Printers Row, Chicago

Printers Row, also known as Printing House Row, is a neighborhood situated in the southern part of downtown Chicago within the Loop area. The central region of Printers Row is generally bordered by Ida B. Wells Drive to the north, Polk Street to the south, Plymouth Court to the east, and the Chicago River to the west. This neighborhood extensively overlaps with two officially designated historic districts: Printing House Row District to the north of Ida B. Wells Drive and South Loop Printing House District to the south. Additionally, the neighborhood encompasses Dearborn Station, a location listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

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Historically, many of the buildings in this area were utilized by printing and publishing companies. Today, most of these structures have been converted into residential lofts, with the last remaining printer, Palmer Printing, Inc., situated near the intersection of Clark and Polk streets, having been sold to residential developers in early 2018.

Prominent buildings in the neighborhood include the M.A. Donohue & Co. Building located at Plymouth Court and Polk Street, as well as the Franklin Building, characterized by its red brick and polychromatic tile design. Notably, the Franklin Building features painted tile representations of printing tradesmen, such as bookbinders and typesetters, along with a mural illustrating the "first impression" of the Gutenberg Bible.

The expansion of Ida B. Wells Drive, previously known as Congress Parkway, between 1949 and 1952 led to the separation of the historic buildings in the Printing House Row District from those in the South Loop Printing House District.

In terms of education, Printers Row falls within the zoning boundaries of the following Chicago Public Schools: South Loop School and Phillips Academy High School. Additionally, Jones College Prep High School's campus is in close proximity to Printers Row, located at 700 S State Street.

The area also serves as a hub for students, housing the University Center of Chicago (UCC), which accommodates over 3,000 college students in dormitory and apartment-style units. Moreover, there are Dwight Lofts and 731 South Plymouth Court, both student housing buildings owned by Columbia College Chicago. Higher education institutions in the vicinity include Roosevelt University, Columbia College, Robert Morris University, UIC Law School, and DePaul University's Loop campus.

For transportation, Printers Row is accessible via the Harrison Station on the CTA's Red Line and LaSalle Station on the Blue Line.