FIVE FUN FACTS ABOUT CHICAGO’S MAGNIFICENT MILE

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Chicago’s Magnificent Mile is known throughout the world as a shopper’s Mecca. Dozens of unique shops and restaurants line Michigan Avenue serving exotic and exquisite products. The 13 block Magnificent Mile district runs along the banks of the Chicago River to Oak Street. Many businesses, hotels and museums call the Magnificent Mile home. For those looking for an apartment for rent in a bustling park of Chicago want to live close to the Magnificent Mile.   There are some interesting facts about the history of the Magnificent Mile that few people know about. Luckily, we’ve compiled a list to keep residents in the know.

INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT THE HISTORY OF THE MAGNIFICENT MILE

Chicago’s Historic Water Tower was the only building to survive Chicago’s Great Fire.
The water tower and pumping station, built in 1869 was designed in a gothic setting depicting a medieval European castle. Threatened with demolition four times, the water tower and pumping station still stands as a testament to Midwestern resilience.

Michigan Avenue was originally planned after the Champs-Elysees in Paris.
When city planners looked at what was originally an Indian trading post, they wanted a boulevard that would stretch to infinity and have many beautiful shops, cafes and theaters. They succeeded to some degree in creating an international attraction.

Wrigley Building is the 1st landmark skyscraper built after the Michigan Avenue Bridge was built in 1920.
William Wrigley Jr. saw the potential in the land development that was soon to take place north of the Chicago River. He decided to open his headquarters there and hired designers to design the buildings after the Giralda cathedral tower in Seville, Spain.

Water Tower Place is home to the country’s first urban vertical mall.
In the midst of the mall craze of the late 1960s and early 1970s, a radical shift in architecture occurred where retail space was at a premium and the need for residential space increased as well. Water Tower Place, built in 1975, is a multi-purpose mall designed to hold retail, entertainment and living spaces for visitors and residents.

The John Hancock Center has an innovative X-shaped external bracing designed by Fazlur Khan to create higher performance and more space.
The iconic John Hancock Center is known as the gateway to Chicago’s diverse business districts. Its innovative design eliminated the need for inner support beams creating more interior space. The observatory on the 94th floor, known as Chicago 360 has the only open air viewing area in Chicago.