Chicago City Guide - Nightlife

When the sun goes down, Chicago comes alive with a variety of entertainment venues, which vary from the boisterous (dance clubs) to the serene (wine bars). The main entertainment districts are Lincoln Park, the Gold Coast, Old Town and Streeterville (north of the Loop), Greek Town (west of the Loop) and the newest hot spots - River North, Wicker Park and Bucktown. Rush Street, once the happening place, has come back with its many upscale restaurants and outdoor cafes. Most bars close around 0200 or 0300 on Friday and Saturday nights, but outdoor gardens close at 2300.
Check www.chicagoreader.com, www.cityofchicago.org, http://chicago.citysearch.com or www.metromix.com for comprehensive reviews and details.

Bars: Looking for a happening singles bar? Visit Original Mothers, 26 West Division, which was featured in the movie, About Last Night; Butch McGuire's, 20 West Division; or The Lodge, across the street at 21 West Division. Lakeview Broadcasting Company, 3542 North Halsted, is another popular hangout where retro boom boxes dot the walls and 20-somethings groove to hip hop and rock.  The young crowd also frequents Sound Bar, 226 West Ontario Street, Hard Drive, 151 East Wacker Drive, Enclave, 220 West Chicago Avenue, Crobar, 1543 North Kingsbury, and Jet Vodka Lounge, 1551 North Sheffield, which has a fuselage interior.

Diehard Cub fans spend their time at sports bars near Wrigley Field - Cubby Bear Lounge, 1059 West Addison or Hi-Tops, 3551 North Sheffield. The spacious Joe's Bar, 940 West Weed Street, is a combination live music, Thursday night karaoke and sports bar. Its many TVs and 14 different satellite feeds make it a favourite hangout for avid sports fans.

If wine bars are more to your palate, get a grape education with every glass of wine at Bin 36, 339 North Dearborn Street, or at The Tasting Room, 1415 West Randolph. This chic, two-floor bar offers sweeping skyline vistas with every libation. For those who prefer the bubbly, there is Pops for Champagne, 601 North State Street, which boasts more than 140 different kinds of the stuff.

There are alternative country acts and a soul-gospel DJ at the 1940s-styled California Clipper, 1002 North California Avenue. Map mavens frequent the Map Room, 1949 North Hoyne Avenue, which, on Tuesday evenings, has a free buffet with different international cuisine each Tuesday, but you must purchase two drinks. For both sipping and scenery, nothing can compare to the spectacular views from the lounge of the Signature Room at the 95th at the John Hancock, 875 North Michigan Avenue.

Clubs: A stone walkway leads to the chic and sexy disco and lounge, Le Passage, 937 North Rush (website: www.lepassage.tv), and the Romanesque fortress-styled Excalibur, 632 North Dearborn (website: www.excaliburchicago.com), is an equally popular dance setting. Salsa favourites include Rumba, 351 West Hubbard Street and Nacional 27, 325 West Huron Street (website: www.nacional27.net). There is jazz, blues and dancing at the New Checkerboard Lounge for Blues'n'Jazz, 5201 South Harper Court, where stars and wannabees play to a crowd of locals, university students and adoring fans.

Comedy: John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray and Rick Moranis got their start at the popular The Second City, 1616 North Wells Street (tel: (312) 664 4032; website: www.secondcity.com). The city's best stand-up comedian spot is Zanies Comedy Club, 1548 North Wells (tel: (312) 337 4027; website: www.chicago.zanies.com). Such notables as Jay Leno, Jerry Seinfeld and Jackie Mason have performed there. Teams compete for audience approval at Comedy Sports, 770 North Green Street (tel: (312) 733 6000; website: www.comedysportzchicago.com).

Live Music: Chicago has a healthy musical tradition covering everything - jazz, rock, country, blues and piano lounges. Blue Chicago, 736 North Clark (website: www.bluechicago.com) and B.L.U.E.S., 2519 North Halsted (website: www.chicagobluesbar.com), are where the tourists go to hear live performers. The neighbourhood is iffy but the jazz is great at the nearly century-old Green Mill, 4802 North Broadway (website: www.greenmilljazz.com). It also hosts the Uptown Poetry Slam on Sundays. Buddy Guy's Legends, 754 South Wabash (website: www.buddyguy's.com), has also been around for quite a while. House of Blues, 329 North Dearborn (website: www.hob.com), at the base of Marina City, features rhythm and blues in the evenings and a Gospel brunch every Sunday. At the Elbo Room, 2871 North Lincoln Avenue (website: www.elboroomchicago.com), sounds range from rock and acid jazz to funk, soul and pop. Other venues include Metro, 3730 North Clark Street (website: www.metrochicago.com), popular with the pierced-tongue crowd, and Double Doors, 1572 North Milwaukee Avenue (website: www.doubledoor.com). The new popular kid in town for live modern jazz is Close Up 2, 416 South Clark Street (website: www.closeup2jazz.com).

Useful booking numbers are Jazz Hotline (tel: (312) 427 3300) and the Concert Line (tel: (312) 666 6667). Tickets for rock concerts can be purchased from Ticketmaster (tel: (312) 559 1212.