Cermak Road, formerly 22nd Street, is a major east-west artery on Chicago

Chicago

Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...

's south side and western suburbs. It is named for assassinated Chicago mayor Anton Cermak

Anton Cermak

Anton Joseph Cermak was the mayor of Chicago, Illinois, from 1931 until his assassination by Giuseppe Zangara in 1933.-Early life and career:...

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Points of interest

Starting behind McCormick Place

McCormick Place

McCormick Place is the largest convention center in the United States. It is made up of four interconnected buildings sited on and near the shore of Lake Michigan, about 4 km south of downtown Chicago, Illinois, USA. McCormick Place hosts numerous trade shows, including the Chicago Auto Show,...

, a huge exposition center that straddles Lake Shore Drive

Lake Shore Drive

Lake Shore Drive is a mostly freeway-standard expressway running parallel with and alongside the shoreline of Lake Michigan through Chicago, Illinois, USA. Except for the portion north of Foster Avenue , Lake Shore Drive is designated as part of U.S...

, Cermak Road heads west past Chinatown

Chinatown, Chicago

The Chinatown neighborhood in Chicago, Illinois, is on the South Side , centered on Cermak and Wentworth Avenues, and is an example of an American Chinatown, or ethnic-Chinese neighborhood. By the [ftp://ftp2.census.gov/census_2000/datasets/demographic_profile/Illinois/2kh17.pdf 2000 Census], has...

, over the south branch of the Chicago River

Chicago River

The Chicago River is a system of rivers and canals with a combined length of that runs through the city of the same name, including its center . Though not especially long, the river is notable for being the reason why Chicago became an important location, as the link between the Great Lakes and...

, through a warehouse district, and past Benito Juarez Community Academy

Benito Juarez Community Academy

Benito Juarez Community Academy, formerly Juarez High School, is a public high school of the Chicago Public Schools, located in the Pilsen neighborhood. It is named for Mexican President Benito Juárez....

. At the corner of Cermak Road and Marshall Boulevard is the famous Apollo 2000 theater. It leaves the city limits at Cicero Avenue and passes through the towns of Cicero

Cicero, Illinois

Cicero is an incorporated town in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 83,891 at the 2010 census. Cicero is named for the town of Cicero, New York, which in turn was named for Marcus Tullius Cicero, the Roman statesman and orator....

, and Berwyn, Illinois

Berwyn, Illinois

Berwyn is a city in Cook County, Illinois, co-existent with Berwyn Township, which was formed in 1908 after breaking off from Cicero Township. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 54,016.-Demographics:...

, and suburbs to the west. At its intersection with 54th Avenue, there is an L

54/Cermak (CTA)

54th/Cermak is a station on the Chicago Transit Authority's 'L' system, serving the Pink Line, and is the western terminus of this line. It is at Cermak Road between 54th and Laramie Avenues.-Bus connections:CTA* #21 Cermak...

 station that is the end terminal for the Pink Line

Pink Line (Chicago Transit Authority)

The Pink Line is a rapid transit line in Chicago, run by the Chicago Transit Authority as part of the Chicago 'L' system. It began operation for a 180-day trial period on June 25, 2006, running between 54th/Cermak Station in Cicero, Illinois and the Loop in downtown Chicago...

. At Harlem Avenue, there is a shopping center called Cermak Plaza. It was home to the former Spindle sculpture

Spindle (sculpture)

Spindle was a sculpture created in 1989 by artist Dustin Shuler . It consisted of a 50 foot spike with eight cars impaled on it. From 1989 until its demolition on May 2, 2008, it was located in the car park of Cermak Plaza shopping center, at the corner of Cermak Road and Harlem Avenue in Berwyn,...

, a tall spike with eight cars stuck through it like a Shish Kebab

Kebab

Kebab is a wide variety of meat dishes originating in Middle East and later on adopted by the Middle East, and Asia Minor, and now found worldwide. In English, kebab with no qualification generally refers more specifically to shish kebab served on the skewer...

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