Rush Street (Chicago)

This article is about the Chicago street. For the Richard Marx album, see Rush Street (album).

Rush Street



Rush Street Bridge (1890)
Maintained byDepartment of Streets & Sanitation
South end401 North at Kinzie/Water Streets (65 East)
Major
junctions		Chicago Avenue (800 North)

Ohio St./Ontario St. (east/westbound)

from/to Kennedy Expressway I-90 / I-94
North end1138 North at Cedar and State Streets (0 East)

Rush Street is a one-way street in the Near North Side community area of Chicago in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The street, which starts at the Chicago River between Wabash and North Michigan Avenues, runs directly north until it slants on a diagonal as it crosses Chicago Avenue then it continues to Cedar and State Streets, making it slightly less than a mile long.[1] One lane also runs southbound from Ohio Street (600N) to Kinzie Street (400N) as part of a two-way street segment. It runs parallel to and one block west of the Magnificent Mile on the two-way traffic North Michigan Avenue, which runs at 100 east up to 950 north.[2] The street, which is also one block east of the one-way southbound Wabash Avenue, formerly ran slightly further south to the Chicago River where over time various bridges connected it to the Loop, Chicago's central business district.

Rush Street's history traces back to the original incorporation of the city in the 1830s. It has since hosted important residences, such as the house of the first Mayor of Chicago, and significant commerce.[3] Today, it continues to run through some of the wealthiest neighborhoods in the country and has businesses that correspond to the demands of its residents. The neighborhood hosts highly rated restaurants, five-star hotels, and four-star spas. The street, which was named after Declaration of Independence signator Benjamin Rush,[1] was once known for its nightlife, especially at the northern end, which features entertainment that attracts locals and visitors.[4][5] During the 1960s and 1970s, it was the most vibrant nightlife entertainment destination in the country outside of Las Vegas, with major stars like Tony Bennett, Frank Sinatra, Barry Manilow. Bette Midler, Oscar Peterson, to name a few, along with some of the greatest groups to hail from the city of Chicago. By the 1980s many of these establishments shuttered. Today, the street has emerged into an overflow of Oak Street with luxury shopping lining the streets from Barney's to Bugatti. The southern end of the street was an integral part of the city as a main river crossing at various incarnations of the Rush Street Bridge across the main branch of the Chicago River from the mid-19th century until the 1920s.[6][7] The Rush Street Bridges have a rich cultural history, which includes both a prominent role in facilitating vehicular land traffic and a prominent role as a commercial port location. However, commerce on the Chicago River has declined since the 1930s and the Michigan Avenue Bridge has taken over the role as the primary river crossing for this neighborhood.[8]

  1. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference SCRS was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Hayner & McNamee (1988), "Michigan Avenue/Michigan Avenue (Pvt.)", p. 87.
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