Jul 18

Chicago’s Must-See Sights: Part 5

Magnificent Mile

photo from www.luxurytravelmagazine.com

One of the most famous avenues in the world is north Michigan Avenue which is affectionately referred to as the “Magnificent Mile”.  Located in the heart of downtown Chicago, this 13-block stretch of road goes from the Chicago River to the south to Oak Street to the north extending a full square mile.  The stretch includes residences, retailers, boutiques, restaurants, museums, hotels, and education and medical facilities.  In 1909 local planners devised a plan to transform Michigan Avenue from an Indian trading post to a major commercial boulevard titling the plan the ‘Chicago Plan’.  The planners envisioned the ‘Chicago Plan’ as becoming similar to the Champs Elysees in Paris.  They started the process by widening the street and building the Michigan Avenue bridge across the Chicago River.  The purpose of the bridge was to connect the older south section of Michigan Avenue with the new north section.  In a plan to draw shoppers and businesses to the new district, the city helped to build the Wrigley Building right next to the bridge in 1920 and the Tribune Tower just a couple of years later.  In 1947 real estate developer Arthur Rubloff who was the leader of The Greater North Michigan Avenue Association, which had been created in 1912 to develop and promote the project, began an extensive promotional campaign to revitalize the district.  During this campaign he coined the term “The Magnificent Mile”.  The most famous building on the stretch of road is the John Hancock Building.  Opening in 1970, the building rises 100 stories which, at the time, made it the tallest building in the world.  To build the structure, the John Hancock Mutual Life Insurance Company invested $100 million in the project.

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