Motor Row is revving up

all the pistons seem to be firing

05/11/2011 1:10 AM

By Bonnie McGrath

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I realized late Tuesday afternoon that I'd never actually walked around and experienced the ambience of Motor Row before, that very unique landmark area of short artsy buildings with big glassy storefronts on South Michigan Avenue, south of Cermak, all the way to the expressway. I'd been over there to tour the museum in the old Chess Records a few times--also an old auto showroom before recording music for everyone from Muddy Waters to the Rolling Stones mid-century.


In the early 1900's, the pavement was smooth on that strip. And what better place to demonstrate to the monied who lived nearby how well an automobile could traverse it?

I strolled the area on Tuesday because the South Loop Historical Society sponsored a double walking tour: The Prairie Avenue half was led by Bill Tyre, who heads the Glessner House Museum on Prairie Avenue, and who wrote the book, Chicago's Historic Prairie Avenue. And Motor Row was led by cartographer and South Loop Neighbors president Dennis McClendon.

After leaving the street of the "sifted few" (Pullman, Armour, KImball, Field and the gang)--an area I know a lot about because I am a docent at Glessner House--I took in one historical auto showroom after another on Motor Row: Marmon, Locomobile, Premier, Cadillac. They were all there at one time. One after the other after the other. Now they are residential lofts (or soon to be) and upscale quirky businesses like Monkey Bar Gym--which offers exercise for adults like we used to do when we were kids--like jumping rope and swinging in rings.

Even the site of the E2 nightclub disaster kiddie-corner from the historic and abandoned Chicago Defender Building--the nightclub was in an old showroom--has been restored by the owner to reveal some beautiful jewel-like trim; it's all aimed to erase the tragedy from the minds of people like me strolling on Motor Row.

Historic churches punctuate Motor Row, too. Like Second Presbyterian--the largest intact repository anywhere of the Arts & Crafts style, designed initially by James Renwick in 1874, and after a fire in 1900, redesigned by Howard Van Doren Shaw with murals by Frederic Clay Bartlett and windows by Louis Comfort Tiffany.

One question struck me as I gallivanted from Prairie Avenue over to Michigan Avenue and the stint on Motor Row: when did John Glessner himself gallivant over to buy a car? Bill Tyre didn't even have to think about it: Pierce-Arrow, 1906, 1349 S. Michigan.


5 Comments - Add Your Comment



By Solo from Motor Row
Posted: 05/12/2011 9:57 AM

Entertainment District - yes, but it will be piece by piece vs all at once. Right around 2008 there were contracts in place for some of the buildings, but fell apart and now recently there has been a flood a new and old investors scoping out the neighborhood again.


By Bonnie McGrath from South Loop
Posted: 05/11/2011 6:50 PM

there are very few car dealers left--and the ones that are still on the strip are "modern." haven't heard anything about an entertainment district, but it sounds interesting and promising.. the link from solo is great. good pix--and several i forgot to mention: fiat, hudson, ford and goodrich, etc.


By Eric from South Loop
Posted: 05/11/2011 3:19 PM

I heard that they are going to turn the area into an entertainment district. Do you know anything about that? If yes, when are they going to start?


By SoloMotorRow from Motor Row of Course!
Posted: 05/11/2011 2:55 PM

Bonnie - Great day to be in PD and MR Historic neighborhoods. It may not seem like much now, but Motor Row has the most potential to take advantage of a continuous 2 block stretch of becoming Restaurants, Stores, Hotels, Bars, etc.. It is situated perfectly bw McCormick Place and Chinatown...many things coming in soon! Found another great post on Motor Row -- http://chicago-architecture-jyoti.blogspot.com/2009/09/motor-row-district.html


By judy marcus from palatine
Posted: 05/11/2011 7:45 AM

When did the car dealers leave the area? I seem to remember seeing the display windows--unless I just dreamed it.