The space looks like a spiffed-up version of any neighborhood pub: pretty light fixtures, fresh paint, lots of flat-screens tuned to sports.Īfter cocktail number two, we bundled up and walked the few blocks to what I fuzzily remembered from a prior visit as Second Story’s address. Once the crowd diversified and a few more women arrived, I found myself thinking I might not know this was a gay bar if I wandered in on a lark.
“You get the occasional tourist who takes a look around and announces he wouldn’t be caught dead having a drink here, but mostly they just ask if it’s a gay bar and then they stick around,” he replied. “Is this a common occurrence?” I later wondered aloud to Downtown’s owner, Brian Martin, who most recently managed the restaurant Eve. Next we watched a husband and wife, no doubt guests at a nearby hotel, walk in and stand for a long, confused moment before taking two seats at the end of the bar. You wouldn’t have known such a thing was going on from the looks of the crowd, an all-ages mix of fetching, well-dressed men who seemed to be engaged in conversation with friends-or at least not blatantly checking their iPhones.
There’s a lot of Grindr action going on here,” my friend Tim muttered, peeking at the so-named smartphone app that lets like-minded seekers of, ahem, certain favors zero in on one another, wherever they may be. Relieved to find the drink list unencumbered by craft cocktails or hundreds of beers to sift through, I ordered my old faithful, Maker’s and Diet ($8), and huddled with my group under the dramatic barrel ceiling. With three male companions in tow, I headed to Downtown first, since I’d heard happy hour is bus-tling (my next visit will be for Talentless Tuesdays karaoke in the basement). As a veteran of many a Boystown bar hop, I had decided to visit both spots and evaluate the possibility of a new gay district on Chicago’s nightlife horizon. Among the lounges that dot River North, Downtown stands as the sole gay bar save for the stalwart dive Second Story in nearby Streeterville. (Second) Story Time: One Infamous Night at the Mag Mile’s Only Gay Diveįor the first hour of a recent Saturday night at Downtown-a new bar in the space once occupied by Gentry and, ever so briefly, The Lucky Lady-I was the only lady in the room. Gay Bars Hookah Bars Piano Bars Sports Bars Wine Barsīars Chicago | Your source for all of the hot spots in Chicago, Illinois.5 more gay bars outside the Boystown/Andersonville bubble If you're moving to Chicago, check out this Chicago Moving Service. After glancing at even just a couple of these lists, you'll surely find you can visit any part of Chicago, from Rogers Park to Albany Park to Lake View to Lower West Sit and anywhere in between, and find countless things to see and do and countless places to eat, drink, and be merry! Moving to Chicago? Here at Bars Chicago, you'll find a list of Chicago's neighborhoods and from there a list of the most popular bars and clubs in each. Whether you're looking for a jazz bar, cocktail lounge, a sports bar, or one of the Wrigley rooftops, you won't be disappointed with what Chicago has to offer. When it's time to grab a drink with friends or bar hop for a birthday or just a fun Saturday night, you'll find Chicago has plenty of offer on that end as well.
Chicago is a city with a lot of culture, so don't miss out on all it has to offer, including the Adler Planetarium, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Chicago History Museum, 360 Chicago Observation Deck, Navy Pier, and more. Chicago is not just the most populous city in the great state of Illinois, it's the third most populous city in the country, so it should come as no surprise that there is so much to do. Welcome to Bars Chicago, your trustworthy guide to Chicago's incredible night life.