River North is a trendy and upscale neighborhood located just north of downtown Chicago, known for its art scene, nightlife and culinary scene. Making this neighborhood a must see when exploring Chicago!

ArtsPass Partners in River North

1. Driehaus Museum [50 E Erie St] is a museum that explores the art, architecture, and design of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with a focus on the Gilded Age, and is located within the restored Nickerson Mansion (renowned as Gilded Age Chicago’s “Marble Palace”). The Museum was founded to feature Mr. Driehaus’s outstanding collection of decorative arts, as well as temporary exhibitions, and offers half price admission ($10) with a valid student ID. They also offer free admission from 4:00 to 7:00pm on Wednesday evenings!

2. The Poetry Foundation [61 W Superior St] works to amplify poetry and celebrate poets by fostering spaces for all to create, experience and share poetry, and are the publishers of Poetry Magazine. Their location in River North houses a non-circulating library of poetry, exhibition space, and performance space. Admission to the building, as well as any of their events, is free and open to the public. Definitely plan to add this to your list of downtown study spots!

To learn more about visiting Driehaus Museum and their current exhibitions click here, and to learn more about upcoming events at the Poetry Foundation click here.

Easiest Ways to Get There:

With UPass:

1. Catch the 6 Bus at one of the multiple stops along Stony Island Ave [The closest stops to campus are: Stony Island Ave & 60th St, Stony Island Ave & 59th St, 5800 S Stony Island, and Stony Island Ave & 57th St] until the Michigan & Randolph stop. From there you can either take a nice walk up Michigan, before turning left onto Erie or Superior. [I highly recommend this route if you are a shopper and/or like sightseer!] Or you can leave the station and catch the 3 bus from Michigan & Randolph to Michigan & Ontario, and walk the rest of the way.

2. On weekday mornings and afternoons you can catch the 2 Bus at any of the stops along E 60th St [There is a stop in front of BJ/South, as well as one in front of Logan Center!], then get off at the Michigan & Grand stop and walk to your chosen destination. [This stop will be the stop immediately after Tribune Tower!]

3. Take the 59 bus, 55 bus or UGo Red Line/Arts Block Route Shuttle to the Garfield Red Line stop. Then board the train going in the direction of Howard to Grand. Then exit the train station and walk to your destination.

With Metra:

• Catch the Metra at one of the three Metra Electric stops close that are close to campus [51st, 53rd St/Hyde Park, 55th - 56th - 57th St, and 59th St, University of Chicago] and ride the train until the Millennium Station stop. From there you can either take a nice walk up Michigan, before turning left onto Erie or Superior. [I highly recommend this route if you are a shopper and/or like sightseer!] Or you can leave the station and catch the 3 bus from Michigan & Randolph to Michigan & Ontario, and walk the rest of the way.

Other Things to Explore in this Area:

• Visit Eataly and pick up some Italian snacks!

• Visit one of the many churches in the area that are open to the public, such as Holy Name Cathedral and St. James Cathedral, and take in their beautiful architecture

Restaurants for After/During Your Visit

There are tons of restaurants in this area and I highly recommend exploring the many options! Here are some streets we recommend visiting when hunger strikes:

• N Wells St: Some awesome restaurants here include Avli [702 N Wells St] if you are craving Greek food and Cocoro [668 N Wells St] if you are looking for Japanese.

• W Hubbard St: This street is home to the lunchtime favorite Sinya Mediterranean [354 W Hubbard St].

• N Clark St: This street is home to a plethora of awesome restaurants, including Havana Grill [412 N Clark St].