220 WIL

Experience the Magnificent Mile & Michigan Avenue in Chicago’s River North

Chicago was incorporated in 1837 on waterways--for trading--and was re-built in 1871 after the Chicago Fire. The area known today as River North contained warehouses, shipping facilities, railroad tracks, worker’s housing, factories and forges. Because of the number of factories--and the smoke they produced--the area was referred to as Smokey Hollow. When the port was closed the area fell into disrepair as the warehouses and factories vacated and residents moved to the suburbs. From the 1920s through the 1960s it was almost deserted and became known as a red-light district. As artists began to reclaim the large vacated buildings for relatively little money, they turned the old warehouses and factories into galleries, studios, offices and apartments. Real estate developer Albert Friedman coined the name River North to help the area lose its reputation as a derelict district.

River North now has the largest concentration of art galleries outside of Manhattan and a revitalized entertainment industry. It is also home to international corporations such as ConAgra, Groupon and Motorola. The eastern border is Michigan Avenue; the northern edge is Chicago Avenue and the Chicago River is on the south and west perimeters.