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54-542: The Warwick Allerton - Chicago (formerly Allerton Hotel and Warwick Allerton Hotel Chicago and Allerton Crowne Plaza Hotel ) is a 25-story 360 ft (110 m) hotel skyscraper on the Magnificent Mile in the Near North Side community area of Chicago , Illinois . It was the first building in the city to feature pronounced setbacks and towers resulting from the 1923 zoning law. The building

108-671: A 650-room hotel at a cost of $ 1 million, renaming it the Hotel Continental . Esther Williams swam in the pool in the building's athletic club, renamed the Town Club of Chicago. Three years later, in 1947, Mack sold the hotel to Sheraton Hotels . It was renamed the Sheraton Hotel and later the Sheraton-Chicago Hotel . In 1961 Sheraton expanded the hotel, adding a 26-story second tower just north of

162-414: A Magnificent Mile address for one of its two Chicago service offices. Fidelity Investments has an office at the foot of The Magnificent Mile. Historic and landmark presences are shown in the table below, which lists Chicago Landmarks , National Register of Historic Places locations, and National Historic Landmarks along The Magnificent Mile. At the northern edge of this district on the west, one finds

216-480: A different scene in the order of constructing a building, with Contribution on the south wall, Wisdom represented on the west wall and Consecration on the north. (According to an article in the Chicago Tribune from Sept 16, 1928 entitled “Building art inspires panels”: “The friezes were designed by George Unger, in collaboration with Walter Ahlschlager, and carved by Léon Hermant . The figures are costumed in

270-449: A streetscape improvement project in 1994. In the spring, hundreds of thousands of tulips bloom from mid April until the end of May. In 2008, a public art installation of kinetic sculptures designed by local and international architects was placed in the garden beds. During the summer, the "Gardens of The Magnificent Mile" festival event occurs. It is a self-guided landscape display walking tour. In 2007 and 2008, fashion dress forms graced

324-440: A total of 792 rooms. A new entrance and a four-story lobby were built, combining elements of both architectural styles. Its grand staircase, which ascends to the banquet space above, is lined with banisters bearing intricate cast bronze ornamentation. An illuminated rotunda is capable of changing colors and creating the illusion of twinkling stars against a night sky. In April 2005, Strategic Hotels & Resorts , acquired 85% of

378-754: Is a member of Historic Hotels of America , the official program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation . Before the stock market crash of 1929, the United States was experiencing a building boom. One of these projects was the future home of the Medinah Athletic Club in Chicago, commissioned by the Shriners Organization and designed by architect Walter W. Ahlschlager . The Chicago Shriners Club purchased

432-629: The Allerton , Drake and Intercontinental Hotels. After the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, State Street (anchored by Marshall Field's ) in the downtown Loop , especially the Loop Retail Historic District , was the city's retailing center. The convenience of mass transit including streetcars and elevated trains , supported a retail corridor along State Street from Lake Street to Van Buren Street. By

486-567: The 10 best shopping avenues in the world. Renowned and critically acclaimed restaurants such as The Signature Room at The 95th, Spiaggia, Tru, The Pump Room, Lawry's The Prime Rib, The Grand Lux, and The Park Hyatt Room provide a variety of dining options. Three 5-star hotels ( The Peninsula Chicago , Four Seasons Hotel Chicago , and Ritz-Carlton Chicago ) and Illinois ' only 4-star hotel ( Park Hyatt ) are located within about five blocks along The Magnificent Mile. Other hotels such as Intercontinental , Knickerbocker, Westin , Drake Hotel , and

540-541: The 1920s, commuter suburbs began to have significant retail districts. Prior to the bascule bridge construction, swing bridges across the river were open for ship traffic during half the daylight hours. The Rush Street Bridge was the swing bridge for this area. The opening of the Michigan Avenue Bridge in 1920 created a new commercial district. The concept for the Magnificent Mile

594-465: The 1940s and 1950s, the hotel housed a swanky lounge on its top floor, called the "Tip Top Tap". Although the lounge closed in 1961, the sign proclaiming its existence is still displayed on the building's exterior. By 1963, the room was home to a new restaurant, the Cloud Room, when Don McNeill moved his broadcast of Don McNeill's Breakfast Club to the location. While the show was broadcast from

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648-464: The 547-room Forum Hotel (the budget-priced division of Inter-Continental), while the historic 1929 South Tower would be restored as the 346-room Inter-Continental Chicago . A former Medinah Club member read of the renovation and donated the first anniversary edition of the club's magazine, The Scimitar . The magazine contained photographs of the club, which were used to aid in the building's restoration. Photographs were enlarged and used to recreate

702-653: The Allerton, McNeill's guests included regular Fran Allison . After the Allerton Hotel was declared a Chicago landmark, it closed in August 1998 through May 1999 for a $ 40 million renovation. The firm of Eckenhoff Saunders Architects oversaw restoration work which restored the hotel's bygone grandeur and upgraded mechanical systems. When the hotel reopened as the Allerton Crowne Plaza Hotel,

756-562: The Avenue. Past artists include: Collective Soul, Better Than Ezra, Mat Kearney, Michael Franti, Kris Allen, and Guster. The tradition of lighting the trees of The Magnificent Mile to start the Christmas season extends more than forty years. More than one million lights are lit and fireworks follow the event. The Magnificent Mile Lights Festival , presented by BMO Harris Bank, is the annual kick-off to Chicago's Christmas season. The day of

810-523: The Chicago River to Oak Street with a durable stone-matrix asphalt pavement mix that incorporated high levels of recycled materials, including waste shingles, ground tire rubber, and asphalt millings, diverting some 800 tons of material from landfills. The $ 1 million project was completed without ever completely halting traffic on the street. In July 2012, the City of Chicago and CDOT were honored with

864-519: The Conrad Chicago offer convenient luxurious accommodations as well. Selected luxury-class hotels are shown below: The largest banks have branches along the strip including the three largest banks in the nation: Bank of America , Citibank , and JPMorgan Chase 's Chase Bank . Additionally, the largest banks in Chicago are present, such as Harris Bank , which is technically across the street from The Magnificent Mile. American Express has

918-2306: The Environmental Leadership Award from the National Asphalt Pavement Association. NE: Chicago Park District SW: One Magnificent Mile SE: Chanel at the Drake Hotel NE: Drake Hotel SW: Gucci at 900 North Michigan SE: Louis Vuitton Vehicular southbound turning lane NE: Fratelli Rossetti at Westin Hotel SW: Fourth Presbyterian Church SE: The North Face at John Hancock Center Vehicular northbound turning lane NE: Best Buy at John Hancock Center SW: Water Tower Place SE: Plaza Escada Vehicular southbound turning lane NE: Macy's at Water Tower Place SW: Chicago Water Tower SE: Chicago Avenue Pumping Station Vehicular northbound and westbound turning lanes NE: Chicago Avenue Pumping Station SW: Polo Ralph Lauren and The Peninsula Hotel SE: Walgreens Vehicular southbound turning lane NE: Neiman-Marcus SW: Chicago Place ( Saks Fifth Avenue for women) SE: Saks Fifth Avenue for men Vehicular northbound turning lane NE: Nine West @ Allerton Hotel SW: Express SE: Apple, Inc. Vehicular southbound turning lane NE: Garmin SW: Crate & Barrel SE: Ferragamo Vehicular northbound turning lane NE: Burberry SW: Ann Taylor SE: Coach Vehicular southbound turning lane NE: 605 N. Michigan ( Sephora also: American Express , Chase Bank ) SW: Forever 21 SE: Gap NE: Westfield North Bridge SW: Atlas Galleries SE: Intercontinental Hotel NE: Intercontinental Hotel SW: 444 N. Michigan Avenue SE: McCormick Tribune Freedom Museum E: Tribune Tower NE: DuSable Homesite @ 401 N. Michigan Avenue SW: Michigan Avenue Bridge SE: Michigan Avenue Bridge InterContinental Chicago Magnificent Mile InterContinental Chicago Magnificent Mile

972-615: The Grand Ballroom for social gatherings or to access the Women's Plunge, Lounge and Tea Room, called the Renaissance Ballroom. Female guests also had access to an outdoor loggia overlooking Michigan Avenue, which was decorated with the intention of evoking a Venetian terrace. The club filed for bankruptcy in 1934, and following a lengthy battle, in 1944 the building was sold to developer John J. Mack, who converted it to

1026-574: The Greater North Michigan Avenue Association (GNMAA). After the Great Depression and World War II , Arthur Rubloff and William Zeckendorf bought or controlled most of the property along this stretch of the avenue and supported a plan by Holabird & Root for construction of new buildings and renovation of old ones that took advantage of new zoning laws. Soon the property values driven by

1080-545: The Hall of Lions, workers at first utilized a process called cornhusk blasting to strip away the many layers of paint from the marble walls, because traditional sandblasting would have destroyed the intricate details of any etchings beneath. When, however, it was determined that a single marble column would require a ton of ground corn cobs, restorers decided to scrub away the paint by hand. The two carvings of lions which were discovered underneath have become an emblem used throughout

1134-593: The Loop's daily significance to many Chicagoans as downtown retail sales slipped. However, the Magnificent Mile kept a luxury shopping district close to the central business district. The opening of the 74-story Water Tower Place in 1975 marked the return of Chicago to retailing prominence. By 1979, the State Street commercial corridor had lost its commercial vitality and was closed to street traffic for renovation including sidewalk widening until 1996. In August 2020,

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1188-532: The Magnificent Mile was looted by large crowds during a night of unrest after Chicago police shot a black person in Englewood . In May 2022, a mass shooting nearby the neighborhood killed two people and critically injured eight others. Today, The Magnificent Mile contains a mixture of upscale department stores , restaurants , luxury retailers, residential and commercial buildings, financial services companies, and hotels , catering primarily to tourists and

1242-467: The Moorish imagery, the building is topped by a gold-painted dome. In the tower beneath the great dome, the club featured a miniature golf course on the twenty-third floor, complete with water hazards and a wandering brook; also a shooting range, billiards hall, running track, gymnasium, archery range, bowling alley, two-story boxing arena, and a junior Olympic size swimming pool - all this in addition to

1296-689: The Wrigley Building), and two of which are not ( 333 North Michigan and London Guarantee Building ). These buildings are contributing properties to the Michigan–Wacker Historic District . Several of the tallest buildings in the world are located in The Magnificent Mile district. These buildings are: With each season, the ambiance of The Magnificent Mile changes. This change is signaled by several official events: Median planters were constructed as part of

1350-551: The affluent. The Magnificent Mile includes 3.1 million sq ft (290,000 m ) of retail space, 460 stores, 275 restaurants, 51 hotels, and a host of sightseeing and entertainment attractions to more than 22 million visitors annually. The American Planning Association selected The Magnificent Mile as one of the 10 Great Streets for 2007 through its Great Places in America program. In recent years, The Magnificent Mile has added trees and flower-filled medians to reflect

1404-559: The animals represented bigotry in the ancient drawings, they are shown here in leash as symbolic belief that bigotry has no place in the Masonic order.”) The figures in all three scenes are said to be modeled after the faces of club members at the time of its design. Three Sumerian warriors were also carved into the facade at the twelfth-floor setback, directly above the Michigan Avenue entrance, and remain visible today. Extending

1458-545: The ballrooms, meeting rooms, and 440 guest rooms which were available for the exclusive use of the club's 3,500 members and their guests. At the time, the pool was one of the highest indoor pools in the world, and its fourteen-floor location was heralded as a grand feat of engineering. Today it is commonly referred to as the Johnny Weissmuller pool, after the famous Olympic athlete and actor who trained in it. The rows of seats which remain on its western wall recall

1512-480: The building, as well as coins and other historic data. Construction of the building's 42 floors and 440 guest rooms was completed in 1929, and its facilities were made available for the exclusive use of the club's members and guests. The Medinah Athletic Club building was intended to combine elements of many architectural styles. At the eighth floor, its Indiana limestone facade was decorated by three large relief carvings in ancient Assyrian style. Each frieze depicted

1566-404: The building. In the west panel, facing Michigan Avenue, a ruler is shown with his counselors and an architect is shown bringing in a model of the building planned. The north panel shows the consecration of the building after it has been built. A priest is sacrificing a white bull whose blood will be mixed with crushed grapes and poured into the earth. A monkey trainer and his animals are shown. Since

1620-488: The carpeting, the furniture, the stenciling in the ceilings, the colors of the rooms, and the draperies. The balcony of the Grand Ballroom, which had long since been removed, was rebuilt to match its original design. The murals were restored by Lido Lippi , who had previously worked on the restoration of the Sistine Chapel . Lippi also replicated eight other paintings, which had been stolen many years prior. In

1674-602: The changing seasons. Many luxury brands moved to Oak Street in the years following the 2007–2008 financial crisis , but The Magnificent Mile still hosts luxury department stores Bloomingdale's , Neiman Marcus , Saks Fifth Avenue , and Nordstrom . Retailers on The Magnificent Mile include: Canada Goose , Cartier , Bottega Veneta , Bulgari , Burberry (its U.S. flagship location), Gucci , Louis Vuitton , Tiffany & Co. , Max Mara , St. John , Omega , Stuart Weitzman , Montblanc , Anne Fontaine, Alice+Olivia, Rolex , Ralph Lauren (Ralph Lauren's largest store in

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1728-539: The club. The ceremony to lay the cornerstone of the Medinah Athletic Club was held on November 5, 1928, and to commemorate the occasion, a copper time capsule was placed within the cornerstone. The capsule, which currently remains sealed within the hotel's limestone exterior, contains records of the organization, photographs of members, and a copy of the Chicago Tribune announcing the proposal of

1782-494: The days when swimming was a popular spectator sport. Its blue Spanish majolica tiles and terra-cotta fountain of Neptune on its east wall remain virtually unchanged today. The elegant Grand Ballroom, a two-story, 100-foot (30 m) elliptical space, was decorated with ornaments in Egyptian, Assyrian, and Greek styles and was surrounded by a horseshoe-shaped mezzanine. In its center hung a 12,000-pound Baccarat crystal chandelier,

1836-476: The district is located one block east of Rush Street and is the main retail corridor between the Loop and Gold Coast . It is bounded by Streeterville neighborhood to its east and River North to its west. The real estate developer Arthur Rubloff of Rubloff Company gave the district its nickname in 1947. The Magnificent Mile has many tall buildings and landmarks such as John Hancock , Wrigley Building , Tribune Tower , Chicago Water Tower , and

1890-577: The event has special activities and offers across Magnificent Mile businesses, plus interactive holiday booths in Pioneer Court , and a free concert with free concerts featuring popular artists all afternoon on the Harris Stage (past artists have included Jason Mraz, Mitchel Musso, and KT Tunstall). In the evening, Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse lead a procession down Michigan Avenue from Oak Street to Wacker Drive, stopping at each block to light

1944-692: The exclusive One Magnificent Mile building and Oak Street running to the west. Also, at the northern edge of the district one finds the Chicago Landmark East Lake Shore Drive District , an extremely expensive and exclusive one-block area of real estate running east from N. Michigan Ave. and facing directly onto Lake Michigan . At the southern edge of the district, the Michigan Avenue Bridge sits among four majestic 1920s skyscrapers, two of which are on The Magnificent Mile (Tribune Tower and

1998-475: The existing building. During this era, the hotel featured an outlet of the popular Polynesian themed Kon-Tiki Ports restaurant chain. A facade of lava rock adorned the northern wall along Grand Avenue, where today only a small section remains visible, tucked at the end of the balcony of Zest's outdoor café. MAT Associates purchased the hotel from Sheraton in 1978, and brought in Radisson Hotels to manage

2052-541: The garden beds. The forms were designed by students from the Illinois Institute of Art – Chicago and the International Academy of Design and Technology , as well as prominent designers located on the Avenue. In 2009 and 2010 the first ever Summer Concert Series presented by Walgreens brought top level musical talent to the Avenue for free lunchtime shows for guests, locals, and employees of

2106-538: The hotel, which was renamed the Radisson Chicago Hotel . MAT Associates terminated Radisson's contract in 1983 and returned the property to its original name, Hotel Continental . MAT closed the hotel in November 1986 for a renovation. In August 1987, plans were announced for the property to be managed by Inter-Continental Hotels and split into two hotels. The 1961 North Tower would reopen first as

2160-653: The hotel. The Forum Hotel opened first, in 1989, while the historic Inter-Continental Chicago opened its doors to the public in March 1990. Although operated as separate properties, the two shared back-of-the-house facilities and the division proved short-lived. Only four years later, in April 1994, the Forum Hotel was merged into the Inter-Continental Chicago in a $ 10 million renovation, bringing it to

2214-475: The largest in North America. The somewhat more masculine King Arthur Court was built to function as the men's smoking lounge, and featured heavy timbering, stained glass, and a mural depicting the stories of King Arthur and Parsifal. At this men's club, facilities for women were considerably less grand. They were allowed only in designated areas, and were provided a separate entrance and elevator to visit

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2268-566: The luxury shopping districts were pricing out the nearby artists of Tower Town , just southwest of the Chicago Water Tower . Rubloff and Zeckendorf successfully developed and promoted the area until it became one of the most prestigious addresses of the city. That distinction holds today, and spurred new investment along the Magnificent Mile and throughout the Near North Side. After 1950 , suburban development reduced

2322-456: The ownership of InterContinental Hotels Group's Chicago & Miami hotels. Several months later Strategic Hotel Capital, Inc. proposed a new 850 ft, 55 story north tower. Designed by Lucien Lagrange Architects , the new tower would have been twice the height of the current 42-story south tower, and would have replaced the 28-story north tower built in 1961 by Sheraton. The new north tower would house new condominiums as well as an addition to

2376-514: The period of the building, which is that of an old fortress in Mesopotamia in Xerxes time, about 5th century BC. The theme of the panels as explained by Mr. Unger, was inspired by the history of construction of any building. The south panel starts the story. Here a magnificent cortege is displayed. This panel, termed Contribution, signifies the getting together of treasures for the construction of

2430-474: The property at the northeast corner of Michigan Avenue and Illinois Street directly north of the Tribune Tower for $ 1 million, while $ 5 million more was spent on building and equipping what was then to be the 42 story Medinah Athletic Club. The plan was for there to be 3500 members, all of whom had to be a Shriner; at the time of the announcement in 1925, 1000 Shriners had taken out founder memberships for

2484-579: The property in bankruptcy court. They announced renovation plans which included a possible reopening the Tip Top Tap on the hotel's 23rd floor. Magnificent Mile The Magnificent Mile (also The Mag Mile) is a section of Michigan Avenue in Chicago devoted to retail, dining, hotels and tourist attractions. Running from the Chicago River to Oak Street in the Near North Side ,

2538-421: The property was re-christened The Allerton Hotel . Shortly after the purchase, Oxford announced further renovations to the property. In March 2014, Warwick International Hotels , a New York–based hotel chain, purchased the Allerton and renamed it the "Warwick Allerton Hotel". Warwick acquired the Allerton from New York–based hedge fund manager Petra Capital Management LLC, which won a 2012-battle for control of

2592-477: The street, and the foot of the Magnificent Mile is serviced by seasonal water transit services. Two blocks west along State Street , the Chicago 'L' rapid transit services the street via its Red Line . Pedestrian traffic abounds along the broad sidewalks that are shielded by extensive, mature greenery that provides much of the friendly atmosphere. In autumn 2011, North Michigan Avenue was completely repaved from

2646-419: The trees. He brings along other Disney friends, marching bands, celebrities and more. It is considered the first annual Christmas procession of the year. North Michigan Avenue is a six-lane two-way street that is serviced by Chicago Transit Authority public buses along the Magnificent Mile that connect the area to the entire Chicago metropolitan area . It is also serviced by seasonal trolley service along

2700-451: The twenty-third floor, which previously housed the Tip Top Tap and the Cloud Room, became the Renaissance Ballroom and a lounge opened on the second floor called Taps on Two featuring one of the Tip Top Tap's signature drinks, a Moscow mule . In November 2006, a partnership of Oxford Lodging and Perry Capital purchased the hotel from FelCor Lodging for $ 70 million. The new owners ended the affiliation with Crowne Plaza and on February 2, 2007,

2754-539: The world), Frette , Pratesi, and many others. The Magnificent Mile has three urban shopping centers: Water Tower Place , The Shops at North Bridge , and 900 North Michigan Shops . Each spans multiple floors and city blocks and offers various tenants: mall mainstays and more upscale apparel shops, restaurants, and unique attractions, such as museums. In its book The 10 Best of Everything: An Ultimate Guide for Travelers , National Geographic named The Magnificent Mile along with Rodeo Drive and Fifth Avenue as one of

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2808-430: The world), Kate Spade , Eskandar, Charles David , Henri Bendel , Hugo Boss , Salvatore Ferragamo , American Girl , Ermenegildo Zegna , Zara , MCM , Tumi , Kiehl's , Michael Kors , J. Crew , Sermoneta , H&M , Marlowe, Paul Stuart , David Yurman , Fogal, Wolford , The Art of Shaving , BHLDN , Buccellati, Victoria's Secret , Banana Republic , Starbucks Reserve Roastery (largest Starbucks in

2862-438: Was designated a Chicago Landmark on May 29, 1998. When the Allerton Hotel first opened, it had fourteen floors of small apartment-style rooms for men and six similar floors for women, with a total of 1,000 rooms. The hotel also boasted social events, gold, sports leagues, a library, solarium, and an in-house magazine. An early resident was Louis Skidmore , founder of the architectural firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill . In

2916-444: Was part of the 1909 Burnham Plan of Chicago . It was constructed during the 1920s to replace Pine Street, which had been lined with factories and warehouses near the river, and fine mansion and rowhouse residences farther north. The earliest building constructions varied in style, but challenged new heights in construction. The name the "Magnificent Mile" is a registered trademark of The Magnificent Mile Association, formerly

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