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Rush Street is predominantly a northbound 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.〔 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. 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.〔 Today, it continues to be part of one 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, four-star spas, an elite senior citizen residence and prominent bars. The street, which was named after Declaration of Independence signator Benjamin Rush,〔 is currently known for its nightlife, especially at the northern end, which features entertainment that attracts locals and visitors.〔〔 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.〔〔 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.〔 ==Background== Rush Street was named after Benjamin Rush, one of the four physician signators of the United States Declaration of Independence. It is one of several places named after Rush in Chicago; other such places are Rush Medical College and Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center. As part of the original incorporated city of Chicago in 1837, Rush Street is one of the city's oldest thoroughfares.〔Clark, p. 3.〕 Like Clark Street, parts of Rush Street roughly follow the path of an Indian trail called Green Bay trail (later Green Bay Road) that ran to Green Bay, Wisconsin. Early Rush Street was commonly agreed to be desirable place of residence, and hosted the first house designed by an architect in Chicago (designed for the first Mayor of Chicago William Ogden by John M. Van Osdel).〔 The house, bounded by Erie, Ontario, Rush and Cass (now Wabash Avenue) Streets, did not survive the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. After the Great Chicago Fire, the Near North Side became a refuge for many due to its wide streets, high ground, good drainage, and proximity to both the Lake Michigan lakeshore and Lincoln Park. Cyrus McCormick built a mansion at 675 Rush Street between 1875 and 1879.〔Clark, p. 8.〕 The mansion, located at the corner of Rush and Erie, lured so many relatives to move nearby that the neighborhood became known as "McCormickville" by the 1880s.〔Stamper, p. xix.〕〔Clark, p. 6.〕 The street subsequently hosted elite Chicago socialites.〔 Cyrus' brother Leander J. McCormick built the Virginia Hotel at the northwest corner of Rush and Ohio. Opening just a few years before the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition, the 400-room hotel was advertised as "an absolutely fire-proof building and a finished hotel second to no other." The hotel featured ornate granite interiors decorated with marble statues, separate "gentlemen's smoking room" and "ladies dining room", and a room of boilers and dynamos to offer the latest technology: electric lights.〔 Well into the 20th century, residential buildings faced Rush Street until the demands of the expanding commerce—especially concentrations of restaurants and night clubs—consumed its real estate. In the 1950s, the Chicago City Council began to use the Uniform Vehicle Code of 1931 to fight traffic congestion by creating one-way streets. This was most effectively used in the Loop and Near North Side community areas. Most of the Near North Side streets remain one-way today as a result. Rush Street is among the area's one-way streets: except for a short segment, only northbound travel is permitted. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Rush Street (Chicago)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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