River North Gallery District, Near North Side, Chicago
The River North Gallery District, in Chicago, is in the Near North Side, Chicago. It hosts the largest concentration of art galleries in the United States, outside of Manhattan. River North has experienced vast changes in the years 1990 - 2012 including the development of vast highrise buildings, nightclubs and restaurants. River North has become one of Chicago's top neighborhoods for nightlife especially along Franklin Avenue and Hubbard Street.
A common definition puts the District in the area north of the Chicago River and the Merchandise Mart, south of Chicago Avenue, east of the Chicago River and west of Michigan Avenue. As it has grown and the area has gentrified, galleries can also now be found west of Orleans and east of LaSalle, though the core area still contains the highest concentration of galleries. Along with hundreds of art galleries, the area holds many bars, dance clubs, popular restaurants and entertainment venues. Subsections of River North include:
- The Gallery District, the official district designated by the City, primarily along Chicago, Superior and Huron streets between Lasalle and Orleans.
- The Contemporaine Building - 2005 AIA Honor Awards For Architecture site:, site:
- A design district, with shops and showrooms selling commercial and luxury interior furnishings, in the blocks north of the Merchandise Mart.
- Kingsbury Park, an area of newly built residential high-rises surrounding Erie Park, at Erie Street and the Chicago River.
Read more about River North Gallery District, Near North Side, Chicago: History, Smokey Hollow, Little Sicily, Prohibition, Punk Rock History, Recovery of The River North Neighborhood, Economy
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