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Nightlife suggestions for Chicago and Toronto [October 6th - October 13th]
I am visiting Chicago to attend a childhood friend's wedding and I will be there for about 3-4 days. I am flying in via Heathrow to O'Hare on October 6th in Chicago. Looking for general recommendations with regards to nightscene activities and late night outings. I grew up in Chicago and have been back plenty of times since then, my mum and dad still own property there in Near Northside. That being said, I lived in Chicago when I was much younger and quite obviously am not a kid any longer, so the one aspect about Chicago that I know the least bit about is its nightlife. My previous nightlife experiences have been so-so in Chicago, which is why I want to get some recommendations before I head out there.
I'd like some recommendations on some places that may make my experience in Chicago noteworthy.
I'll also be heading to Toronto as well. I usually plan both cities together at a time, have done so twice already this decade and plan to keep that tradition alive. I will be in Toronto for the back half of my trip to North America, so will be there for 3-4 days as well as I'll be flying back to London from Pearson to Heathrow on October 14th. Toronto from my limited time there fits my scene rather well, especially with regard to music scene and outing scene. That being said, I'd still love to get some recommendations from those familiar with the city on where to go, what to expect, and which areas stay the most active late into the night.
I'd like to get some suggestions on both cities. So those familiar with one or both of these cities, feel free to leave recommendations or point of comparisons or something of that sort.
Thanks in advance.
Last edited by Trafalgar Law; 09-30-2017 at 12:31 PM..
What types of places are you looking for specifically? I can probably give some suggestions for Chicago if I know what you're looking for. I think obviously for areas to stay in for late night in Chicago you should stay downtown in River North (probably between State and LaSalle or so not further north than Ontario or Erie) or maybe around Viagra Triangle in Gold Coast or something. There is a new Viceroy Hotel in Gold Coast and the Thompson Hotel nearby I hear is great.
Wicker Park has a decent amount of concentrated night life which is open late with Logan Square not far aware that has come on strong in the last small handful of years in a few pockets, but of course downtown has more still. West Loop is also kind of busy now but it's weird and too upcoming - check back in 5 years and it'll be like a "wtf happened to this area compared to 15 years ago!?" Some cool stuff though there right now - I'm betting in 5 years it'll be a full fledged River North v2 though.
Any places you remember too that you went to and would like to be automatically omitted from suggestions?
Last edited by marothisu; 09-30-2017 at 02:53 PM..
Nightlife suggestions for Chicago and Toronto [October 6th - October 13th]
I am visiting Chicago to attend a childhood friend's wedding and I will be there for about 3-4 days. I am flying in via Heathrow to O'Hare on October 6th in Chicago. Looking for general recommendations with regards to nightscene activities and late night outings. I grew up in Chicago and have been back plenty of times since then, my mum and dad still own property there in Near Northside. That being said, I lived in Chicago when I was much younger and quite obviously am not a kid any longer, so the one aspect about Chicago that I know the least bit about is its nightlife. My previous nightlife experiences have been so-so in Chicago, which is why I want to get some recommendations before I head out there.
I'd like some recommendations on some places that may make my experience in Chicago noteworthy.
I'll also be heading to Toronto as well. I usually plan both cities together at a time, have done so twice already this decade and plan to keep that tradition alive. I will be in Toronto for the back half of my trip to North America, so will be there for 3-4 days as well as I'll be flying back to London from Pearson to Heathrow on October 14th. Toronto from my limited time there fits my scene rather well, especially with regard to music scene and outing scene. That being said, I'd still love to get some recommendations from those familiar with the city on where to go, what to expect, and which areas stay the most active late into the night.
I'd like to get some suggestions on both cities. So those familiar with one or both of these cities, feel free to leave recommendations or point of comparisons or something of that sort.
Thanks in advance.
"Nightlife" is way too broad. It could mean theatre, clubs, restaurants, bars, lounges, wine events, etc. You need to be more specific to get any good advice.
Any places you remember too that you went to and would like to be automatically omitted from suggestions?
A few beer gardens in Near Northside like Kensington, Clark Street, and one near the Navy Pier. This was last year towards the end of March and beginning of April. Also went to some hookah bars as well, which I generally enjoy.
I'd like to fixate more on places that are Chicago-area specific drinks. This could be my last trip to Chicago for a while, I definitely want to see what the local drinking scene is like.
As for more of a technical nightlife. Any rave spots? What I am really big into is trance, electronic, progressive house, chillgressive house, dubstep, some techno, D&B (drum-n-bass), BRUK (broken beat), and Jungle. If there are specific events in Chicago or even venues that cater to any one of these genres of music, I'd definitely like to check it out while in Chicago.
I'd like to fixate more on places that are Chicago-area specific drinks. This could be my last trip to Chicago for a while, I definitely want to see what the local drinking scene is like.
If you want more local type of atmosphere and are used to staying downtown, then I'd honestly stay way from most (not all) of the downtown places. There are of course local downtown places but there's a lot more outside of downtown. What specifically are you looking for though? There's many types of "local" in Chicago just like any big city - more interesting places, nice places, hipster/hipster-ish places, etc. Are you familiar with Wicker Park, Logan Square, etc areas? I find the night life there actually better than downtown, but that's just me. Wicker Park is a bit more like Williamsburg in Brooklyn, in a way.
What exactly are you looking for?
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As for more of a technical nightlife. Any rave spots? What I am really big into is trance, electronic, progressive house, chillgressive house, dubstep, some techno, D&B (drum-n-bass), BRUK (broken beat), and Jungle. If there are specific events in Chicago or even venues that cater to any one of these genres of music, I'd definitely like to check it out while in Chicago.
Are you familiar with SmartBar? I'd say it's probably one of the most serious electronic music oriented spots in town. I'd check to see what they have. There are many others which
There used to be a place in Lincoln Park called Neo which was straight out of a futuristic dystopian sci fi film. It was an amazing place. Unfortunately it closed (stupid landlord), but a place called Debonair Social Club in Wicker Park has Neo Night on Thursdays. It's more New Wave and whatever though. The actual club used to have more variety. When it closed it was Chicago's oldest night club - and rumor has it that Neo from the Matrix movies was named after the club. The creators of the films are from Chicago and apparently used to hang out at Neo. If you had ever been there, you'd see how they might use it as inspiration. So sad it had to close..
NOW, I am going to make an interesting suggestion, and it's not necessarily for dancing but might fit above. I am a music lover (a musician) and a place called Danny's Tavern in Bucktown is one of my favorites. It's not big but the music they play there you usually won't hear anywhere else and it's almost always music you can dance to (live DJ). I've only been there on weekends but sometimes it's very interesting stuff that I've never heard and haven't heard since. Regular bar in front, cheap drinks, dark, and a small dance floor up a few steps. One of the funniest things I ever saw there was a few Bears players (lot of rich people now in this area) dropped in and nobody cared who they were. They were just awkward as hell fidgeting around because they thought people would care they were in there. Pretty funny. Local as hell and if you are a music lover (I'm talking about all types of music) then I'd check it out to be honest.
If you want more local type of atmosphere and are used to staying downtown, then I'd honestly stay way from most (not all) of the downtown places. There are of course local downtown places but there's a lot more outside of downtown. What specifically are you looking for though? There's many types of "local" in Chicago just like any big city - more interesting places, nice places, hipster/hipster-ish places, etc. Are you familiar with Wicker Park, Logan Square, etc areas? I find the night life there actually better than downtown, but that's just me. Wicker Park is a bit more like Williamsburg in Brooklyn, in a way.
What exactly are you looking for?
I would say that the thing that I am looking for the most is a place that leaves an impression on Chicago area products or atmosphere. What I mean by products are alcoholic beverages that are served but primarily grown or put together in Chicago. For example, when visiting Portland, Denver, Seattle, or San Diego you can find a whole lot of places that serve beer or wine or just anything alcoholic and a large amount of it is stuff that's grown either locally or somewhere else in that state. I definitely know that Chicago has them too but not as familiar with where to go for them.
In the same vein I'd like to check out those sort of establishments in Chicago, if possible, to get an imprint of what the local scene has developed with regards to drinks.
Chicago also has a huge Middle-Eastern population, which means that it probably has a large slate of options with regards to hookah bars. Generally I love hookah bars, I've been to a few with friends before in Chicago and they were extremely good. I'd like to further explore more of those while I am in Chicago. Do you have some in mind that you enjoy that I should check out? I generally like the ones that double as a really good Middle-Eastern restaurant and have a cool, laid-back, and chill atmosphere.
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Originally Posted by marothisu
Are you familiar with SmartBar? I'd say it's probably one of the most serious electronic music oriented spots in town. I'd check to see what they have. There are many others which
There used to be a place in Lincoln Park called Neo which was straight out of a futuristic dystopian sci fi film. It was an amazing place. Unfortunately it closed (stupid landlord), but a place called Debonair Social Club in Wicker Park has Neo Night on Thursdays. It's more New Wave and whatever though. The actual club used to have more variety. When it closed it was Chicago's oldest night club - and rumor has it that Neo from the Matrix movies was named after the club. The creators of the films are from Chicago and apparently used to hang out at Neo. If you had ever been there, you'd see how they might use it as inspiration. So sad it had to close..
NOW, I am going to make an interesting suggestion, and it's not necessarily for dancing but might fit above. I am a music lover (a musician) and a place called Danny's Tavern in Bucktown is one of my favorites. It's not big but the music they play there you usually won't hear anywhere else and it's almost always music you can dance to (live DJ). I've only been there on weekends but sometimes it's very interesting stuff that I've never heard and haven't heard since. Regular bar in front, cheap drinks, dark, and a small dance floor up a few steps. One of the funniest things I ever saw there was a few Bears players (lot of rich people now in this area) dropped in and nobody cared who they were. They were just awkward as hell fidgeting around because they thought people would care they were in there. Pretty funny. Local as hell and if you are a music lover (I'm talking about all types of music) then I'd check it out to be honest.
I'll definitely check it out.
For me, the thing that makes me love London's environment is that I can naturally be myself and maintain my interests here. For instance, our culture around electronic music is huge, lots of local talent and underground musicians and so many venues support that. London is the birthplace of a lot of electric genres of music and the epicenter of musical talent in these genres, or well, one of the few epicenters for it. When I lived in the United States, it was really hard to find stuff that I was into, not impossible because I found some spots in every city I lived in but it was like finding a needle in a haystack sometimes. Even some of the more EDM focussed cities felt off to me, it was like they were into stuff like Deadmau5 and Skrillex, both good, but also just acts that generally only scratch the surface of these genres with little in the way of a deeper connection to these types of music. I definitely love scenes that have a deep appreciation for these genres of music, as well as genres like Rock or Indie. I haven't been able to explore Chicago's music scene to know all the much on it, which is why it is great that I am asking now before getting there.
I know, for instance, that Chicago was the birthplace of house music. It's why I have high expectations for it. I definitely want to see what some of the local scene is like, what sort of music the city gravitates towards, and things along that line of thought. I'm definitely going to pay a visit to SmartBar and Danny's Tavern, both sound like the sort of stuff that I am into. As well as the scene that I want to be immersed with in my visit to the U.S. next week.
I visited a friend of mine last year in Los Angeles, as well as my cousins in Los Angeles, the last night I was in Los Angeles my cousin took me to a place called the Ricardo Montalban Theatre Rooftop where we watched a spaghetti western flick well into the night. It was a pretty stellar experience and quintessentially very Los Angeles given that the city is Tinseltown and it was one of the most Tinseltown-like things you could do there. A great atmosphere all around. I was wondering, by chance, if Chicago has stuff like this as well? It would be hella cool to check it out, while not a traditional idea of an outing for nightlife, I think still a worthwhile sort of experience.
I took this photo last year in Los Angeles:
The MLB postseason should be well underway by the time I get there, I definitely feel it would be noteworthy for me to check out some of the scenes near Wrigley too while there.
Last edited by Trafalgar Law; 10-01-2017 at 05:41 PM..
I would say that the thing that I am looking for the most is a place that leaves an impression on Chicago area products or atmosphere. What I mean by products are alcoholic beverages that are served but primarily grown or put together in Chicago. For example, when visiting Portland, Denver, Seattle, or San Diego you can find a whole lot of places that serve beer or wine or just anything alcoholic and a large amount of it is stuff that's grown either locally or somewhere else in that state. I definitely know that Chicago has them too but not as familiar with where to go for them.
In the same vein I'd like to check out those sort of establishments in Chicago, if possible, to get an imprint of what the local scene has developed with regards to drinks.
In the last 5 years some great spots have popped up (mostly NOT downtown, though a few are) for bars. One of the truly unique Chicago drinks, Malort, is not something I'd wish on anyone so I won't be recommending anywhere to get that. Such a sick drink. As far as beer and whatever goes, there's a ton of breweries that have popped up in Chicago since about 2010 or so. Apparently Chicago now has one of the highest number of breweries of any size of any metro area now surprisingly. A lot of good ones like Pipeworks, Revolution, Half Acre, etc.
* For cocktail stuff, truly the most innovative cocktails I've ever had is by Grant Achatz (Alinea) at Aviary. Not cheap but worth it. You'd probably need a reservation to secure a spot. They opened up one at the Mandarin Oriental in NYC this weekend, but from what I read it's a slightly dumbed down version of the Chicago one. You'd be hard pressed to find a more, or many more, inventive cocktail place in the world objectively: https://theaviary.tocktix.com/
* Longman & Eagle. Truly one of the best Bourbon/Whiskey bars in the world. Their list is massive. I've mentioned it to friends who've never been to Chicago and they were skeptical. After seeing the list they were ready to buy plane tickets to Chicago. This place also has a Michelin star - kind of a hipster place: Longman & Eagle
* Revolution Brewing has a decent brew pub in Logan Square. Their tap room itself is actually really cool but in a much different area. Very industrial. Anyway the brew pub: https://revbrew.com/brewpub/overview
* If you are there on Saturday and want a brewery tour, I'd recommend Half Acre. Funniest tour I've ever been on anywhere in the world. First come first serve and it's $10 cash. It's definitely a good deal for the money. Good beer too: Lincoln Tours
If any of these above interest you, I can probably suggest more.
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Chicago also has a huge Middle-Eastern population, which means that it probably has a large slate of options with regards to hookah bars. Generally I love hookah bars, I've been to a few with friends before in Chicago and they were extremely good. I'd like to further explore more of those while I am in Chicago. Do you have some in mind that you enjoy that I should check out? I generally like the ones that double as a really good Middle-Eastern restaurant and have a cool, laid-back, and chill atmosphere.
There was one I really liked in Lakeview but it burned down a few years ago (the bar next door started the fire actually). There is a large middle eastern population in Chicago on the NW side in areas like Albany Park and I know there's a number of hookah bars up there but honestly I never went to most of them.
There is one place in Logan Square though (near Revolution Brewing) called Masada. They have live music/DJ some nights in the basement area. The owner is from Jordan originally and gets musicians and DJs in from the middle east. He owns the entire building and last time I was there, I enjoyed a hookah: Middle Eastern Restaurant & Night Club at Logan Square Chicago
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For me, the thing that makes me love London's environment is that I can naturally be myself and maintain my interests here. For instance, our culture around electronic music is huge, lots of local talent and underground musicians and so many venues support that. When I lived in the United States, it was really hard to find stuff that I was into, even some of the more EDM focussed cities felt off to me, it was like they were into stuff like Deadmau5 and Skrillex, acts that generally only scratch the surface of these genres with little in the way of a deeper connection to these types of music.
I know what you mean, which is why I love a place like Danny's. This place runs a lot more hipster, but the people there are more true to themselves. You will hear a lot of different styles of music there, though some nights they specifically have like "Italo Disco night" type of stuff. I always went there to have a good time with cheap drinks and to hear stuff I've never heard before. The thing is that in Chicago, some areas like downtown are a lot more mainstream. Not to say there aren't places that aren't non mainstream, but you'll find it way more often outside of downtowns at the bars, lounges, etc.
There are also some clubs in and around downtown that get decent or good DJs sometimes like SpyBar, The Mid, Sound Bar, etc. The types of people who go there really vary so just beware of that part, but yeah they do get decent music sometimes. There was a club in the Gold Coast (not that old) which apparently got shut down by the city for some reason. Last time I went there, it wasn't popping at all but the music was really good. Too bad..
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I visited a friend of mine last year in Los Angeles, as well as my cousins in Los Angeles, the last night I was in Los Angeles my cousin took me to a place called the Ricardo Montalban Theatre Rooftop where we watched a spaghetti western flick well into the night. It was a pretty stellar experience and quintessentially very Los Angeles given that the city is the center of the film industry. A great atmosphere all around. I was wondering, by chance, if Chicago has stuff like this as well? It would be hella cool to check it out, while not a traditional idea of an outing for nightlife, I think still a worthwhile sort of experience.
There is a place in Logan Square called Boiler Room, next to the Masada place I mentioned above, that plays some films that are rather not the norm. You never know what you're going to get, but I wouldn't make this the centerpiece of any night, however it's pretty local and they have good deals (like their jameson infused soft serve ice cream): Boiler Room - Logan Square - Chicago
There is also a theater near Wrigley Field which does a lot of Indie/Art type of films. It's an old 1920s movie palace: https://www.musicboxtheatre.com/
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The MLB postseason should be well underway by the time I get there, I definitely feel it would be noteworthy for me to check out some of the scenes near Wrigley too while there.
SmartBar is in Wrigleyville - I normally hate Wrigleyville for nightlife but it might be interesting to just experience during the post season. The areas east (Boystown and Lakeview East) and west (Southport) are a bit different than Wrigleyville. It's rather funny at times going from one to the next. There's actually a lot of construction in Wrigleyville right now. If you haven't been to that area for awhile you may be confused by it right now. There's a lot of bars still open obviously, but there were a handful of buildings demolished as they are building some 8 story building with a few hundred units with new retail, commercial, etc. That crappy McDonald's across the way along with a few other things was demolished - replaced by a 6 or 7 story hotel (not open yet) which will house some apparently very good food.
By the way, there is a place that opened up in Gold Coast called 3 Arts Club Cafe which is legitimately the most beautiful cafe I've been to in the US. I have a friend who saw it who lives in London now who said it reminded her of a few places in London. I have had friends from Italy and London come to town and have to "have a minute" upon seeing it. I'd recommend at least stopping by for a look if you haven't before. The wait for a table can be insanely long but you can just check it out if you're into this: 3 Arts Club Cafe
Last edited by marothisu; 10-01-2017 at 06:38 PM..
A few beer gardens in Near Northside like Kensington, Clark Street, and one near the Navy Pier. This was last year towards the end of March and beginning of April. Also went to some hookah bars as well, which I generally enjoy.
I'd like to fixate more on places that are Chicago-area specific drinks. This could be my last trip to Chicago for a while, I definitely want to see what the local drinking scene is like.
As for more of a technical nightlife. Any rave spots? What I am really big into is trance, electronic, progressive house, chillgressive house, dubstep, some techno, D&B (drum-n-bass), BRUK (broken beat), and Jungle. If there are specific events in Chicago or even venues that cater to any one of these genres of music, I'd definitely like to check it out while in Chicago.
That helps a lot, unfortunately, I'm not into raves, so can't offer any suggestions. I'm more of a low key bar person, but as far as dance spots, Ive been to Hubbard Inn, J Parker, and Sound Bar. They're crowded, trendy, good looking women, people dressed up, and the typical music for those places (top 40/ hip hop mix). Not sure if that's exactly you're looking for. The Godfrey hotel rooftop lounge is also decent for that type of trendy nightlife. Lots of those kinds of places in River North.
For purely Chicago alcohols/beers, the countless bars in all the different neighborhoods, all sell local Chicago beers. Goose Island has a tour, and a bar, although I think I heard their city location is/was closing down (so you may need to check on that). A real cool bar that has a ton of local beers is a place called Hopleaf in Andersonville. 3 levels, lots of space to gather with friends. Just a really cool place. As far of hookah places, I've heard good things about House of Hookah in Lakeview, but have never been.
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