By the 1920s, commuter suburbs began to have significant retail districts.[3] Prior to the bascule bridge construction, swing bridges across the river were open for ship traffic during half the daylight hours.[4] The Rush Street Bridge was the swing bridge for this area.[5] The opening of the Michigan Avenue Bridge in 1920 created a new commercial district.[3]
The concept for the Magnificent Mile was part of the 1909 Burnham Plan of Chicago.[1] It was constructed during the 1920s to replace Pine Street, which had been lined with factories and warehouses near the river, and fine mansion and rowhouse residences farther north.[1] The earliest building constructions varied in style, but challenged new heights in construction.[1] The name the "Magnificent Mile" is a registered trademark of The Magnificent Mile Association, formerly the Greater North Michigan Avenue Association (GNMAA).[6]
After the Great Depression and World War II, Arthur Rubloff and William Zeckendorf bought or controlled most of the property along this stretch of the avenue and supported a plan by Holabird & Root for construction of new buildings and renovation of old ones that took advantage of new zoning laws.[1] Soon the property values driven by the luxury shopping districts were pricing out the nearby artists of Tower Town, just southwest of the Chicago Water Tower.[7] Rubloff and Zeckendorf successfully developed and promoted the area until it became one of the most prestigious addresses of the city. That distinction holds today,[1] and spurred new investment along the Magnificent Mile and throughout the Near North Side.[8]
After 1950, suburban development reduced the Loop's daily significance to many Chicagoans as downtown retail sales slipped. However, the Magnificent Mile kept a luxury shopping district close to the central business district.[9] The opening of the 74-story Water Tower Place in 1975 marked the return of Chicago to retailing prominence.[3] By 1979, the State Street commercial corridor had lost its commercial vitality and was closed to street traffic for renovation including sidewalk widening until 1996.[3] In August 2020, the Magnificent Mile was looted by large crowds during a night of unrest after Chicago police shot a black person in Englewood.[10] In May 2022, a mass shooting nearby the neighborhood killed two people and critically injured eight others.[11]
Description
Today, The Magnificent Mile contains a mixture of upscale department stores, restaurants, luxury retailers, residential and commercial buildings, financial services companies, and hotels, catering primarily to tourists and the affluent. The Magnificent Mile includes 3.1 million sq ft (290,000 m2) of retail space, 460 stores, 275 restaurants, 51 hotels, and a host of sightseeing and entertainment attractions to more than 22 million visitors annually.[12]
The American Planning Association selected The Magnificent Mile as one of the 10 Great Streets for 2007 through its Great Places in America program.[13] In recent years, The Magnificent Mile has added trees and flower-filled medians to reflect the changing seasons.
The Magnificent Mile has three urban shopping centers: Water Tower Place, The Shops at North Bridge, and 900 North Michigan Shops. Each spans multiple floors and city blocks and offers various tenants: mall mainstays and more upscale apparel shops, restaurants, and unique attractions, such as museums. In its book The 10 Best of Everything: An Ultimate Guide for Travelers, National Geographic named The Magnificent Mile along with Rodeo Drive and Fifth Avenue as one of the 10 best shopping avenues in the world.[14]
Hotels and dining
Renowned and critically acclaimed restaurants such as The Signature Room at The 95th, Spiaggia, Tru, The Pump Room, Lawry's The Prime Rib, The Grand Lux, and The Park Hyatt Room provide a variety of dining options. Three 5-star hotels (The Peninsula Chicago, Four Seasons Hotel Chicago, and Ritz-Carlton Chicago) and Illinois' only 4-star hotel (Park Hyatt) are located within about five blocks along The Magnificent Mile.[15][16]
Other hotels such as Intercontinental, Knickerbocker, Westin, Drake Hotel, and the Conrad Chicago offer convenient luxurious accommodations as well.[12] Selected luxury-class hotels are shown below:
The largest banks have branches along the strip including the three largest banks in the nation: Bank of America, Citibank, and JPMorgan Chase's Chase Bank.[17] Additionally, the largest banks in Chicago are present, such as Harris Bank,[18] which is technically across the street from The Magnificent Mile. American Express has a Magnificent Mile address for one of its two Chicago service offices. Fidelity Investments has an office at the foot of The Magnificent Mile.
520 N. Michigan Avenue (600 North Michigan Avenue)*
Seasonal events
Magnificent Mile garden planter (with visible median planter).
With each season, the ambiance of The Magnificent Mile changes. This change is signaled by several official events:[12][36]
Median planters were constructed as part of a streetscape improvement project in 1994. In the spring, hundreds of thousands of tulips bloom from mid April until the end of May. In 2008, a public art installation of kinetic sculptures designed by local and international architects was placed in the garden beds.[37]
During the summer, the "Gardens of The Magnificent Mile" festival event occurs. It is a self-guided landscape display walking tour. In 2007 and 2008, fashion dress forms graced the garden beds. The forms were designed by students from the Illinois Institute of Art – Chicago and the International Academy of Design and Technology, as well as prominent designers located on the Avenue.[38][39]
In 2009 and 2010 the first ever Summer Concert Series presented by Walgreens brought top level musical talent to the Avenue for free lunchtime shows for guests, locals, and employees of the Avenue. Past artists include: Collective Soul, Better Than Ezra, Mat Kearney, Michael Franti, Kris Allen, and Guster.
2007 Tulip Days on The Magnificent Mile with CTA bus in view.
The tradition of lighting the trees of The Magnificent Mile to start the Christmas season extends more than forty years. More than one million lights are lit and fireworks follow the event.[36] The Magnificent Mile Lights Festival, presented by BMO Harris Bank, is the annual kick-off to Chicago's Christmas season.[40]
The day of the event has special activities and offers across Magnificent Mile businesses, plus interactive holiday booths in Pioneer Court, and a free concert with free concerts featuring popular artists all afternoon on the Harris Stage (past artists have included Jason Mraz, Mitchel Musso, and KT Tunstall). In the evening, Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse lead a procession down Michigan Avenue from Oak Street to Wacker Drive, stopping at each block to light the trees. He brings along other Disney friends, marching bands, celebrities and more. It is considered the first annual Christmas procession of the year.[41]
Transportation and infrastructure
North Michigan Avenue is a six-lane two-way street that is serviced by Chicago Transit Authority public buses along the Magnificent Mile that connect the area to the entire Chicago metropolitan area. It is also serviced by seasonal trolley service along the street, and the foot of the Magnificent Mile is serviced by seasonal water transit services. Two blocks west along State Street, the Chicago 'L' rapid transit services the street via its Red Line. Pedestrian traffic abounds along the broad sidewalks that are shielded by extensive, mature greenery that provides much of the friendly atmosphere.[13]
In autumn 2011, North Michigan Avenue was completely repaved from the Chicago River to Oak Street with a durable stone-matrix asphalt pavement mix that incorporated high levels of recycled materials, including waste shingles, ground tire rubber, and asphalt millings, diverting some 800 tons of material from landfills.[42] The $1 million project was completed without ever completely halting traffic on the street. In July 2012, the City of Chicago and CDOT were honored with the Environmental Leadership Award from the National Asphalt Pavement Association.[43]
^ abcdefgStamper, John W. (2005). "Magnificent Mile". The Electronic Encyclopedia of Chicago. Chicago Historical Society. Retrieved May 16, 2007.
^Stamper, John M., "Chicago's North Michigan Avenue", University of Chicago Press, 1991, inner cover, ISBN0-226-77085-0
^ abcdefBennett, Larry (2005). "Shopping Districts and Malls". The Electronic Encyclopedia of Chicago. Chicago Historical Society. Retrieved May 16, 2007.
^Cain, Louis P. (2005). "Infrastructure". The Electronic Encyclopedia of Chicago. Chicago Historical Society. Retrieved May 17, 2007.
^Stamper, John M., "Chicago's North Michigan Avenue", University of Chicago Press, 1991, pg. 4, ISBN0-226-77085-0
^Sardone, Susan Breslow (January 6, 2006). "4 Star Hotels in the USA". 2007 About, Inc. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved May 22, 2007.
^"Chicago's Largest Banks". ChicagoBusiness. Crain Communications, Inc. 2007. Archived from the original on September 28, 2007. Retrieved August 8, 2007.
^"Palmolive Building". City of Chicago Dept. of Pl. and Devpmt., Landmarks Div. 2003. Archived from the original on April 30, 2007. Retrieved April 13, 2007.
^"Allerton Hotel". City of Chicago Dept. of Pl. and Devpmt., Landmarks Div. 2003. Archived from the original on April 10, 2007. Retrieved April 11, 2007.
^"Woman's Athletic Club". City of Chicago Dept. of Pl. and Devpmt., Landmarks Div. 2003. Archived from the original on June 7, 2007. Retrieved April 13, 2007.
^"McGraw-Hill Building". City of Chicago Dept. of Pl. and Devpmt., Landmarks Div. 2003. Archived from the original on April 10, 2007. Retrieved April 13, 2007.
^"Tribune Tower". City of Chicago Dept. of Pl. and Devpmt., Landmarks Div. 2003. Archived from the original on June 7, 2007. Retrieved April 13, 2007.
^"Site of Fort Dearborn". City of Chicago Dept. of Pl. and Devpmt., Landmarks Div. 2003. Archived from the original on June 7, 2007. Retrieved April 13, 2007.
^ ab"Seasonal Events". The Magnificent Mile, GNMAA/Centric Web, Inc. 2007. Archived from the original on May 4, 2007. Retrieved May 17, 2007.
^"Tulip Days". The Magnificent Mile, GNMAA/Centric Web, Inc. 2007. Archived from the original on May 28, 2007. Retrieved May 17, 2007.
