My husband was working here while we were in Chicago, so he showed me around the public areas. This place is huge. There's about three floors that are similar to a mall with multiple shopping areas and a food court. There is one sit down restaurant that has a huge bar and views over the river. If you're staying at the Holiday Inn downtown or the Voco downtown, there's a convenient walkway over the street so you don't even need to go outside. The food court has a huge variety of quick service restaurants: salads, barbecue, sushi, Chinese, sandwiches, and fried chicken. Multiple restaurants allow you to order food ahead and pick it up so you don't have to wait in long lines. Most of the building is office space so if you're here around 8 or 9 AM, lunchtime, or 4 to 6 PM, it's crazy busy. There are a couple entrances that have those rotating doors. My first morning here I was entering from the street level through one of those and a lady behind me came and pushed the door really fast. It was all I could do to step out the door without having to go around again. She then rushed by me and almost ran up the escalator. She must have been late for work compared to me, a wandering tourist. If you're in the area, check this place out. read more

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Nice place to walk and see the beautiful sights of the city and the river in Chicago. Would recommend. read more

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I love the Merchandise Mart if for no other reason than because it is one of those classic Chicago icons. When it was built--by the Marshall Field company, another iconic name in Chicago history--it was the largest building in the world. It was also owned by the Kennedy family (yes, THOSE Kennedys) for more than 50 years. (It was actually a major source of the family's wealth.) If you still struggle to understand how big this place is, for 80 years it had its own ZIP code because of the size of the building. It's known as a place for interior design, home furnishings, architectural vendors, and similar trades to exist under one roof. I confess that if I had unlimited funds I would spend a week visiting just the stores that specialize in kitchens and baths to design a spectacular space. They have some fancy stuff in here for sure. They also host offices, educational enterprises, and so on. They have events here as you might expect. The One of a Kind show is a great event that is held a coupe times per year and features some fantastic artisans. Undoubtedly they have a calendar, and of course an instagram page, where you can keep up on the goings on. There's also Art on the Mart, which is an art installation projected against the mart in the evenings. I don't know the schedule and I'm not sure that it's every evening, but worth checking out. One thing that's not so great is the accessibility--particularly the south facing doors. My friend and I visited with our stroller babies and it was a struggle getting the strollers in because the button to open the doors didn't work reliably. When we left we couldn't get them to work at all, and when I arrived I was able to finally get the first door open but not the inner door. I can't imagine being someone with limited mobility or a wheelchair who relies on this to enter the building. I don't think that the Merchandise Mart has any parking of its own, but I'm not sure I've actually looked. The easiest way to get here will probably be by el since there's a CTA stop right at the Mart. Alternatively, there are parking garages around and you can use SpotHero to find one of many spots. read more

The Mart - Shopping Centers Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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It's beautiful it's vast and it has so many events all the time including twice a year they have the one a couple of kind show where the whole floor has so many vendors who are artistic and design designers and clothing and candles and food samples. There's art on the mat once a week at night it's beautiful and it's reflected on the river. There's also a nice bar and restaurant called Marshall's Landing inside and it's really lovely. read more

The Mart - Shopping Centers Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Cut and pasted from their website: "THE MART is the largest privately held commercial building in the United States: it encompasses 4.2 million gross square feet, spans two city blocks, rises 25 stories, and is visited by an average of 30,000 people each business day (or nearly 10 million people annually)." Quality/Quantity - 6 stars for the night light show, see other Yelp. I think I uploaded pictures to the riverwalk review...? Art on the Mart. Illuminating Public Art, founded in 2018. See website for hours of shows. Times vary by season. We were told that there were showrooms for furniture, etc. But did not find any, did we get lost? Or was it because we did not have a pass to get by security in the second building? A few dining options, see pictures. Best known for Marshalls landing. Full bar, see picture. Atmosphere - Good work space areas, see pictures. Both private and public. Plenty of spots to grab something to drink and work. Open 5 days a week from 9am to 5pm. Not including the night light show. Service - N/A. Price - N/A. Owner Suggestion - Congrats on all your 100+ years of success. 1940-50's - Largest producer of trade show, I bet LV, NV is #1 now...? 2016 - $40M renovation. read more

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This was SO convenient to walk to (all inside) from our hotel. Luckily, one of the bellhops pointed out the escalator and where it went on our second day of spring break. Having more economical options than the hotel restaurant (which was great!) was very convenient, as long as we remembered to get their during business hours. In addition to most breakfasts, we also grabbed a sandwich to keep in the room fridge til dinner one day knowing we wouldn't be back from our adventures til late. The train station also would have been convenient, if we ended up taking the train anywhere. read more

Had my first trip to the Merchandise Mart to spend some quality time in the Yelp Chicago office! What an incredible building and atmosphere. It is interesting reading the older (pre-COVID) reviews and knowing that the bustle being referenced is nowhere near what it once was, given that most workers are opting not to return to the office if given the opportunity. Doesn't change the fact that this building is remarkable - nestled right on the river and tons of awesome spots for drinks or food during or after work. There's tons of showrooms for window shopping and inspiration, and a great number of places to switch up the flow of your workday and sit somewhere beautiful. Transit runs directly to the Merchandise Mart, and it's scope truly is impressive. Looking forward to my next visit and grateful I had the opportunity to check this awesome spot out. read more

The Mart - Shopping Centers Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

A big ass building. It's popular with trade shows and other big events. The Merchandise Mart always has something going on. Big lobby and plenty of places for hanging out and mingling. Showrooms are always filled with stuff, usually expensive stuff. Its purpose is to push merchandise, get it? It's why it's popular with all these industry figures bringing their trade shows and all that going on. The building also has lots of places to get something to eat, such as a food court, and there's lots of space for big ass banquets and parties. Many companies use the office space that isn't being used by the trade shows and other events. There's a shitload for sure. Has its own CTA stop also. It gets busy out there as well and it's annoying. This is still a must see for whenever. read more

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What a great location and we enjoy just people watching in the area, and many restaurants nearby helps with meals, even inside the Mart itself. Walking around the area has many things to do, like the Riverwalk Park and even walk down to Navy-Pier area. If you are going here use Spot Hero app for great parking prices and located right across the street, Wolf Point parking. Parking was a breeze and very good costs. It is very nice to go back into Chicago again after a few years of Covid-45 virus. read more

The Merchandise Mart is such an iconic Chicago spot! You literally can't miss it, because it's freaking huge. I've come here on multiple occasions to work in the office, and every time I've been so impressed. First, I love that that there's a train stop AT the Mart. Rain? Snow? Whatever the weather, you don't have to worry, because the stop is entirely covered and just steps from the entrance. The space is bright and bustling (granted, not as much as pre-covid), and offers a little bit of everything. If you're a fan of interior design, you definitely need to make a trip here! There are hundreds of show rooms that are so fun to explore. The dining options are fantastic! So many spots for lunch like Just Salad, Habanero Grill, Potbellys, and Sunny Bowls. If you're looking for a place for cocktails after work, Marshalls Landing is a great spot! The Mart even has seating out front along the river if you want to soak up all of Chicago. The Mart really has it all, and if you get a chance to explore inside, you definitely should! Art on the Mart is worth checking out too and happens nightly. Art on the Mart is the largest digital art projection in the world (!), and projects contemporary artwork across the river-façade of the Mart. read more

I come here multiple times a year for a tradeshow, and there's nothing that's really lacking with this venue. There's plenty of dining options including a food court, McDonald's, Starbucks, and an Amazon Go... cherry on top is that it's connected to a hotel...The Mart is safe, clean, beautiful, and convenient- basically the perfect environment to get some business done. read more

The Mart - Exterior of the Merchandise Mart - Shopping Centers Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The massive Merchandise Mart is a cool concept with so many offices and spaces tied together, plus the addition of a massive food court. That being said, I need GPS to get me through it. Something about the wide, horizontal layout just throws me off. It's easy to find in Chicago and right off the train lines, so that's a plus. Some of the elevators get extremely congested around the lunch hour so it would be nice if there was a more accessible staircase throughout the building, but it's a small issue. Overall, this is a cool spot, taking up a zip-code worth of land and home to a ton of companies and offices. read more

Yelp's Chicago office is nestled within the walls of Chicago's historic Merchandise Mart and I've never felt cooler than walking inside this building and having somewhere to call 'home base'. Located right off a transit stop and absolutely surrounded by restaurants, food markets and bars in the heart of downtown, this is a hip-happenin' place. There are sooooo many businesses that work out of the Merchandise Mart space and the building is absolutely huge. I only worked from this office for two days remotely and came in a different door each time I arrived or came back from a lunch break and it wasn't even on purpose. Wander the halls and you're bound to find something cool. There's hundreds of design and fashion businesses with big showrooms, a massive cafe, several restaurants, many companies such as Regus, and hallways for miles. You could get a full workout just wandering throughout. read more

Lots of various conventions are held here, trade shows for products. If you're rich you will find all types of unique flooring, backdrops, bathroom designs, and more here. Most of all, this place is an old building with charm. If you do photography this place is a gem if you know how to take photos. Tons of cool things to see as you peruse around. Besides the cool home design places to buy from there really isn't much here besides cookie cutter restaurants, which I'm surprised survive. But it definitely is a nice piece of Chicago architecture. I heard they do light shows of some sort on the building outside. Must be cool 2. read more

When the Merchandise Building when completed in 1930 it was the largest building in the world before the pentagon was built. The Mart is over 4,000,000 S.F. It was owned by The Kennedy family until 1998. Back in the day the Apparel Mart was also in the same building until it moved into the Apparel Center just to the west. The Merchandise Mart houses a huge selection of companies that sell items like furniture lines, carpets, wall finishes, tile finishes, fixtures for bathroom and kitchen renovations..... Every year in June The Merchandise Mart hosts Neocon the largest event in the world for all the showrooms in this massive building to display their new product lines of finishes, furnitures & fixtures. Interior designers & architects come from all over the world to see the latest and greatest products. In addition there are a number of seminars that deal with a wide range of topics. In years past the Neocon use to be on a much larger and grander scale with some of the best parties I have ever been to. When you work in the profession as an architect or an interior designer you work insane hours and deadlines, but you work hard and play hard too. Neocon use to run all week for 5 days with different events, lectures and parties. They use to have some great parties. They still have parties the week of Neocon, but they have been scaled down to 3 days with much smaller scale events, Neocon still draws a large group of professionals from all over the world. Professionals that want to see what the newest, latest and greatest product lines are available for use in their designs. The ironic thing is I worked in the mart for about 6 weeks between jobs for the Merchandise Planning Department. At the time many of the showrooms were vacated by the move of companies to the Apparel Center. These spaces had to be designed and built out to house the furniture companies with their new product lines prior to Neocon. My job was to provide the construction documents needed for this buildout of these spaces for the Mart Planning Office. read more

Oh, the good 'ol Merch Mart. Where do I even begin? I have spent a fair deal of time in this giant building and I didn't mind it one bit. I worked out of the 4th and 5th floors for several years and every day walking into work I was in awe at my life. This building is home to tons of businesses with a large workforce hidden within its wall. The CTA system even realizes it's a big deal, I mean come on. The train systems runs right along the building with the Merch Mart being a dedicated stop. Convenient for those working in the building? It depends on where you're coming from but hells yeah!! The second floor also has a giant food court with a plethora of food options. It's even been renovated to make it more than just an office space, but a space for dining, shopping, etc. When I worked here, I would walk through the halls during my breaks to get some exercise. There's plenty of great showrooms to peek into and they have a pretty regular event schedule. Sometimes the halls are filled with art installations, fashion shows, etc. It often serves as a venue for large conferences and every once in a while, it can get really crowded. If you're around, definitely take a look inside its giant walls. It's quite a historic building, so much so, it once had its own zip code, no lie. read more

This place is huge! It's a huge shopping mall- huge. It's so large, it has its own zip code! This shopping center is located right on the Chicago River, across the River from the Loop. There's all kinds of high-end shopping that goes on here. Mainly appliances for the home. This place is beautiful- polished brass and marble everywhere, wide walkways, shiny surfaces- it's a wonderfully classy place to shop! The architecture alone makes it a worthwhile destination. The place was clean, and there were signs letting you know where things are. There's even a CTA stop here so you can just hop out and into the Merchandise Mart. I've also heard that Yelp's Chicago offices are located in here! Five Stars! read more

I am in awe of The Merchandise Mart every time I'm in town for work. With my office being located on the 4th & 5th floor, that is where most of my time is spent. However, the rest of the massive building is in constant hustle and bustle with countless people going to and coming from the business and showrooms lining each floor! It's a really beautiful building overall with the fantastic architecture, the highest ceilings and sprawling wide corridors. Also, bonus points for the location, as the Mart sits right on the river. I could probably live on the second floor (aka the food court floor). There are tons and tons of food options from sushi, to burgers, to juices and salad bars. It would genuinely be impossible for you to find something you don't like. I suppose that's why the place is always packed with business people, wether they work in the building or come by just for lunch. Overall, it's a great venue and I really do look forward to going back each time I'm in town! read more

There are various stores to choose from, very clean and you definitely feel safe shopping here. Good stores, amazing restaurants, many more. The place is very beautiful and the staffs were very polite and friendly. They have very nice quality products, that every person can return back to. The guards and other staffs are friendly. It observes health protocols properly. So, I enjoyed shopping, roaming and eating here. It was amazing. The parking space is not so crowded too. I love strolling and eating here at The Merchandise Mart and see what's new to this store. I will recommend this shop to all of my family and friends. Shop now! read more

Daaaaaannnng, this place is MASSIVE. Back when I visited Chi-town in August for a pair of PJ concerts (Pearl Jam, not Pyjamas) I wanted to make a stop here not just for it's architectural brilliance and historic presence in the windy city BUT also because it is the home to Yelp's Chicago office. Don't take my word for it, see what the Encyclopedia Brittanica has to say about the building affectionately known as 'The Mart': Merchandise Mart, also called the Mart, is a landmark building in downtown Chicago, one of the largest commercial buildings in the world and the largest wholesale design centre. Encompassing some 4,200,000 square feet (390,000 square metres) of floor space, the Merchandise Mart spans two city blocks along the Chicago River, rises 25 stories, and was the largest building in the world when it opened in 1930. Today it features retail shops, boutiques, radio and television studios, 10 floors of office space, and 11 floors of permanent showrooms. It hosts dozens of trade shows and community events annually that attract designers, architects, builders, consumers, and tourists alike. Not mentioned above is that it is SO massive that it has a road running through/underneath it! Given Yelp's affinity for local businesses it's fitting that it exists here in the epicentre of Chicago in a building so aptly named read more

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During my time in Chicago, I spent a lot of time at The Mart. I was visiting the city for NeoCon 2019 with my company. The building is beautiful and is featured on the Chicago Architecture Boat tour if you plan to take the tour. The upkeep inside and outside is well taken care of by the staff. Elevators For NeoCon, the elevators are very hard to navigate due to the number of attendees for the event. However, The Marts staff worked hard to ensure the lines kept moving. Food Court The food court had a vast variety of food options available for multiple appetites. From what I was told, the eating area was updated, which looked great! They have a lot of seating, not large tables for big groups. So my team had to pull tables together to make things work. But we had a system, and it all worked out. Restrooms the restrooms remained clean throughout my time in the mart. Overall theMart is a great venue, and I enjoyed my first and certainly not my last here. read more

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Whether you're dropping by the Yelp office to pick up tickets you won, or dropping by to hit the trendy food court, or grab a drink at the fancy bar, or shop for high end custom home furnishings... Merchandise Mart got it all. I first learned about it from the Architectural River Boat Tour and yes it's so big it has it's own zip code. While a majority of the building is dedicated to office space, the bottom floors are home to high end home furnishings and just about everything from custom cabinets, top of the line kitchen appliances, and flooring. Second level is where you will find the food court and other retail spaces. Also has a connect to the Brown / Purple line stop. Anyways, definitely worth a stroll to just walk around and browse if you're curious. 'Til next time, cheers! read more

Every June the Merchandise Mart hosts a 3-day industry event called Neocon. And each time I go I marvel at the size of this building. Coming from NYC, a place known for its humongous buildings, that's saying something, right? Just so y'all don't think I'm soft- here are some facts: the Mart is roughly 4 million square feet. When broken down its 25 floors & 2 city blocks. Holy crap. No wonder my feet are killing me after walking around this place for 3 days. The building outside is pretty remarkable with its art deco influence. And is best seen at night when it's lit up and is reflecting off of the Chicago River. The interior of the building lovely. Beautiful lobby, easy to navigate showroom floors, plenty of elevators and even more staircases to take from floor to floor. Food court on the 2nd floor (?) is pretty nice- plenty of food options and reasonable prices. The location of the mart is great too. Not only does it allow the showrooms to have beautiful views of downtown Chicago but it's walking distance to so many hotels, restaurants, Magnificent Mile, Lake Michigan, etc. What's not to love about the Mart!? So glad they host Neocon here every year! read more

There are a lot of aspects to review here: 1. Huge historic building: one of the architectural highlights of the city 2. Recently installed light show on the front: creatively done! 3. Retail inside: most public don't go here but there are a lot of showrooms, I went when friends were visiting, it's a lot of furniture and appliances. It's nothing to impressive from the inside other than Big. 4. Food services: nothing too special, just the usual commercial places you can find anywhere with a few exceptions, not a food destination Uniquely Chicago, mainly for the building and the setting! read more

Merch Mart, the Mart, my second Home - call it what you want, but this magical enormous building is a landmark in Chicago. Once owned by the Kennedy's and at more than 4 million square feet it was once the largest building in the world. With it's own L stop, and now home to dozens of interior design showrooms and multiple floors of office space, the Mart is an entity! I've had the pleasure of working out the mart for the past 3 years. And while my current role is remote, it's nice to still have an office readily available to work out of. (Missing that luxury even more right now given our current situation) But the Mart is seriously one cool building! With it's art deco style, beautiful marbled lobby, intricate elevator system, and ever changing food court, I'm lucky to have spent a majority of the past three years working out of the building everyday. If you visiting Chicago, or a native who's never been, do yourself a favor and check this place out! They also have a weekly light show on Wednesday nights where they display "Art on the Mart" (hence the name). Check their website for an updated schedule, but seriously something not to miss! read more

The Yelp Chicago offices are in this building. It was my first trip, and I didn't know what to expect, but I didn't expect this. WOAH, this place is HUGE. If I hadn't come with a group, I don't know that I would have known if I was in the right place, because when you walk in there's a bunch of interior design shops, super random! The elevators are a little wonky because not all the elevators go to all the floors, and you could really get yourself turned around here! Overall though, this is a very cool building with lots of history. One of my colleagues told me that pre-COVID the downstairs hallways were super packed every time he visited, but pretty sparse now, which was A-OK with me. There are several (great) restaurants and coffee shops within the building, which is excellent because if you were working here you wouldn't even need to leave to grab a bite. (Although the Yelp office itself is not lacking on snacks so probably wouldn't even need to wander downstairs, but that's a different story. :D) The location is excellent. The building is right on the river and adjacent to a pretty gorgeous portion of the riverwalk. We walked along the water one afternoon, and there were rods set up for anyone who wanted to try their hand at fishing (for free!) It's also my understanding that there's an "Art on the Mart" event that projects images onto the building at nighttime, but I wasn't here after dark to see it. (Bet it's pretty cool though.) The building is within walking distance of many restaurants, shops, and Chicago landmarks. Glad I got a chance to see this neat space! read more

The Merchandise Mart truly is an iconic building that has so much to offer and I love that it is home to Yelp's Chicago office. It gives me an excuse (not that you need one) to explore the Mart from time to time. It can be a pretty intimidating experience your first visit or two, so don't think you'll get the hang of where everything is right off the bat. There are multiple entrances and each elevator only goes to certain floors, so it might take you a bit to find your bearings. I mean, this building is so huge it has it's own area code for crying out loud! Over the last couple years they've made some remodeling changes that I'm definitely a fan of. The first and second floors at the Mart are definitely more community centric now thanks to the addition of more seating options including an upgraded cafeteria-like communal area near the food court and stair/risers for enjoying a cup of Joe with a co-worker or stepping out of the office to make a phone call. There are a ton of great companies (like Yelp!) located inside the Merchandise Mart including 1871 which is a tech startup incubator. The first floor is dedicated to your home design needs with high-end vendors that will make you want to win the lottery and remodel your whole house! I love the convenience of the Merchandise Mart especially coming from the burbs. It's a super easy walk from Union Station over there and if you take Wacker Drive you can hit up the food trucks on your way (during the week). In the winter months it's definitely nice not to have to leave the building to grab lunch when I'm there working in the office. If you call Chicago your hometown or if you're visiting from out of state, I highly suggest spending an afternoon exploring The Merchandise Mart. There's even a Holiday Inn Express connected to the Mart with an indoor walkway -- talk about convenience! read more

Love the art on the mart. Really cool for evenings. Yale Reardon Best spot in the summer and awesome food court. read more

The Mart - Art on the Mart, Yale Reardon - Shopping Centers Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Not sure how to rate this place, as I was only really there for 10 minutes to find food. Everything was closing by the time I got there. I only really had 2 options; pizza and a healthy smoothie store. Both were incredibly friendly and willing to take care of my orders without feeling annoyed that another customer bothered them on closing time. read more

The Mart - Heading home - Shopping Centers Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Come for the great employment opportunities, events and wide range of eating options. Stay 'cause you're lost as hell! This place is outstanding. Merchandise Mart, is quickly becoming the mini-silicon valley of Chicago. It's the large commercial bridling Yelp, PayPal, Home Advisor and many other huge brand headquarters. These places are always hiring like crazy. Headhunters are everywhere looking for talent and you can't walk too far without seeing an interview in progress in one of the many lounge options throughout the mart. There are events every so often at this place and they are always so classy and sophisticated. Events like NeoCon, an exhibit on interior design technology and ideas, transform the entire mart into one big interactive art museum. There are usually panels, activities and loads of freebies. To add, the event hosts know visitors of the mart are loaded, so they cater to your every need. Overall, the spot has been a cultural and commercial, I don't know any other word so I'll say, boon, for the city since it's installation in 1930. Stop by, get lost and take it all in. Ahhh, The Mart read more

The Merch Mart truly has it all! My first visit here was during my freshman year of college, when I had an internship interview at what was then Q101 (RIP). I didn't get the position... but I got to see the Merch Mart for the first time! That makes up for it, right? RIGHT??? Hello? A few years ago I began working in a building nearby, and I used to visit the Mart frequently to try some of the restaurants. Last October, I joined one of the gyms located inside, and now my current office is located in here. I can't escape this building, and I'm not complaining! From restaurants with a view of the river like Marshall's Landing, to radio stations, to gyms, to home design stores, to offices and a Starbucks, you could probably live in the Mart if you wanted to. I'm *mostly* joking, but it's so big, there are probably nooks you could nap in to give it a try. One of my only ~issues~ with the Merch Mart is that some of the elevators only go up to the 5th or 6th floor, so you'd need to go back down to the first floor, find another set of elevators, and go back up to visit certain businesses, which is a little time consuming if the elevators are in use at prime hours of the day. Also, getting from the second to the first floor is a mess when it comes to stairwells and the one escalator that only goes up. Also, some of the events that happen in the building are kind of a nightmare and cause traffic around the all of the surrounding streets and inside, but I think people who visit the conference like it, so good for them. 0:) read more

60654 That's the zip code the Merch Mart solely owned up until 2008. That's how massive the place is. This is one of the cooler facts you'll learn on any of the Chicago architecture tours. I moved away about 2 years ago and since then it's gotten one heck of a makeover. The food court and CTA center have completely been redone, and theres now even a trendy cocktail bar with stadium seating between the first and second floor. Before you'd really only pop in if you worked here, but with all the renovations, it's now safe to say you could make it a destination. read more

The Merchandise Mart (rebranding: "The Mart") is huuuuuge. But you already knew that. Huge improvements: 1. Addition of "Grand Staircase" - I'd seen them taking suggestions for last summer (2015), then building it last winter, and newly unveiled late this past Spring. It works! Large screen projection tv, stadium seating with outlets handy, an upper level opens into a relaxing open foyer and bar/counter seating that looks out over the River. 2. Revamped food court area right at L access. This is gorgeous! A mini (really mini but hugely reminiscent of) "Hudson Eats at Brookfield Place" in NYC...but the same design aesthetic, with clean lines, drop lighting fixtures and airy quality. It was refreshing to behold! Was "Billy Goat Tavern" always in here? I know not except that I probably shouldn't be mentioning a goat. There is a Clark Street Sports counter here for a limited time too. 3. Now callin' itself "The Mart." This is a_ok with me - I can handle mini-style name adjustments but you go renaming skyscrapers and retail institutions and ballparks and I freak out like all properly-raised Chicagoans. The home/interior stores are still abundant, The Chopping Block still rocks (they've had a makeover too!), the Artisan Cellar is still all that (& bringin' some of that from France.) OK I have to hit you with amazing facts: 1. The Mart was built in part using blimps! There's a photo up on the second or third floor. I took a pic of it many years ago - I'll try n find it again. (OK, ain't there but I hope they put it back!) 2. Completed in 1930! Was the largest building by square footage -4,000,000 sq ft! - at the time 3. Marshall Field & Co was the original builder 4. It was owned by the Kennedy family for decades 5. Such a large building, had its own zip code until 2008 (some info Wikipedia-lifted) read more

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The Merchandise Mart is one of those architectural structures that people immediate recognize as part of Chicago's cityscape. What was once called the "World's Largest Building" when it was built in 1930, it was surpassed by the Pentagon 15 years later and it is now deemed the "World's Largest Commercial Building" taking up two city blocks and rising 25 stories. Probably it's most noted claim to fame is that the Kennedy family owned the building for a little over 50 years until it was sold in 1998. All of this information and more is available on the many tours that you can take of the building. While the upper floors are for the "trade only" and you need to be with your architect or interior designer to gain access and to "shop", there are now several floors that are open to the public. Also- on the main floor are restaurants, a post office and plenty of other places to sit and rest your feet. I have had the opportunity to shop at the Merchandise Mart many times over the years. The great thing about the shops is that there are working displays that you can experience. While this is not totally new now with several of the mega stores like Home Expo doing the same thing- it used to be that the Mart was the only place that you could experience this. I went last night for a fundraiser in the magnificent lobby space. What a grand piece of history to have a party in. There are 8 marble pillars rising to the sky. The floor is terrazzo tile, resembling a carpet and the sconces and ornamentation are all done in the Art Deco style. It was the perfect place to host a black tie event- and a celebration to this amazing building! And if you ever wonder why your feet hurt so much after walking through the many display windows of merchandise at the Mart? It's because there are 6.5 miles of display windows in this place. Now that's a lot of shopping! read more

The home of my corporate HQ. I love working out of this office for a number of reasons. I spent a few of my formative years living in Chicago when I was just a small kid. Being back in the city as an adult brings back some good memories of the place and allows me to also appreciate it that much more. The Mart is big... and when I mean big... I mean B.I.G. It's the second largest building in the world - second only to the Pentagon - and has 4,000,000 square feet of floor room space. It's so large that it has it's very own zip code!!!! There are over 5 miles of corriders inside the Mart and it's pretty fun to just walk around and see all the different vendors and shops. I love the location, being just off the river. The Mart is centrally located to all sorts of good eats all around so you have many choices in terms of lunch. Beautiful area, awesome architecture... and the lighting at night time... love it! read more

The Mart - The Mart @ night.... I love it. - Shopping Centers Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I go here ALL the time for various events. It's HUGE and can be a little confusing versus what entry way you go in. All of my favorites spots are here. I love Luxe Homes and the Chopping Block. For all the interior design junkies there's soooo many show rooms with luxury furniture to peruse. The last time I was here I toured the Maya Romanoff showroom and enjoyed browsing the handcrafted wall coverings. They also have a pretty cheap food court on the second floor if your not trying to leave the building. Don't let the size of the building fool you though. You'll find your way! read more

The Mart - Shopping Centers Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I've been a regular at the Mart for years now - it was the largest commercial building in the US until the Pentagon was built. It's HUGE! The first two floors are "public" - there are high end kitchen + bath showrooms, a small food court, a Starbucks, an Argo Tea and a wine shop. Above that, the floors are restricted "to the trade" - commercial and residential design professionals. The top two floors are "gift mart" - places like Yankee Candle have showrooms here, but again only for wholesalers. I regularly visit vendors here and attend trade shows - the Mart is well equipped for that with plentiful bathrooms and decent concessions during show times. One bad point is that the old walks are thick so good luck getting a cell signal inside. Want to get in on the action? The Mart's website posts events that are open to the public. A few times a year there are sample sales where showrooms sell off floor models for a fraction of retail. That's a bit subjective as a $7000 sofa may be going for $1000. The real deal is just before Thanksgiving when Gift Mart showrooms get rid of all of their samples - candles, linens, decorative items and more. You'll see all the designer girls aka "decorinas" loaded up with bags of stuff to fabulize their Wicker Park condos. read more

To start, this place is ENORMOUS! It's effectively the bottom floor of the old post office building and is home to tons of showrooms for different higher end furniture, kitchen and bath companies We sauntered around and drooled over four or five showrooms of items we can't afford, and really don't need, but that are lovely to dream about! Once the Powerball is ours, we'll build a place with more Wolf and Sub-Zero appliances than you can shake a stick at! Definitely a good place to spend time if you're looking into building a place, remodeling a place, or just interested in seeing the latest trends in home improvement. read more

My first visit to Chicago and the Mart. It's a great spot and it's huge! So much to see and do. Shops, food, displays, and great people watching. When I was there they had some cool art displays made out of canned goods and packaged foods. They were really cool. The place is massive though and if I hadn't had a guide to show me where to go for my meetings, I would have been lost there for hours. That wouldn't be the worst thing in the world. LOL. Beautiful space and good location too. Wish I had more time to explore. read more

The Merchandise Mart brings back memories of when I used to go to school across the street at ILIA (Illinois Institute of Art). The school had a bunch of their classes here at The Mart and I would be here almost everyday. This is such a multi purpose building complete with stores, shops and even a Food Court on the second floor. This is also an "L" stop for the Brown and Purple Line for the train among other things. The Merchandise Mart is an iconic building in the great architectural history of Chicago. This building is so massive and provides a feeling of grandiose and bravado. I remember walking around the corridors and just appreciating the opulence in the design. If you ever drive by this place at night when the building is lit up...it is such a breathtaking site that should not be taken for granted. The Merchandise Mart is much more than just a "building." It is so much more than a place to go shopping, work, take classes in, grab a bite to eat, a train station. It should be appreciated as a piece of Chicago history. A five star rating for a wonderful Chicago landmark. read more

The Mart - Walking to Merchandise Mart - Shopping Centers Near Me - Chicago, Illinois