Whether you are an art lover or love to shop, the River North area
of Chicago has something special for you. Just north of the downtown
Loop, bound by Chicago Avenue to the north, Michigan Avenue to the
east, and the Chicago River to the south and west, River North has a
cluster of hotels, galleries, convenient transportation, and great
places to eat, shop and enjoy Chicago's art culture. The Wrigley
Building, Tribune Tower and the former Chicago Sun-Times Building (now
the site of Trump International Hotel and Tower) are part of this
remarkable section of the city. The "Cathedral District," near the
intersection of State and Huron, has a significant number of new
residential skyscrapers surrounding the Catholic Holy Name Cathedral
and the Episcopal St. James Cathedral.
What distinguishes
River North from the rest of the Windy City is its Gallery District.
Once an old manufacturing and warehouse area, the River North Gallery
District has the greatest concentration of art galleries in the United
States, outside of Manhattan. Emerging artists of all kinds display
their work beside established artists in an area dense with hot bars,
cool dance clubs, and all kinds of entertainment venues. The House of
Blues ranks among these highlights, where people come from all over the
world to enjoy blues music and folk art as well as southern-inspired
cuisine. If jazz is your thing, Andy's Jazz Club on East Huron Street,
shouldn't be missed. Chicago's top artists perform a range of musical
stylings from Traditional, Swing and Bop to Fusion, Latin and Afro-Pop.
When lunch or dinner time rolls around, you can satisfy
your appetite at one of the theme-restaurants—popular with
out-of-towners—like the tropical-themed Rainforest Cafe (a "wild" place
to eat and shop) or Ed Debevic's 1950s style diner, or any of the
upscale restaurants in the vicinity. River North is also home to the
Merchandise Mart, the world's largest commercial building, just a
short, leisurely walk from the famous Magnificent Mile. This Chicago
institution spans two city blocks of floor after floor of shops and
showrooms filled with commercial and luxury interior furnishings.
River
North's attractive tree-shaded streets are lined with lovely vintage
residences as well as newly built high-rises and lofts, especially in
areas like Kingsbury Park, near Erie Street and the Chicago River. And
for those who prefer a short commute to work, the old Montgomery Ward
building in Kingsbury Park was redesigned into contemporary office
space that includes financial firms, advertising, marketing, and
telecommunications companies. Also in the landmark building is the
signature Japanese-French fusion cuisine of Japonais Restaurant-Lounge,
one of Chicago's hottest fine dining establishments. Voted by Conde-Nast Traveler
as "one of the top 66 restaurants in the world," Japonais is a great
place for celebrity sightings and superior sushi with a Parisian twist.
For those new to the city, folks in town for work or
pleasure, or lifetime residents, this is one part of Chicago where
there's an endless amount of things to see and do around every corner.
