UNPROFESSIONAL OWNERSHIP Update: an indication of the lack of professionalism is the suggestion that I rallied my friends and family to leave low reviews in search of a refund. We already know we aren't getting a refund. The owner made that clear when we tried to remedy the situation with her over the phone. Nicolle was informed of the lack of AC during the event by a staffer who told me herself that she'd contacted Nicolle. Another indicator of her lacking professionalism is the angry emails she sent me regarding my Yelp review - no apology, just anger and threats to have my Yelp account blocked and shut down. She says we toured the venue 6 times... we saw it 3x. Finally, she dismissed the fact that her staffers were unprofessional and didn't know how to tap kegs/mix drinks just because my dad provided a generous tip. If you read the review my dad left (HJ), you'll see that his generous tip does not reflect his dissatisfaction with the service. He's just a generous tipper. I want to start by saying that I had an amazing wedding; definitely the wedding of my dreams thanks to my wedding parties and family. However, the service from the owner Nicolle was just terrible and so unprofessional. When it came to securing a contract or receiving payment, she was on top of the communication. It wasn't until after she met my now-husband and wedding parties that her friendly and responsive demeanor entirely changed. She was condescending and treated us like children. Prior to meeting my entourage, I asked about security and she said that we wouldn't need it unless we wanted it. After meeting my entourage, she told me that since my crowd is mostly younger (it wasn't) she would be contracting security for our event to ensure that we weren't serving alcohol to minors. What an assumption! Whatever age we are, we are paying her and deserve to be treated with respect. Her contract stated that a week prior to the event we would communicate any accommodations or other details for the event, including possible early drop off or arrival of decor. I called her twice and emailed her a follow up - never received a response from her except for her to tell me that she was unable to accommodate us any more - 6 days later & 2 days before my wedding. Her lack of attention to detail could have ruined my day. Bartenders who couldn't tap a keg (she knew we'd have kegs 6 weeks prior to event date) and refused to mix drinks, and her "industrial strength AC" that she promised didn't work throughout the entire 80 degree day and showed "service required." She refused to honor any of these mistakes and stated that there was an event the day after and everything was fine. Maybe a smaller crowd would have been fine but 80 people in suits and cocktail attire were drenched with sweat. Fortunately I had fantastic family and friends who made sure my day was magical. The space is cute but the professionalism is nonexistent and a HUGE headache. read more

Ravenswood Loft - Email from loft owner/director Nicolle, making threats and condescending remarks. - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Lovely venue! Attended a dance event here many years ago, and selected this space for an offsite work meeting. We had ample space for 15 of us, with different "work zones" for our meeting activities throughout the day -- and probably would have still felt this way with double the people. It was spacious enough for us to spread out, but still feels cozy with the mix-and-match decor. Appreciated the option to have some light catering to sustain us, without having to do all the legwork for that - and Nicolle was attentive to requests during the contracting/ setup phase. For a corporate meeting - we challenged the wi-fi capacity as we had a lot of folks joining video remotely; if A/V is your top need, this may not be your ideal spot without some additional technology brought in. For a fully or mostly in-person workshop or meeting in a unique space, go for it! Looking forward to hosting here again. read more

I have had two parties there in the past year, and I'm really happy with both events. The space itself was big enough for a Bar Mitzvah for my son, and it went so well I had my 50th birthday party there months later. The space itself has a lot of character and is very unique, as it's in an older brick building. In addition to the space having great character, I really like the location. My 'city' friends who want to take a ride share or public transit can easily get to the location, and my 'suburban' friends don't have to drive that far and there's plenty of parking in the area without too much of a walk to the venue. The staff has been great, both setting up the event the weeks and months leading up, and then the day of my events. I paid for service people to tend bar, manage the catered food, and help with setup and takedown, and the staff worked hard to make sure my events went off without a hitch. They have done many events of all different types, so it was really helpful for me to walk through with them when I was planning mine for things like: what things they can provide in terms of serving ware, flatware, plates and dishes, vs the things that I would need to bring like napkins or ice. For the most part, they had everything I needed for a either a small fee or free, so I didn't have to worry about getting a ton of stuff and I knew everything would be covered. There is one downside to the venue, they are on the second floor of a building without an elevator. So bringing things up is a pain, and for guests that have mobility issues that is a problem. But they are very upfront about this, and for me and my needs that was manageable. I would highly recommend this location for any event you are planning, and I can see having another event there myself someday. read more

First let me start by saying my daughter had a beautiful wedding despite the experience with the owner and bartenders. The owner, Nicolle was responsive up until she received her deposit. After that, it became increasingly difficult to reach her despite numerous emails and leaving voicemails. She finally responded to a number that she was not familiar with. Upon meeting the wedding party during a walk through she immediately insisted on having security to ensure the event didn't get out of hand. She assumed the group were of a much younger age which would mean they would get to rowdy. I can't help it if my daughter has good gems and looks 21. Now let's talk about "bartenders". We wanted to hire our own "experienced" bartenders, however Nicolle insisted on using her bartenders. Unfortunately, they were there to only pour drinks. They did't make mixed drinks, therefore we needed to make sure we provided premixed cocktails. They didn't know how to tap beer kegs so we ended up with untapped, full kegs at the end of the night. The cooler of ice we provided apparently leaked all over the floor by the bar because they failed to ensure the hole was plugged up. I will have to say Jill (bartender) at least had a smile on her face unlike the taller, thin woman who had a "stank" face the entire evening. She appeared annoyed which made guests feel uncomfortable. These ladies were NOT experienced bartenders. I guess $450 per "bartender" was more important to the owner than ensuring she provided us with actual bartenders. Bathroom issue: At one point, 1 of the 3 toilets got clogged. Instead of looking for a solution, a garbage can was placed in front of the door preventing guests from going in. With 100 guests in attendance, 1 bathroom simply would not suffice. Thankfully, 1 of the bridesmaids was able to get that bathroom operational. Now, let's talk about the a/c or lack thereof. The a/c was not functioning AT ALL. It actual read "service needed". The three staff members provided by Nicolle confirmed the lack of a/c. We had 1 guest pass out which resulted in him leaving early. Majority of the guests were fanning themselves with plates to try to keep somewhat cool. Guests were drenched in sweat the entire evening. When I spoke to Nicolle to request some sort of concession for the inconvenience, her response was, "that's not something I could have controlled. We had an event the following day with no a/c issues. If you're guest passed out, you should've called 911." I work in the hospitality/customer service industry and I was appalled by her response. She was not willing to give any credit but made excuses instead. Now let's TALK TRASH: At the end of the evening, the staff informed us that we needed to haul away our own trash because they needed room in their dumpsters for the following days event. WHAT?! Are you kidding me?!?! We will not take our trash, you need to call for an extra dumpster. The lack of care from the owner is enough for me to say do not use Ravenswood Loft for your events. 8.18.19 UPDATE In response to the Owner, Nicolle's threats to my daughter (see photo attached): I believe this is a threat...please be advised phone recordings are illegal unless the party agrees to it. If it's in the contract, perfect as Yelp will be a witness to your poor responses re: the a/c and a guest passing out. I welcome Yelp to review the video recordings. Yelp will see the guests fanning themselves throughout the evening to keep cool as well as a guest passing out due to the heat. Guests were constantly in/out of the venue trying to stay cool. They will also witness well-behaved guests, your staff dragging garbage through the venue in between guests. There is no attempt to extort or bully this Owner. Nicolle refuses to take accountability. She is in fact bullying us by these ridiculous threats. She tells my my daughter that she should spend her time for good-volunteer/contribute. That's laughable! My daughter is a professional who is well respected by her peers and community. She also volunteers her time w/children. What does that have to do with this event? You accuse us of reserving the venue under false pretenses. I met you to discuss the event, specifically stating what the venue would be used for. We NEVER asked for a full refund, rather a concession for the failure to adequately provide a/c. Perhaps, an apology for the inconvenience would have sufficed but your ego doesn't allow for that. Your staff was tipped because her dad is generous. They were just as uncomfortable with the heat. Perhaps they were grumpy because they too were perspiring through their clothes. Nicolle stated that no one contacted her to inform her the a/c was not working properly...FALSE! Jill, notified (bartender) Nicole during the event. She made no attempts to fix it. Let's make no mistake about this owner, she is unprofessional. AGAIN, I caution you not to use this venue until it's under new management. read more

Ravenswood Loft - Owner threatening our reviews. - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Ravenswood Loft was the perfect venue for my party. Every thing went smoothly. Guests loved the space, especially the dance floor. There were accommodations for a playlist, a band, and karaoke. The facilities were easy for my caterer to use and the staff was excellent as well. read more

This review would look entirely different if the owner, Nicole, put her pride to the side and apologized for the events that took place during our event; I would actually be recommending it. We hosted a small wedding at this venue (80-90 people at its height) and we chose this venue because the loft offered industrial AC. Boy did that fail miserably. It's summertime in Chicago and we told our guests to dress in formal attire, we even had someone faint, (still not enough for an apology). We adapted, undressed, and kept dancing... most people didn't because of this, and most people didn't drink either because of the heat. Well, also most people didn't drink because the bartenders were terrible at mixing drinks. Oh and we also informed the owner that we would be having Kegs; makes perfect sense that the Bar staff provided would know how to tap them? Wrong! The venue itself physically is charming and has plenty of tables, chairs, and kitchen available. The size and area are decent and the price was OK for the area. I would be recommending it if communication was better, (my wife contacted her a COMICAL amount of times, it took us using a fake number app to get her to pick up our call to see the venue before our event. After our event we were upset naturally and tried to contact her(no answer, Mom in law had to call), and we asked for at least a small amount to be refunded, of course, she declined, no idea why, she could have at least said "sorry it happened, here's some credit for your next event, this won't happen again" but she didn't. She insisted to argue that she hosted an event the night after with no issues....ok, sure. We understand it's a business, but admitting fault, and promising to do better would have changed this review and my opinion of the venue; so that I could properly recommend it to our friends, who many are looking to get married. Hmm, I wish I knew of a venue that treated it's clients decently and picked up our calls/emails. read more

Please do not be fooled by the owner, she is extremely rude and unprofessional. We had a wedding there with 100 people who were dying of heat, even though the a/c was set to 45 degrees. The owner refuses to even apologize for the inconvenience. Once she has your non-refundable deposit her true colors do come out. Do not waste your time on this place, your money can be better spent at another venue. read more

I was part of a wedding party that was hosted at this venue. Being an event coordinator myself, I cannot recommend this space to anyone. It was a huge headache just to get in touch with the coordinator- she ignored all the calls after the deposit check cleared. POOF. Call her Houdini. The bartending staff was a disappointment- they weren't nice, or helpful when requests were made. Their bartending skills are in question. I think calling them bartenders would be an insult to what is the art of libation. I do have to compliment the bus person for the evening (also hired through the venue), Veronica. She was SO helpful, SO kind, and was THE ONLY person that thanked us for the party, for the tip we gave everyone. I tried to make eye contact and say thank you to the 'bartenders', but they just walked quickly passed me, avoiding eye contact at all times. We had the clean the entire place out for them- which is acceptable, it was a part of the contract. What was not a part of the contract was the lack of air conditioning, which led to an individual passing out, the crying and moaning from the 'bartenders' that we were "throwing too much stuff out that could be re-used, and we have another party tomorrow there won't be enough room in the trash". OH IM SORRY --I THOUGHT YOU KNEW YOU HAD 100 PEOPLE COMING FOR A WEDDING. PLAN ACCORDINGLY, DON'T CRY TO ME. I could NOT recommend this venue less. It's a pig with lipstick smacked on it- so in venue terms, its a room with a fancy exposed brick. PS- They say this space holds 140 people- I'd like to see a Fire Department inspection certificate, because we had 100, and it was TIGHT. read more

BEAUTIFUL SPACE!! We threw my friends Jonathan and Diana their surprise wedding shower and I was in charge of photographing the event. I was immensely impressed by this cute loft, and their white brick wall is a phenomenal backdrop for portraits. Check out this picture I took of the future newly-weds! I would defiantly recommend this loft for wedding/baby showers, receptions, etc. read more

Ravenswood Loft - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I found out about this venue after attending a lovely wedding here and decided to throw a friend's baby shower here. The owner, Nicolle, was super sweet and very accommodating and responsive throughout the planning process, up to the day of the event. She even gave me some great ideas for party decor, checked in with me prior to the shower to see if I needed anything and after the shower to see how everything went. I would highly recommend this spot for any event. The pricing and location is great, the venue itself is a gem and the owner was a pleasure to work with! read more

We hosted our son's bar mitzvah party at Ravenswood Loft and it was amazing!! We had about 70 guests and the space was a perfect size. The loft has a great vibe and our guests had an amazing time. Nicolle was really patient, meeting with us in advance to explain the AV system and make sure we had all our questions answered. She was super responsive whenever we reached out and wonderful to work with. Would definitely rent the space again! read more

I was here for a wedding of 100 people. The space itself is sufficient for a party of this size. However, there was so many issues that could have been avoided if the customer service was as stated at the time of booking. -the AC was set to 45 degrees and was still not working. IN THE MIDDLE OF SUMMER. When presented with this issue the owner or manager refused to believe that the AC was not working. -the bartenders did not know how to tap a keg or pour beer out of a keg. They refused to make mixed drinks. If we had to do this ourselves what were the "bartenders" there for? The manager also did not allow us to bring in our own bartenders. -there is only 2 toilettes for the venue. This is fine. Except when one "clogged" one of the bartenders piled up garbage in front of the door and said it was out of order. One of the bridesmaids went in and flushed the toilet and it was fine. Pure laziness from the staff. We had to get paper towels ourselves and toilet paper ourselves but the bartenders weren't doing anything!! I can keep going on and on about how horrible the service was and won't bother touching on how classist and racist the manager of this venue was. SPEND YOUR MONEY SOMEWHERE ELSE! The manager will promise things until she gets your none refundable deposit. read more

I only give 1 star because it's not possible to go into the negatives. Where do we start... AC not working on a hot day (1 guest passes out from heat). Bartenders didn't know how to tap a beer keg (really?). They refused to make mixed drinks, so we had to pre-mix all juices in a batch (why did I pay $450.00/each bartender not including tip-which would've been a lot more than I gave them had they been more accommodating and smiled). 1 out of 2 toilets overflowed. Leaving 1 for 100 people who were drinking lots of water to stay hydrated in a hot summer afternoon. I heard stories about the owner being rude, condescending, and unresponsive once she got the deposit. I wish I'd known beforehand so I could've changed the venue to some other place (this was a surprise to me -the father of the bride). Long story short, spend your money elsewhere. No need to get your special event tainted by the poor service provided at this venue. read more

This venue could have been great. They didn't know how to serve drinks at all, I got a tall glass of foam. Inside the venue was also very hot, they advertised that there was AC and there most definitely was not. If they actually gave us what was advertised then that would have been great, but I guess not. read more

Love the vibe of this place! I've attended quite a few both private and public events here and they are always well run. I also held my own nonprofit fundraiser there as well. The space is roomy, but intimate and can be set up for meetings or dance/party events. The vintage vibe decor is cute and simple. The manager/owner is easy to work with, responsive, and has access to lots of party planning resources if you need entertainment or catering ideas. Overall very happy with both running and attending events at the loft! read more

Attended one of my best friends's wedding a couple weeks ago, and while the wedding was beautiful, the evening was marred by a lack of professionalism from staff. Upon arriving, we saw that the place had no elevators and was just one long flight of stairs. I am 7 months pregnant and it was a challenge going up the stairs. We got there at 2pm and the "bartenders" weren't ready yet. When my boyfriend went to ask for a beer, the kegs weren't tapped yet. When they finally were able to tap the kegs, he got nothing but foam and the beer was warm. He refrained from going up to the bar throughout the evening as much as he could, as he found the attitude of one of the "bartenders" off-putting. She would cringe when he would ask for a drink, tell him they didn't have anything non-alcoholic to drink (again, I am 7 months pregnant and can't have alcohol), or just laugh when he asked for a tequila and orange juice. The other lady (Jill?) was much nicer and, seeing that I am pregnant, at least gave me a Coke when I asked for something non-alcoholic. As the night went on and more guests arrived, the place started to get stuffy and eventually stifling. We had to move our table right under a fan to feel some type of relief from the heat. I ended up having to fan myself with a plate and drinking water from the faucet in the bathroom until one of the bartenders gave me a Coke. Something else that was weird and admittedly a little gross, was the fact that staff was constantly dragging bags of trash through the party to bring it outside AND WE HAPPENED TO BE RIGHT IN THEIR PATH, which meant we got to smell it every time. Trust me, the smell generated by heat and trash... disgusting. Overall, I'm happy for my friend and her husband and for having been there to witness and celebrate their union, but I wouldn't recommend this place to anyone. read more

Nicolle is very professional, organized, and creative. Her space is eclectic and in an awesome location.

My husband very last minute decided to host his mother's 60th birthday, we previously held our grandmother's 80th birthday at RL and I just knew that's where I would have my mother in law's party. Nicole responded promptly and was so accommodating and understanding (very understanding) we rented linens, plates and cutlery and the space was set up perfect (especially since I planned this from out of state) We had such an amazing time, James the bartender went above and beyond. I would definitely host any future family gatherings at Ravenswood Loft. read more

Nicolle is extremely lovely and an incredibly professional person. As someone who has worked with her through Chicago Chorus Girl events, I can't say enough good things about her. The space is fantastic, and all experiences I have had there have been wonderful. read more

I love The Ravenswood Loft! It's such a classy-kitschy, fun and well-run venue. I've found Nicolle to be very professional, flexible and accommodating on many occasions. I love that you can really turn the space into whatever you need it to be. Nicolle has years of experience planning, executing and managing events. Having been in the business for so long, she has a lot of connections in Chicago and can find literally any talent you may need for your event at a fair price. She's committed to excellent customer service and a clear communicator with a friendly "get it done" attitude. The space itself is a great size for small to medium events (I think up to 80 or so people??). There are bathrooms and a kitchen for use in the space which is a huge plus when hosting an even. The lighting is adjustable and there is a sound system. They can even project movies. Nicolle also hosts her own events in the space. You can take dance lessons, see a show or performance, she even hosts kids camps and a super cute Jazz Babies event where you can bring your teeny-tiny ones to hear live jazz. I truly believe The Ravenswood Loft, and Nicolle are true gems of Chicago and we are lucky to have them! read more

Ravenswood Loft - Loved seeing the Chorus Girls at the Ravenswood Loft event! - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I have recently worked with the owner personally for dance lessons for my recent wedding and she was nothing short of amazing. It was a hike from our place downtown but I was referred by several others and it was worth the commute every single time! Nicolle put together the choreography to a queen song we chose and translated our idea into perfection! So much fun! I've also attended several events that have been held there and always a fabulous time! Dancing! Live bands! A great intimate space! Whether you want to learn how to dance, bring your kids to jazz or have an event there it's totally worth it. Thanks Nicolle for making our wedding day even more personal and amazing!!! You rocked our world!!! read more

I had such high hopes for this place when I walked in, it looked like a chill fun place that I would love to celebrate with family and friends, but after 20-minutes of being inside, I had to walk out because the heat was unbearable. I had a linen summer suit on and have never in my life sweat through it. I have attended outdoor events in the middle of summer that were more cool. What was suppose to be an enjoyable indoor event turned out to be wipe of your brow and step outside before you faint event. Another disappointment was that they only have 2 restrooms for 100 people which is insane! Until they make some major improvements to the air conditioning and increase the number of restrooms, I would NOT recommend this location for any events, specially in the summer season. read more

I was a guest at a beautiful wedding on 8/3/19 hosted at Ravenswood Loft. I was excited to see the venue is not far from my neighborhood, parking was great, the loft allowed for a cozy atmosphere, it was beautifully decorated by the wedding party - everything was great until the AC stopped working. We are in the middle of summer in Chicago, it was above 80 degrees on this hot Saturday afternoon, close to 100 people at the loft, all fully dressed in cocktail attire, drenched in sweat!! We tried to make the best out of the event, but it was so obvious the extreme heat was getting to everyone. I personally was extremely uncomfortable, went to the bartenders a couple of times to get ice, wrapped the ice in a napkin and put it against the back of my neck to cool off a bit. In spite of the heat, the wedding party made sure all the guests were as comfortable as possible, and continued apologizing about the heat. As far as future references for Ravenswood Loft concerns: as a Learning and Development professional, one of my tasks includes scouting venues for organizational events: trainings, management meetings, PD days, etc. We rent conference rooms for 540 people such as the Holiday Inn at the Merchandise Mart or small venue styles such as Ravenswood Loft for small groups of 80. Ravenswood Loft had been in my radar for a minute, seriously considering it for upcoming events and small group trainings I have coming up. After reading the comments and what was experienced pre and post this wedding event, ie: lack of customer service, no call backs, no sense of accountability, not a single apology, and my own personal experience, I will no longer consider Ravenswood Loft for business or personal use. I will make sure I'd pass on my bad experience with this venue to other colleagues. read more

We rented the space for a small teen party! It was just great in every way. I love all of the natural light and it was a blast for the kids to be able to connect a computer to the big screen! The tables have wheels so the space can easily be arranged in many different ways. The kids did improv, played guitar, ate pizza & watched a movie. Nicolle is so easy to work with as well. Would love to host another event here! read more

Ravenswood Loft hosted two of my workshops for educators. I've also attended music events as a guest. Each time I've had a wonderful experience. The space is cozy, comfortable, aesthetically pleasing and has flexible seating options --perfect for an interactive workshop. The kitchen space was nicely equipped. Each time I've rented the space the staff has gone out of their way to make sure I and my guests had everything we needed from coffee set up, lunch catering options, help with set up, directions and parking for participants. The neighborhood is lovely, easy to get to with easy parking, and has nice lunch options. I whole heartedly recommend the Loft for a party, workshop, interactive class, meeting, or music event. read more

I attended a two day event here and loved it! Thanks!

The best compliment we received about our wedding was "When I get married, I want it to be just like this." The reason we heard these lovely words was mostly impart to the unique intimacy that lillstreet loft provides. The space was PERFECT for an urban wedding in a central location, and offered a warmth and intimacy that other venues lacked. Lilstreet offered flexibility--we could bring in whoever we wanted to cater, whatever liquor we wanted, and could set up the space with whatever vision we had. Most remarkable to us was the price. We thought we got a a great deal--included in the rental was a point of contact person (Kate-but more on her later), a security guard, and the bartender. No other venue we had looked at offered that kind of package. Additionally, Lillstreet offered a preferred vendors list (which we used for our catering, and it worked out amazingly.) Now, earlier I said there would be more on Kate--the point of contact for lilstreet. All I can say is that we had WONDERFUL customer service from her. Leading up to our wedding, we had a billion last minute questions and wanted to schedule times to see the place and get ideas for set up. Kate was patient, kind, warm, and extremely timely. She greeted us on the day of our wedding and made sure we had no difficulties or issues. I highly recommend hosting an event at lilstreet. If we ever have another party or need for a space we would rebook in a heartbeat! read more

My performance group regularly rehearses at the Loft. It's so hard to find affordable rehearsal space in such a convenient location, so this is a real gem! There's ample space for our group, and the tables easily roll back out for different event types; anyone I know that's attended a music or social event here has raved about the vintage decor and cool vibe. The space doesn't have an elevator and has only two bathrooms within the main room (there's another in the hallway), but I'd assume that's something you'd check out before booking your event? The owner Nicolle is super responsive! She always responds the same day to emails, text and Facebook messages--sometimes within minutes--and always a delight to talk to. I'd book another event here in a heartbeat! read more

I helped host a work event for about 30 people in this space, and it was perfect. The size is great for that number and could probably fit maybe a dozen more comfortably. As it was, there was enough space for all of us to sit where we could see everyone else and then plenty of space for people to get up, move around, grab some snacks and coffee, or just relax on the couch for a moment alone. Nicolle is very sweet and easy to work with. We ordered the coffee and tea service, which was affordable and delightful. Great selection of teas and plenty of coffee mugs to cut down on waste. Overall, I felt like the space played a big part in the success of the event. It's clean, casual, and has all the tech features like a projector and sound system to host a nice business event. read more

Attended a meetup with authors from all over the country here. The space was perfect for our two-day meeting of the minds. In the large open space there were places to relax, gather in small groups, presentation equipment, and more. I highly recommend. read more

When my friends told me their wedding was taking place here I was excited to see the venue since I lived around the block never heard about this place. The day of the wedding was extremely hot and sunny almost all day long. When we got to the wedding we were greeted by a sweating mariachi band. As we walked upstairs I could feel the heavy heat and humidity. Was not impressed by the narrow hot stairwell and was anticipating being back in ac. My first glimpse of the venue was definitely tainted by the utter heat. I could not believe what temp it was upstairs. The venue was cute and the decorations fit the vibe of the wedding. Everything was great except the heat. We edged our way towards the bride and groom and they both glistened with sweat. My first thoughts were how have they been in here since 2 PM? We arrived 5 hrs later. We enjoyed ourselves in spite of the heat that never went away. We found out later the ac was broken and was just blowing hot air. The room had no windows and one door that was in direct sunlight so opening it did not help. Guests escaped outside where the temp was at least 20° cooler. We eventually caved and starting sitting in the car in between dancing because we could not bear the heat. We left earlier because we were too exhausted from the heat. We still enjoyed ourselves witnessing our friends beautiful union but we were utterly disappointed that the venue they chose could not fix the ac before their wedding. It was unprofessional and I will never recommend this place or have any plans on returning. The venue was unaccomodating to the bride and groom before during and after the wedding. Their wedding was perfect besides the people managing this place. read more

If you're planning a once in a lifetime event I'd skip this venue. My step daughter had her wedding here this weekend and it was fraught with problems. Initially, the venue owner was very responsive and accommodating but that all changed once the non-refundable deposit was paid. Phone calls and emails were ignored and never responded to. The owner was only successfully reached by phone when the bride's mother called her from an unknown number. When the groom and some friends stopped at the venue to meet the owner prior to the event she was rude, condescending and dismissive of their questions and concerns. Although they are 30 years old, they look quite young and I believe she felt she could treat them poorly and they wouldn't complain. She told them that since this was a "young crowd" she would need to hire security for the event. Was it their age or the shade of their skin which raised your concerns? The two "bartenders" provided by the venue were of questionable skills. One looked like she'd never been behind a bar before, neither of them wanted to make mixed drinks nor did either of them possess the basic bar tending skill of tapping a keg. More than one guest commented that the bartenders seemed quite put out at the fact they needed to actually serve drinks. Just an FYI, your stank attitude can easily ruin someone's special day so maybe you could paste a smile on?? On to the virtually non-existent air conditioning - which we were assured was of "industrial" quality (their words). It was an 80 degree day outside and it was probably st least 90 degrees inside the venue. It became so oppressive that one guest literally PASSED OUT from the lack of ventilation. There are two single occupancy rest rooms at the facility. One began to overflow and, rather than fix the problem, the venue told us it was out of service and piled garbage in front of the door. This left one toilet for 100 guests. One of the brides maids had to wade in there with her full length gown and fix the toilet herself. Do you see where going here?? Just say no to this place. Throughout the event the staff continually dragged bags of trash through the party to bring it outside and they began clean up - sweeping, mopping etc - even before the party was over. As we were leaving they had the gall to inform the brides maid-turned plumber that they had an event tomorrow which they needed space in their dumpster for and could we take the trash with us! I mean really? After all of this the bride's mother raised these issues with the venue owner and suggested that a partial refund was appropriate. The owner disagreed, declaring the event a complete success and informing her that there would be no restitution. Bad move. You only had 14 reviews prior to this. There were 100 wedding guests. I think you can expect your five star rating to take a nose dive. read more

The Ravenswood Loft is an absolutely lovely venue for any event where you would like an intimate, very private, and approachable atmosphere. It is an open space that can be customized to meet your specific needs. However what's best is working with the owner Nicolle. She's very creative and helps you bring your ideas to life all while working within the budget you have. She very responsive and incredibly professional and overall just seems like "good people". read more

Ravenswood Loft is a charming space! I recently attended a benefit party and concert - plenty of room for a band, tables, dancing and socializing. I could definitely imagine it as a perfect space for an engagement party, bridal or baby shower, or for an intimate book or album release party. There's a kitchen area for convenient on-site food prep, easy street parking, and Nicolle is great to work with. Overall it's a wonderful versatile venue! read more

Keep looking! The manager is rude, and for the price there are other places in the area that deserve your business.

Ravenswood loft is a cozy space great for hosting parties, classes and more. I've taken many dance classes in this space, used it as a rehearsal studio, and attended fun parties with live music. The location is amazing! Close to the brown line (if you take public transit) or has ample parking. I just love this place! read more

An exceptionally cute venue with a lot of versatility. I've attended a few events here and have heard nothing but good reviews from the hosts about the ease of working with the owner and comparable. From the perspective of a guest, it was adequately sized, uniquely decorated (in a good way) and not at all cookie cutter. It has charm to spare:-) read more

We chose Lillstreet loft to hold our wedding (both the ceremony and the reception) in July of this year. After looking at the location once, I knew it was pointless to look further because we weren't going to find another location like this. Brick walls, unique furniture and beautiful artwork, it was an easy choice to go with this venue. Throughout the whole process, from viewing the venue the first time to after our wedding day, Katy took great care of us and was incredibly thoughtful. In fact, about a week before the event I got an email from her asking if we'd like to have a piece of her own artwork in the space during our event and it was GORGEOUS! I loved that she thought of us and let us display her own artwork, it made it so special and our guests loved the piece. On the wedding day our caterer messed up and did not bring the serving utensils, of course I panicked a little bit but Katy was on top of the issue and found us some to use.. how amazing is that? I cannot thank Katy enough for all she did to help us, I would have had a crazy day without her. The venue also provided a security guard and a bartender so we didn't have to worry about figuring out the whole process of hiring them ourselves. Both were amazing and our guests loved them. read more

This is such a great place to meet--clean, spacious, bright. And the staff person who came to clean up was so nice. Also, there are cool restaurants and pubs in the area. It didn't hurt that I was meeting with a talented and savvy group of people. A very productive and inspirational two days! read more

I'm the bride of the one star review and we loved Lillstreet Loft as did 88 of 89 guests. Not being a bride who always dreamed of her wedding day, the whole process was very intimidating and my wife and I were scared of screwing up our wedding. Lillstreet made it impossible for us to not have an easy and amazing wedding. It's a really great space with a lot of character and it's designed to become whatever you need it to be. As we found out when we decided the week before our wedding reception to also have the ceremony there. The staff at Lillstreet was beyond accommodating, made sure to tell us that it was no problem and didn't charge us extra. That's the best thing about this place, no matter what you need, they are pleasantly accommodating and just really good people. We invited our Lillstreet Loft event coordinator, Kate and her boyfriend/the AV tech to the afterparty because they're good, nice, fun people. The day of our wedding they let us come in the morning to drop stop off, Kate made sure that everything was perfect and helped us decorate, our caterer is now in love with the venue. It was such an easy, fun, and beautiful night. Mainly because Lillstreet made it happen. They totally understood and went with what we wanted, then worked to make it happen. We love Kate, we love Lillstreet and some of our local guests and friends will be using the space soon. Can't wait to go to another event here! read more