Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
glamour shots, playbills, and old sheet music, covers the walls of this dimly lit
spot. And the crowd teeming around the piano is a throwback as well.
16 W.
Ontario St.
&
312/640-1000.
Subway/El: Red Line to Grand.
Zebra Lounge
The most wonderfully quirky piano bar in town, Zebra
Lounge has a loyal following despite (or maybe because of ) the campy decor.
Just as you would expect, black-and-white stripes are the unifying decor theme
at this dark, shoebox-size Gold Coast spot, furnished with black vinyl booths, a
small mirrored bar, and zebra kitsch galore. As bar lore has it, the Zebra Lounge
opened December 5, 1933—the day Prohibition ended. Since then, it has
passed through numerous owners, but the name has remained the same, in trib-
ute to a long-forgotten tavern in New York. For the past quarter-century, it has
been a raucous piano bar, attracting a multi-generational crowd of regulars. The
scene is relatively mellow early in the evening, though it can get packed late into
the night on weekends.
1220 N. State Pkwy. (between Division and Goethe sts.).
&
312/
642-5140.
Subway/El: Red Line to Clark/Division.
Finds
4 The Club Scene
Chicago is the hallowed ground where house music was hatched in the 1980s,
so it's no surprise to find several dance clubs pounding away with a mostly
under-30 crowd. A skeptical Midwestern sensibility has always reigned here, so
the attitude and fashion required for a big dance club has limited appeal. But
there are plenty of other clubs and bars with square footage given over to danc-
ing. Some spots specialize in a single brand of music, while others offer an ever-
changing mix of rhythms and beats that follow the latest DJ-driven trend. Given
the fickle nature of clubgoers, some places listed below might have disappeared
by the time you read this. But what's impressive about Chicago's club scene is
the number of long-time survivors—clubs that have lasted more than a year or
two and continue to draw loyal crowds.
Berlin
One of the more enduring dance floors in Chicago, Berlin is primarily
gay during the week, but draws dance hounds of all stripes on weekends and for
special theme nights (disco the last Wed of every month, and Prince the last Sun
of the month). It has a reputation for outrageousness and creativity, so this is
prime ground for people-watching. The space isn't much—basically a square
room with a bar along one side—but the no-frills dance floor is packed late into
the evening. The owners are no dummies: The cover charge applies only on Fri-
day and Saturday after midnight, which is about an hour earlier than you ought
to show up. (For more, see later in this chapter under “The Gay & Lesbian
Scene.”)
954 W. Belmont Ave. (at Sheffield Ave.).
&
773/348-4975.
www.berlinchicago.com.
Cover $3-$5. Subway/El: Red or Brown line to Belmont.
Big Wig
Proprietor Miae Lim, the inventive hipster behind Wicker Park's late-
night sushi hot spot Mirai Sushi, brought Chicago its own version of New York's
Beauty Bar a couple of years ago. At the time, some thought she was nuts for
transforming a former no-frills Polish bar along a then-seedy stretch of Division
Street. They now think otherwise, because the area now lures fashionistas and
other scenesters. Big Wig has an urban feel and attracts an eclectic mix of peo-
ple—some come to dance, but many just want to hang and check out the scene.
Lim's club features salon chairs for sofas, vintage plastic-bubble hair dryers as
chandeliers, and mannequins in wildly colorful wigs. The dance floor downstairs
is on the small side, but rarely gets too cramped. The tunes (spun by resident
