Chicago - Nightlife

Sip a cold beer at a loud and loose corner bar, vino at a wine bar or bubbly at a smooth and sophisticated lounge.

Not cheap, but worthwhile. Chic wine bars and lounges line Randolph Street and Michigan Avenue and are scattered around Downtown. They are popular with businesspeople and those attending conventions.

Division Street is still fashionable for visitors and suburbanites, but the rollicking Rush Street bar scene has diminished. Further north, grab a pint of Guinness at an Irish pub or relax in an unpretentious lounge.

Yuppies, artists and hipsters frequent the bar scene on Milwaukee Avenue, North Avenue and Damen Avenue.

Everything from cosy wine bars to Irish pubs and sports bars fill Lincoln Avenue and its side streets. The crowd varies from collegiates to older sophisticates, who frequent the area's many theatres.

Stretching down Clark Street and Sheridan Road are friendly, neighbourhood bars where a couple of beers and a game of pool can be found for a reasonable price.

In Chicago, Happy Hour does not mean two-for-one drinks, but rather snacks to go with them. Expect to pay a cover charge if there is entertainment. Hours vary; some night spots stay open as late as 5am and serve food.

Discover the city to Frank Sinatra's My Kind of Town (Chicago Is). Go clubbing with Benny Goodman and his Chicago-style jazz, or the blues-like Sweet Home Chicago and Born in Chicago.