Chicago's River North
Question: About how many sq . streets should it take to accommodate 2 of the most well known buildings in The Usa, the 2nd most impressive amount of galleries in the country, a buzzing design community, a key city newspaper, way more themed eateries than a garrison of vacationers could ever wish to cramm and extremely sought-after real estate, to top it all off?
If your not surprised that all of this and thousands more great amenities are all comfortably situated within a neat-and-tidy 13 blocks by 9, then you're undoubtedly familiar with Chicago's own River North neighborhood! Bordered by Michigan Avenue to the East, Chicago Avenue to the North, and the Chicago River making de facto Southern and Western boundaries, River North is a small but shining jewel of Chicago's Near North Side.
It wasn't always that way, however. Despite the historical and economic significance of the Merchandise Mart, the area that would become River North was considered to be one of the "seedier" areas of the city prior to the 1970's.
It's real estate developer Alan Friedman that the community has to thank for it's modern revitalization. In '74, Friedman and a slue of photographers, ad agencies, boutiques and galleries swooped into one of the most unjustly underdeveloped neighborhoods in Chicago, gave it an artistic and architectural make-over of massive proportions, and christened it with the punchy nickname "River North."
As of then, River North has expanded exponentially in societal importance and property worth. Home to the city's "Gallery District," a descendant of Friedman's original fine art house implantation, the community currently has the most art galleries in america outside of Manhattan. It is also regarded as the "Cathedral District" for the gorgeous juxtaposition of the Catholic Holy Name Cathedral and the Episcopalian St. James Cathedral against a skyline of glass and steel. Include in the Rock 'n Roll McDonald's, the very first Pizzeria Uno, the office space of the Chicago Sun-Times newspaper, a immense amount of luxurious condo buildings as well as the 2nd highest construction in The united states, The Trump Hotel and Tower, and you don't just have the makings of a major tourist attraction . . . you've discovered a significant life-line of a key city. .
If your not surprised that all of this and thousands more great amenities are all comfortably situated within a neat-and-tidy 13 blocks by 9, then you're undoubtedly familiar with Chicago's own River North neighborhood! Bordered by Michigan Avenue to the East, Chicago Avenue to the North, and the Chicago River making de facto Southern and Western boundaries, River North is a small but shining jewel of Chicago's Near North Side.
It wasn't always that way, however. Despite the historical and economic significance of the Merchandise Mart, the area that would become River North was considered to be one of the "seedier" areas of the city prior to the 1970's.
It's real estate developer Alan Friedman that the community has to thank for it's modern revitalization. In '74, Friedman and a slue of photographers, ad agencies, boutiques and galleries swooped into one of the most unjustly underdeveloped neighborhoods in Chicago, gave it an artistic and architectural make-over of massive proportions, and christened it with the punchy nickname "River North."
As of then, River North has expanded exponentially in societal importance and property worth. Home to the city's "Gallery District," a descendant of Friedman's original fine art house implantation, the community currently has the most art galleries in america outside of Manhattan. It is also regarded as the "Cathedral District" for the gorgeous juxtaposition of the Catholic Holy Name Cathedral and the Episcopalian St. James Cathedral against a skyline of glass and steel. Include in the Rock 'n Roll McDonald's, the very first Pizzeria Uno, the office space of the Chicago Sun-Times newspaper, a immense amount of luxurious condo buildings as well as the 2nd highest construction in The united states, The Trump Hotel and Tower, and you don't just have the makings of a major tourist attraction . . . you've discovered a significant life-line of a key city. .
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