South Michigan Ave. Motor Row

In the early 20th Century, South Michigan Avenue was the heart of splendor in homes, wealth, worship, leisure, and shopping. South of the Chicago Loop was the only place for the most wealthy, best educated, and modern families, whose homes bounded Prairie Avenue, just east of Michigan Avenue. St. Luke's Hospital, the Second Presbyterian Church, and Central Railway Station were built with the community's desires. The World's Columbian Exposition of 1893 laced through the area, further enriching the surroundings and further establishing Chicago's place among first-class cities. The Burnham Plan for Chicago's lakefront presented the final framework for Michigan Avenue with parks, statues, fountains, and museums. South Michigan Avenue was also home to the Metropole and Lexington hotels, Chess Records, the Chicago Defender, and many major car manufacturers in the world. At its peak, as many as 116 different makes of automobiles were sold on Motor Row, housed in elaborate, almost palace-like showrooms, many of which remain today. This group of commercial buildings on the Near South Side of Chicago is considered the largest intact early automobile row in the United States. The use of these structures has not diminished. Commercial and retail space has given way to residential dwellings, and people who want to be close to the downtown area have moved into lofted apartments and condominiums, reinventing the area as a neighborhood that is just as vibrant.

Chicago, Illinois · United States