Like New York’s Fifth Avenue or Edinburgh’s Prince’s thoroughfare, Michigan Avenue is a one-way thoroughfare that provides an unparalleled background to Grant Park and Lake Michigan. When people outside of the United States think of Chicago, they usually think of the skyscrapers along Michigan Avenue.
The area is an excellent representation of the city’s transformation into a chic lakeside metropolis in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The neighborhood played a pivotal part in the city’s social, economic, and cultural development as the site of several influential cultural organizations, clubs, hotels, and notable office buildings.
Some of Chicago’s most impressive structures may be seen in this area; in fact, the Michigan Avenue “streetwall” has been described as “as if some of the best of Chicago building gathered along the lakefront, and posed for a group photo.”
The most prominent architects in Chicago, such as Adler & Sullivan, Louis Sullivan, Daniel H. Burnham, Holabird & Roche, Marshall & Fox, Henry Ives Cobb, S. S. Beman, and Graham, Anderson, Probst & White, were responsible for the design of many of these structures.
Chicago’s Michigan Avenue runs north to south at grid coordinates 100 East. At Lake Coast Drive, on the coast of Lake Michigan in the Gold Coast Historic District, lies the northern terminus of the roadway. Like many Chicago streets, the street ends in a series of disconnected sections, the southernmost of which is at Sibley Boulevard in the southern suburb of Harvey.
The Chicago Water Tower, the Art Institute of Chicago, Millennium Park, and the shops along the Magnificent Mile all call this street home, making it famous among both locals and visitors.
The Streeterville business district stretches along Michigan Avenue. The beautiful urban area centered on the DuSable (Michigan Avenue) Bridge is a part of this area, as is all of the Historic Michigan Boulevard District and much of the Michigan-Wacker Historic District.
The History of Michigan Avenue
The history of Chicago’s North Michigan Avenue may be entitled “chosen works in the history of the skyscraper.” To do so, however, would be to overlook the thriving mix of commercial, community, and design efforts that have transformed “The Magnificent Mile” into the vibrant, eclectic urban paradise that it is today.
North Michigan Avenue is one of the 10 Great Streets in America because it successfully balances many user groups, active community members, and a dedication to high-quality design.
North Michigan Avenue, one of the world’s most admired thoroughfares, was originally envisioned as a major commercial boulevard in the manner of the Champs Elysees in Paris by Daniel Burnham and Edward Bennett in their 1909 Plan of Chicago.
Starting in the 1920s, the road began to attract skyscraper-sized workplaces, upscale boutiques, hotels, and major corporations’ offices. The Magnificent Mile is now a true vertical community with a distinct, complex character that blends its historical identity, architecture, and the spirit of public-private collaboration.
The Greater North Michigan Avenue Association (GNMAA) is a non-profit organization that has been advocating for the North Michigan Avenue neighborhood since 1912 (when it was known as the North Central Association). Leader of the group in the 1940s, Arthur Rubloff, came up with the name “The Magnificent Mile.”
The exceptional architectural tradition of North Michigan Avenue continues today. The Tribune Tower (1925), the John Hancock Center (1970), and the Crate & Barrel flagship store (built in the 1990s) are all located in this area, along with many other notable Chicago buildings. A special sign area was formed in 1997 to ensure high-quality advertising, while zoning changes in the 1980s enabled the replacement of open-air building arcades (built with zoning rewards in the 1970s) with high-end shop space.
The attractions and highlights of Michigan Avenue
North Michigan Avenue is, at its heart, a very busy thoroughfare. The avenue’s six lanes for cars and wide, busy walkways are sheltered by dense, tall trees, making it a pleasant place to walk while feeling secure.
The ancient Chicago Water Tower, constructed in 1869, forms a kink in an otherwise straight route, giving the avenue a focal point. A park with a tree canopy frames the water tower, drawing attention to this significant landmark in the area’s history.
The parallel Red Line of the Chicago Transit Authority subway system is less than a quarter mile distant. The street is serviced by a variety of modes of public transportation, including tour boats on the Chicago River and a water taxi.
North Michigan Avenue is remarkable in that it provides a full range of local amenities in a dense urban center, despite its extraordinarily varied uses and consumers.
Skyscrapers, museums, and workplaces sit alongside luxury boutiques like Cartier and Burberry and hotels like the Four Seasons and Ritz-Carlton. This seven-block neighborhood is home to a diverse community of people who live, work, shop, dine, and play here every day.
Lake Michigan provides a beautiful backdrop for the densely packed skyscrapers of Chicago and is a distinctive component of the city’s image. Therefore, it is only appropriate that a stretch of Michigan Avenue be known as the “Magnificent Mile.”
The shops along Chicago’s most opulent boulevard, Mag Mile, are among the city’s most famous and impressive. More than 460 stores, 275 restaurants, 60 hotels, and stunning skyline vistas can be found along Michigan Avenue’s 13-block length.
If you want to get a feel for Chicago’s unique character, a stroll down the Mag Mile’s bustling streets while taking in the city’s historic architecture, public art, and live music is a must.