The mall is located at 835 North Michigan Avenue, along the Mag ...
* 900 North Michigan
*
Marina City
Marina City is a mixed-use residential-commercial building complex in Chicago, Illinois, United States, North America, designed by architect Bertrand Goldberg. The multi-building complex opened between 1963 and 1967 and occupies almost an entir ...
;
* Holy Name Cathedral, Chicago, Holy Name Cathedral
* St. James Cathedral, Chicago, St. James Cathedral
* Tribune Tower
* Trump International Hotel and Tower (Chicago), Trump Tower
* Lake Point Tower
;Museums
* Chicago Children's Museum
* Driehaus Museum
* International Museum of Surgical Science
* Loyola University Museum of Art
*
Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago
The Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) 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 ...
;Sights/Shopping
*
Magnificent Mile
The Magnificent Mile, sometimes referred to as The Mag Mile, is an upscale section of Chicago's Michigan Avenue, running from the Chicago River to Oak Street in the Near North Side. The district is located within downtown, and one block ...
*
Navy Pier
Navy Pier is a pier on the shoreline of Lake Michigan, located in the Streeterville neighborhood of the Near North Side community area in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Navy Pier encompasses over of parks, gardens, shops, restaurants, family ...
* Centennial Fountain
* Chicago River boat cruises
;Theatre
* Chicago Shakespeare Theater
* IO Theater
* Lookingglass Theatre Company
* The Second City
Economy
Google's Chicago offices are in the Dearborn Plaza building. Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways have offices in the
John Hancock Center
The John Hancock Center is a 100- story, 1,128-foot supertall skyscraper located in Chicago, Illinois. Located in the Magnificent Mile district, the building was officially renamed 875 North Michigan Avenue in 2018.
The skyscraper was designed ...
. The Wrigley Company had its headquarters in the
Wrigley Building
The Wrigley Building is a skyscraper located at 400–410 North Michigan Avenue on Chicago's Near North Side. It is located on the Magnificent Mile directly across Michigan Avenue from the Tribune Tower. Its two towers in an elaborate style wer ...
before moving to Goose Island, also within the community area, in 2012.
After American Airlines acquired Simmons Airlines, and before Simmons was dissolved, Simmons had its headquarters on the Near North Side. At one point Indigo Airlines was headquartered on the Near North Side. The Tribune Media, Tribune Company had its headquarters in the eponymous Tribune Tower before moving to One Prudential Plaza in the
Loop
Loop or LOOP may refer to:
Brands and enterprises
* Loop (mobile), a Bulgarian virtual network operator and co-founder of Loop Live
* Loop, clothing, a company founded by Carlos Vasquez in the 1990s and worn by Digable Planets
* Loop Mobile, an ...
in 2017.
Potbelly Sandwich Works likewise was located in the
Merchandise Mart
The Merchandise Mart (or the Merch Mart, or the Mart) is a commercial building located in downtown Chicago, Illinois. When it was opened in 1930, it was the largest building in the world, with of floor space. The Art Deco structure is locate ...
complex before moving to the Near West Side, Chicago#West Loop, West Loop in 2015.
Politics
Local
The Near North Side is currently part of the 2nd, 27th, 42nd, and 43rd wards of the Chicago City Council, which are respectively represented by Democratic aldermen Brian K. Hopkins, Brian Hopkins, Walter Burnett Jr., Brendan Reilly (politician), Brendan Reilly, and Michele Smith (politician), Michele Smith.
In the Cook County Board of Commissioners the majority of the area is in the 3rd district, represented by Democrat Bill Lowry. The westernmost part, including the majority of Goose Island, and much of the southwestern part, including the majority of River North, is in the 12th District, represented by Democrat John Fritchey. Two parts of the area in the extreme south—the respective vicinities of Wolf Point and the Wabash Avenue Bridge—are part of the 2nd District, represented by Democrat Dennis Deer.
State
In the Illinois House of Representatives the community area is roughly evenly split lengthwise between, from east to west, Districts 26, 5, 9, and 10, represented respectively by Democrats Christian Mitchell, Juliana Stratton, Art Turner, and Melissa Conyears. The southwest portion of the area—the western half of River North—is within District 6 represented by Democrat Sonya Harper, and the northeastern part—the eastern half of Old Town and the northern half of the Gold Coast—is within District 12, represented by Democrat Sara Feigenholtz.
In the Illinois Senate the biggest portion of the community area is in District 3, represented by Democrat Mattie Hunter, while Streeterville and the southern half of the Gold Coast is in District 13, represented by Democrat Kwame Raoul, Cabrini–Green, Goose Island, and the western half of Old Town is in District 5, represented by Democrat Patricia Van Pelt, and the eastern part of Old Town and the northern half of the Gold Coast is in District 6, represented by Democrat and Illinois Senate President John Cullerton.
Federal
In the United States House of Representatives, US House of Representatives, the area is mostly within Illinois's 7th congressional district, which is the most Democratic-leaning district in the State of Illinois according to the Cook Partisan Voting Index with a score of D+38 and represented by Democrat Danny K. Davis. Small parts in the north are within Illinois's 5th congressional district, which is represented by Democrat Mike Quigley (politician), Mike Quigley.
The Near North Side community area has supported the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party in the past two presidential elections. In the United States presidential election in Illinois, 2016, 2016 presidential election, the Near North Side cast 32,150 votes for Hillary Clinton and cast 8,778 votes for Donald Trump (74.5% to 20.4%). In the United States presidential election in Illinois, 2012, 2012 presidential election, the Near North Side cast 24,592 votes for Barack Obama and cast 12,939 votes for Mitt Romney (64.5% to 34.0%).
Diplomatic missions
Several consulates are located on the Near North Side. The main building and visa office of the Diplomatic missions of the People's Republic of China, Consulate-General of the People's Republic of China are here. Other countries with missions here include List of diplomatic missions of Austria, Austria, List of diplomatic missions of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bosnia and Herzegovina, List of diplomatic missions of Brazil, Brazil, List of diplomatic missions of Bulgaria, Bulgaria, List of diplomatic missions of Chile, Chile, Colombia, List of diplomatic missions of Denmark, Denmark, List of diplomatic missions of Egypt, Egypt, List of diplomatic missions of Germany, Germany, List of diplomatic missions of Greece, Greece, List of diplomatic missions of India, India, List of diplomatic missions of Ireland, Republic of Ireland, Diplomatic missions of Italy, Italy, Diplomatic missions of Japan, Japan, Diplomatic missions of South Korea, South Korea, Diplomatic missions of Lithuania, Lithuania, Consulate-General of Poland in Chicago, Poland, Diplomatic missions of Serbia, Serbia, Diplomatic missions of Switzerland, Switzerland, Diplomatic missions of Thailand, Thailand, the Diplomatic missions of the United Kingdom, United Kingdom, and Diplomatic missions of Ukraine, Ukraine.
Three trade missions have offices at 500 North Michigan Avenue: the Austrian Trade Commission is located in Suite 1950, the Italian-American Chamber of Commerce Midwest is located in Suite 506,
and the Trade Commission of Spain is here.
Education
Colleges and universities
*Northwestern University School of Law
*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
*The Chicago School of Professional Psychology
*University of Chicago's Booth School of Business Gleacher Center
*Erikson Institute
*
Moody Bible Institute
Moody Bible Institute (MBI) is a private evangelical Christian Bible college founded in the Near North Side of Chicago, Illinois, US by evangelist and businessman Dwight Lyman Moody in 1886. Historically, MBI has maintained positions that have i ...
Primary and secondary schools
Chicago Public Schools
Chicago Public Schools (CPS), officially classified as City of Chicago School District #299 for funding and districting reasons, in Chicago, Illinois, is the third-largest school district in the United States, after New York and Los Angeles.
...
serves residents of the Near North Side.
*Zoned elementary schools include Ogden International School (Jenner Academy of the Arts, Jenner School has merged into Ogden)
*Some students are zoned to Wells Community Academy High School while others are zoned to Lincoln Park High School (Chicago), Lincoln Park High School
Magnet schools:
*Walter Payton College Prep
Charter schools:
*Noble Academy (Chicago), Noble Academy
Private schools:
*
Latin School of Chicago
Latin School of Chicago is a selective private elementary, middle, and high school located in the Gold Coast neighborhood on the Near North Side of Chicago, Illinois, United States. The school was founded in 1888 by Mabel Slade Vickery. Latin S ...
Adult education
Feltre School
Libraries
Newberry Library
Chicago Public Library Near North Branch
Chicago Public Library Water Works Branch
Notable residents
* Conor Allen, American Hockey League, AHL player with the Rochester Americans. He was raised in Old Town.
* Henry A. Courtney Jr. (1916–1945), officer of the United States Marine Corps Reserve and a Posthumous recognition, posthumous recipient of the Medal of Honor. He resided at 30 West Chicago Avenue while studying at Loyola University Chicago School of Law, Loyola University's School of Law.
* Mitch Glasser (born 1989), Israeli-American baseball player
* Nellie Grant (1855–1922), daughter of President Ulysses S. Grant. At the time of her death, she resided at 1130 North Lake Shore Drive with her husband Frank Hatch Jones.
* Dwight H. Green (1897–1958), 30th Governor of Illinois (1941–1949). He resided at 1360 North Lake Shore Drive at the time of his death.
* Robert Halperin (1908–1985), athlete and businessman who founded Lands' End. He resided on the Near North Side.
* Suzanne Le Mignot, television news anchor and reporter.
* Polo G (born 1999), rapper.
* Gene Siskel (1946–1999), film critic. He resided at 1301 N. Astor St.
References
External links
Official City of Chicago Near North Side Community MapStreeterville Chamber of CommerceDowntown Chicago's Comprehensive WebsiteGold Coast Neighbors AssociationInteractive map of Near North Side*Chicago Park District:
Connors ParkWashington Square ParkNavy PierTravel Essay on River North by Max GrinnellLa Clark neighborhood and Young Lords origins
{{Chicago
Beaches of Cook County, Illinois
Central Chicago
Community areas of Chicago
Entertainment districts in the United States