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Chicago's entertainment varies from loud and loose to sophisticated and sedate. You'll find classic Chicago corner bars in most neighborhoods, along with trendier alternatives like wine bars and lounges. The strains of blues and jazz provide much of the backbeat to the city's groove, and an alternative country scene is flourishing. As far as dancing is concerned, take your pick from cavernous clubs to smaller spots with DJs spinning dance tunes; there's everything from hip-hop to swing. Wicker Park/Bucktown and River North have the hottest nightlife, but prime spots are spread throughout the city.
Shows usually begin at 9 pm; cover charges generally range from $3 to $20, depending on the day of the week (Friday and Saturday nights are the most expensive). The list of blues and jazz clubs includes several South Side locations: be cautious about transportation here late at night, because some of these neighborhoods can be unsafe. Drive your own car or ask the bartender to call you a cab.
For a truly unique evening, try and find this cocktail bar hidden behind a storefront along Andersonville's Clark Street. Once inside, you'll find a bar where magicians perform up-close sleight of hand while patrons sip delicious cocktails. That's just the prelude to the main theater where feats of illusion and trickery are performed nightly.
Two of America’s favorite pastimes—drinking and playing classic arcade games—come together here. More is more is the governing M.O.: there are over three dozen arcade games to choose from, along with Skee-Ball, pinball machines, and around two-dozen beers on draft. There are also locations in Logan Square and the West Loop.
Grab a biscuit and a tang (that is, a shuffleboard disc and cue) and embark on a vacation within a vacation at this Brooklyn import, featuring 11 shuffleboard courts (one of them up on a seasonal rooftop deck) that channel a retro cruise ship, as well as a rotating lineup of food trucks and tropical cocktails. Courts are first come, first served; to minimize the wait, try turning up at opening time (that's 5 pm on weekdays, and noon on weekends).
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