McCormick Place is the civic/cultural/commercial heart of Chicago, whatever you want to call it. This is where the famous Auto Show is every year, scheduled for Feb 13-21, 2016. At this general location are the Field Museum, the Shedd Aquarium, and Soldier Field. So I say this is a milestone event, unpropitious as it is.
Yes, it appears that the brilliant government of Chicago actually put MLK Blvd right in the middle of the city center. Somebody should tell them.....
Yes. This area, broadly referred to as Automobile Row (for all the early auto dealers once represented along Michigan Avenue) was scuzzy for a long time but has become much nicer in recent years.
I recently learned that the McCormick center is the largest convention hall in all of North America!
I was there for a Christmas party a month ago, love the place, hate the neighborhood.