The stretch of South Wabash Avenue from Congress Parkway south has traditionally housed Chicago's antique and art dealer district, with a concentration of dealers in American and European antiques, vintage furniture, and mid-century design. The scale and quality range from auction house operations to one-room dealers in everything from vintage lighting to 19th-century portraits.
The elevated L rail runs above Wabash here, giving the street its characteristic light and noise — a different atmosphere from the pedestrianised sections of the Loop a few blocks north. The antique trade here is working rather than decorative; serious buyers visit alongside curious browsers. Some dealers are by appointment only.