The recent buildout here is impressive, adding a large lobby & bar, a patio behind it, and modern,…read morefully accessible bathrooms. The main music room remains unchanged with its stage and its bar. They do have Woodford Reserve, a nice touch for my fancy Noble Bourbon Boozers. With the new setup, you can start one tab and its accessible from both bars, and from waitstaff, if the show is seated and they are present. Its a small room, great to see a show. Its also very ADA friendly, with a reserved space right up front for GA shows, and designated seats during seated space shows. Email the box office a couple days in advance with any questions.

My favorite concert venue on the North Shore of Chicago. It seats around 150 and most shows have an…read moreoption of table or general admission. The sound quality is fantastic and the staff is very friendly. It also gives off an intimate concert vibe because you feel like the artists are right there (they actually are!).

I've had a chance to visit this concert hall a couple times, all for events hosted by Northwestern…read more First time I had the pleasure of seeing a stand-up gig by Aziz Ansari. Second time I got to see a Q&A session with James Franco. Both times, I had no desire to wait outside in the cold for a good seat, so I ended up sitting on the second level balcony. Despite these less-than-ideal seats, I had no issues seeing the stage or hearing them speak. Concert hall itself is clean and modern looking! Great venue.

A concert at Pick-Staiger actually turned out better than I expected…read more First, specifics about the hall itself. - Excellent acoustics. I was in the balcony, about half way up, and I could hear the rustle of paper as the conductor turned a page. Wow! I should add that the hall was only about half full, but since there were a lot of college students there, their noise level quotient is higher than the average baby boomer's. - The house lights go down for the concert, but it's not pitch black. The hall just becomes dim. I could see the musicians on stage perfectly, no problem, and yet, I didn't feel like a cast member in "Scream 4Ever", expecting some scary creep to pop out of the darkness. - Excellent sightlines. - Would you believe, I had leg room? Yes, it's true. And I'm a tall woman. I actually had leg room. My knees were not jammed against my chest. Wow. That never happens. And during intermission, I did not have to stand on my seat, to allow other patrons to pass by. - The seat itself was okay, nothing special, but it was comfortable enough. It shows that the hall is a little older. So is my ass (older, I mean, not comfortable), so a little more padding on the chair would have been good. - The seat numbers were marked clearly enough that I found my seat, quickly and easily, and did not need to pull out magnifying glasses to read the numbers. Good thing, because there were no ushers around. Hire some students! They need all the help they can get to repay their student loans. For the venue: - Ample ladies' room, and clean. - Easy to turn in my groupon for my ticket. Tickets lines were well-marked and organized. - If there were water fountains, I didn't see them. They must be some, right? If not, that's a ding against the venue. - No refreshments being sold, anywhere. (See above about water fountains.) I would have paid for a drink of something; didn't have to be alcoholic. Maybe this is some sort of weird Evanston or university ordinance. Refreshments, please. - Temperature was comfortable. I had an overcoat and was wearing a sweater (layering is so Chicago, I know), but I was perfectly comfortable in my turtleneck. - There was some kind of free student performance in the lobby before the show. Very nice! Wish there had been some information about who they were, though. I'm assuming students. Give these people a little advertising, please. - This was a Sunday evening concert, so there was plenty of parking close by.No problem with Northwestern University parking stickers, assigned spots, etc. I got in and out quickly and easily. This might have been tougher if the crowd had been bigger, but, like I said earlier, the hall was only half full. Bottom line: recommended. Good venue for music. I would definitely be happy to hear any musical act here. Or play, for that matter, given the solid acoustics.

I used to go here when I was little. I thought ice skating would be like riding a bike. Nope...not…read moreat all! This was the first time my 6.5 year old son tried it and he was able to use a skate assistant sled. Unfortunately, the usage time is limited for others to use as well. And if a person didn't return theirs in the 20 minute slot, noone bothered going out to get it. So we patiently waited A few weeks later we go back here for a birthday party. I think we had an hour in the room and another hour on the rink. Not bad, but we felt rushed in the room eating & cake. Then, at the ice rink they had FOUR skate assistant sleds for us to use. Now, it's a party with about 20 kids, most of whom haven't skated before. So 'sharing' the sled was an issue. I asked someone that worked there if we could borrow more (because I know that had more & they weren't being used on the other side), but she said we are only allowed 4. Boo!

I came here to try ice skating for the first time in 25 years. Open skating fees and skate rental…read morefees are comparable to other arenas in the area. But, the perk here is that they don't charge more for non-residents to skate, so if you're bringing non-local friends, they won't have to pay more than you (unlike Evanston and other skating rinks). I do wish that they had some sort of pass card though like Evanston and Wilmette rinks both offer. Their website is a bit dated and confusing, but I sent them a message on Facebook to confirm their public skate hours and they got back to me within minutes, which was nice. They also have skate sharpening, which I definitely need before I try skating again (but haven't used that service yet). The rink itself is nice. It wasn't too crowded when I went during the week a week before Christmas, and the skaters I did meet were friendly. The woman at the desk was helpful as well. I'll definitely come back.

Sort of a Jekyll and Hyde experience--well, not exactly. More vintage and modern. The theater…read moreexterior has a comfortable vintage feel; for the interior, there is modern, comfortable seating with attractive wood paneled acoustically resonant walls. It was our first time to visit so we can't comment about show-after-show sound quality, but the performance we attended was sounding and viewing great. Driving there, it felt like parking would be a problem. It wasn't.

Came here tonight for the first time to see Bonnie and Clyde: The Musical! IT. WAS. AMAZING. All of…read morethe actors were great and it was immersive because they had real gun pops which kept everyone on their toes because you never knew when the guns were going to really pop. This play had a full house, so all of the workers kept telling people to leave no gaps between seats. That didn't bother me, but the workers in the main lobby weren't the nicest and seemed pretty stressed because of checking in everyone. The one lady who checked us in and gave us our tickets was pretty rude when telling us we couldn't get seated until 7pm (it was 6:45), but we already knew the time we had to wait to sit down... The theater itself is small, but very intimate, and the acoustics are great because of it. I suggest to get here early because you don't have assigned seats, so it's first come, first seated. However, you can't really have a bad seat because the theater is so small, so you can see the stage from anywhere (unless of course someone in front of you has volumized hair or something!) The thing I love about the seating, too, is that all of the seats face right to the stage. No chairs are angled, which is the best because your neck doesn't hurt from watching a play. It was also cool because I sat in the left aisle seat and the actors used the aisles to run back and forth. Overall, I would definitely come here again to watch a play because the quality of acting was spot on and worth seeing!

The Edgewater Historical Society, in addition to displaying the history of Edgewater and its…read moreenvirons, hosts on occasion events to welcome people from the neighborhood and beyond. During summer they have their Summer Nights in Edgwater program, which is when they host a band in their (incredibly lovely!) garden. I went last night with my daughter to hear a jazz-ish band and it was nice. There were quite a few more people there than I expected; though some folks were seated within the garden itself, most of us were sitting along the sidewalk and walkways. Many people brought their own chairs, but the EHS also pulled out some chairs for folks. Others, like me, chose to stand. There was ample seating at this event. You might not be able to see the band over the garden, because they're growing a beautiful native garden at this building so the coneflowers and other plants are tall--but it's a concert and what's important is hearing the music! The museum was open during the concert, so folks could wander through. There's no fee for the museum, and at this particular event they took tips but it went toward the musicians, not the historical society. They also have quite a few events happening over the coming weeks and months, from walking tours of the neighborhood, a book club discussion at the Edgewater Branch of CPL, to a walking tour of Rosehill Cemetery. They offer a membership for $5 for the first year I think they said. They currently have an exhibit about the indigenous history of Edgewater, so when I head back here for another of their summer concerts I'll hopefully be able to wander in and take a look.

Celebrating the coolness and historical audacity that is Andersonville/Edgewater/Edgewater Beach…read more We like it here, by the lake. FREE admission!

Thirsty Ears Festival held by ACM is Chicago's only classical music street festival. For two days,…read moretwo blocks of Wilson Street between Hermitage and Ravenswood were closed to traffic, with the main stage featuring stellar ensembles and soloists performing classical music. This year's festival took place on Saturday, August 22, from 2:00-11:00 pm, and Sunday, August 23, from 1:00-9:00 pm, with a different ensemble or soloist featured each hour. This was our first time visiting the street fair, and we were fortunate to have gorgeous weather for an outdoor event. It was perhaps a little too sunny for me -- even with my bucket hat and sunglasses, the sun was still a little too strong on my back when I sat in the front row for half an hour. I joined my husband and daughter after an open studio at Lillstreet Art Center. From there, it was only a six-minute walk to the festival. When I arrived around 4:30 pm, they had already been comfortably sipping beer and enjoying classical music for hours. From 4:00 to 5:00 pm, Lakeshore Rush was performing, and they played beautifully. I especially enjoyed the last few pieces, which were upbeat and lively. The festival offered much more than beer and wine. There were numerous vendor booths, kid-friendly activities, and food trucks on both days. It was wonderful to see people of all ages having a good time while enjoying live classical music in such a relaxed outdoor setting. The suggested $10 entry donation felt very reasonable, especially since the festival was supporting a good cause. We had a lovely time, and I'm glad we finally discovered this unique Chicago event. I would definitely consider coming back next year.

Thirsty Ears Festival has been on my list to visit for a while because it's just a few blocks away…read more This year I finally made it, toddler in tow. A friend and her kiddo came along too. The festival is the brain child of Access Contemporary Music (ACM), the music school on the block, and it's the only classical music party in the city. It's a very small festival, spanning just the block on Wilson between Ravenswood and Hermitage. There's a packed schedule for the two days of the festival, with various musical ensembles and composers performing throughout the day. Of course the music was the main attraction, but there were a couple booths selling some food as well. Alcoholic beverages were available and pizza, and I think possibly another snack but I can't recall. Of course there's also a couple restaurants nearby as well, and the two that are right on this block have a bit of outdoor seating. Most of the booths were local artists selling their work; I saw a booth that made crochet wall hangings, a pottery booth, a local author selling his novels, and more. I was really glad that we happened to be here there when a small choral ensemble was performing. The other musician we hard was a pianist performing when we arrived. The main stage was on the eastern edge of the festival along the Hermitage end, and there were folding chairs set up for people to enjoy the concert. A kid's area and stage was on the Ravenswood end. They had some kids activities like face painting and balloon animals in addition to the musician playing children's music. It was great that they had a children's space since otherwise they might get bored quickly. On the weekend, the parking along Ravenswood is super easy. There's also the Metra, of course, with the Ravenswood stop a block away.

Free (f)art gallery housed in the first-and-a-half floor of the University of Illinois at Chicago's…read moreArt and Design Hall. For a school that attempts so hard to be cutting edge and up to date, they sure hate the idea of accessibility and simplicity. First, to park, you have to battle condo and greektown street parking (not to mention student parking) or fall into the trap known as UIC lot parking. Word to the wise, take the train or bus (bike/walk) to get here, if you seriously need to take a car come early and hunt down a street spot because you'll be trapped in lots or be towed if you don't. Second, it is pretty hard to find. Its in the nondescript building marked by a bland painted steel sign, walk through the door with the glass facade and follow the hall to the left and up some stairs. If you do not do stairs, you have to take the elevator the ever-annoying 1/2 flight of stairs, delineated in the elevator as "1F" rather than "1." Perhaps the F is for "fuck, what moron built an art gallery 1.5 floors up?" Third, the reason its free is due to the fact that they happen to think the graduate work that is rotated in is.. get this, worth viewing. The redeeming quality about this place is its free. You can't vote someplace that is free with one star unless you get suckerpunched, in my opinion. I haven't been hit visiting the gallery yet. Currently there are some fantastic graduate works (MFA show) for the next few weeks, but it can be hit or miss. C. Britt and M. Jinks are showing work until April, when E. Fleischauer and D. Carter (amongst others) are showing work, shouldn't be missed. Hey, at least its not SAIC..

Solid gallery with amazing history. If you're looking for a place that has been around for a long…read moretime, worked with a slew of Chicago artists, with the funkiest/weirdest floors you'll ever see, this is the place. UIC connected, in the arts building, fitting...and great staff!

Came here for a friends celebration gathering and it was a good time! This was my first time…read moreexperiencing The Wrigley Rooftops and it was a nice first time. It was a bit pricey in terms of what I could pay for a ticket at Wrigley but it was all you can eat and all you can drink so... there's pros and cons. I had a burger, brat, chicken, and Italian beef and that food mixed with adult beverages... great food. It definitely enhance the quality of the food. My ticket was roughly $220 (with taxes) for the Cubs vs Twins game. If you have never been to a Wrigley Rooftops... I most definitely recommend giving it a try! Worth it maybe one. Thank you Wrigley, hope to be at the next one soon.

Loved this location. Seems like this rooftop had the best view compared to previous location…read more Positioned well between first and second base. Staff was friendly and helpful. Food was good with lots of options. Great view and perfect for group events.