Restaurants

Nightlife > Take the River North
Chicago’s old town is a booming destination full of galleries, cutting edge restaurants and funky dance clubs.

words by > Jeremy Dillahunt

These days, it seems that every city center once on the decline is experiencing a resurrection. Chicago’s River North district is no exception. One of the Windy City’s oldest neighborhoods—north of the Loop (Chicago’s business district), west of Michigan Avenue and south of Chicago Avenue, with the Chicago River to the west—is now home to the largest cultural concentration outside of New York City. And understandably so; River North contains hundreds of the classic high-ceilinged, brick industrial warehouses artists so love to gentrify.

Following an initial push in the ’90s, restaurants, art galleries, bars and nightclubs moved in force to stake a claim to this almost forgotten area. In doing so they not only breathed new life into a neighborhood suffering from urban decay, they also reinvigorated Chicago’s claim to nightclubbing fame as the birthplace of house music. The spots featured here are three of the most exceptional in the city.

Spy Bar
646 N Franklin St
312-587-8779
www.spybarchicago.com
In between the over-the-top excess of Vision and the relaxed charm of the Funky Buddha, Spy Bar is that perfectly sized club. It’s big enough to throw a rocking party but not so huge that you manage to lose everyone you came with. Also, Spy Bar is by far the most upscale. Dress to impress and bring a card with plenty of credit on it. DJs tend to be next year’s big name breakouts perfecting their chops on a primped, puffed and all around suave crowd of Chicago’s glamorous.

Vision
640 N Dearborn
312-266-1944
www.visionnightclub.com
Claiming the crown of the mega-club in Chicago is not a small achievement considering the competition. But there can only be one, and Vision—a triple level, 2,000-person, kagillion-dollar sound and light system affair—is it. Weekends kick off with world class DJs like Deep Dish, Ferry Corsten and Steve Lawler. Vision is a big night out—not for the faint of heart.

Funky Buddha Lounge
728 West Grand
312-666-1695
www.funkybuddha.com
It seems that nearly every club in Chicago is award-winning, but the Funky Buddha Lounge nevertheless stands out. Voted by the city’s inhabitants as having the best atmosphere, best dance party and best night out, the diminutive Funky Buddha delivers on all counts. Fridays and Saturdays are reserved for hip-hop, soul and house music spun by resident DJs, and exceptional tastemakers, Rene, 33 1/3, C-Rich and Fullaflava. Guests can expect a hip but approachable crowd, strong drinks and peers more interested in dancing than trading business cards.