HAVE YOU HEARD OF MERCHANDISE MART?

Around Town
Summer is the ideal season for residents of Chicago apartments to explore the city and its attractions.  If you’ve never visited the Merchandise Mart, checking out the Chicago Collective’s exhibits as a buyer from July 31 through August 2, 2016 is going to be a real treat.

CHECK OUT THE CHICAGO COLLECTIVE AT THE MERCHANDISE MART
First-time visitors are bound to be impressed with the displays of more than 300 exhibitors representing top brands of men’s apparel, footwear and accessories.  Whether you love a classic look or are a fan of contemporary style, you’ll find plenty of exciting items displayed.

Exhibits will cover 247,000 square feet and feature an upscale open-booth format.  Plan to stop by between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. on Sunday or Monday or between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. on Tuesday. The big opening night party runs from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Sunday.

The Merchandise Mart has been a huge part of Illinois and Chicago history since Marshall Field developed it in the 1930s.  Its purpose was to serve as a central market where wholesalers could find all their goods in one location.  The Kennedy family later owned it for more than 50 years.  An interesting example of Art Deco style in a combination of three kinds of buildings–skyscraper, department store and warehouse–the Merchandise Mart is the vision of designer Alfred Shaw.

Now usually called theMART, the complex has a lobby that features understated elegance marked by eight square marble piers and a terrazzo floor designed to resemble a carpet.  Visitors are always very taken with Jules Guerin’s frieze of lobby murals.  At 4.2 million gross square feet, theMART is the largest commercial building in the world and certainly one of the city’s foremost international business sites.

GREAT APARTMENTS TO LIVE IN
Residents of apartments in Chicago have their choice of dozens of interesting things to see and do this summer.  If they live just north of the Loop in pet-friendly homes, they and their furry companions are within walking distance of everything that’s good about city living–including the Merchandise Mart–as well as an easy commute to attractions in the suburbs.  Be sure to contact our office today to get more information about units available.