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. [cite web | url = http://www.chicagomarathon.com/CMS400Min/Chicago_Marathon/runner_information/index.aspx?id=486 | title = 2007 LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon Runner Information | work = www.chicagomarathon.com | publisher = LaSalle Bank | year = 2007 | accessdate = 2007-08-12 ] Though, like most city neighborhoods, the exact boundaries are debatable a common definition puts the District in the area north of the Merchandise Mart, south of Chicago Avenue, east of Orleans and west of Lasalle. 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, primarily along Superior and Huron streets between Wells and Orleans;
* The Contemporaine Building - 2005 AIA Honor Awards For Architecture site: [http://www.signaturestpete.com/uploads/NYT_102404_Contemporaine.pdf] , site: [http://www.aia.org/SiteObjects/files/Fact-Contemporaine.pdf]
* a theme-restaurant area with many tourist-oriented restaurants, including Ed Debevic's, surrounding Clark and Ontario;
* "the Cathedral District," an area with many new residential skyscapers surrounding Holy Name Cathedral (Catholic) and St. James Cathedral (Episcopal), both located near State and Huron;
* a design district, with shops and showrooms selling commercial and luxury interior furnishings, in the blocks north of the Merchandise Mart; and
* Kingsbury Park, an area of newly built residential high-rises surrounding Kingsbury Park, at Erie Street and the Chicago River.

More information on galleries in River North, as well as other districts in and around Chicago, may be found on the "Chicago Gallery News" site: [http://www.chicagogallerynews.com]

Brief, historical information regarding the River North Gallery District fire in 1989 may be found on the Encyclopedia of Chicago's website: [http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/72.html]

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