Chicago: Nightlife and entertainment

From its earliest frontier days, Chicago has had some of the best nightlife in the US. "Sweet Home Chicago", birthplace of Muddy Waters' urban blues , as well as R&B's Chess Records, is still going strong, inspiring the energetic dance beat of 1980s house music as well as the groundbreaking jazz of the Art Ensemble of Chicago. Nightclubs aplenty are all over town, especially along Halsted Street, Lincoln Avenue and Clark Street on the North Side. Uptown , at the intersection of North Broadway and Lawrence, is a bit down-at-heel, but has half a dozen good venues. The best gay clubs congregate in the Lincoln Park area. Highbrow pursuits are also well provided for: Chicago's classical music, dance and theater are world-class.

For what's-on information, Chicagoans pick up the excellent free newspaper   The Reader (copies comes out Thursday afternoon and are usually all gone by Saturday). The weekly New City and the gay and lesbian Windy City Times are good sources as well. Full listings also appear in the Friday issues of the Chicago Sun-Times and the Chicago Tribune , and Chicago magazine has useful arts and restaurant listings. The Gramaphone Ltd record store at 2663 N Clark St (tel 773/472-3683) is the best place for details of one-shot dance nights.

More about Nightlife and entertainment:

Blues
Jazz
Rock clubs
Folk, country and world music clubs
Dance
Theater and comedy
Classical music, opera and dance
Sports
Drinking

Chicago

Chicago
Arrival
Information
City transportation
Eating
• Nightlife and entertainment
Blues
Jazz
Rock clubs
Folk, country and world music clubs
Dance
Theater and comedy
Classical music, opera and dance
Sports
Drinking
Best Of Chicago
Guided tours

Explore Chicago

Chicago River
Chinatown
Downtown Chicago: The Loop
Gold Coast and Old Town
Grant Park
Lincoln Park and Wrigleyville
Near North Side
South Michigan Avenue
South Side
West Side and Oak Park

Illinois cities


All U.S. city guides