This is my second time renting Room 85 venue and it was a great experience again! I would highly…read morerecommend the venue space 10/10. She's understanding and very consistent. The owner has great communication and she went above and beyond to ensure I had a great turnout for my event.

The venue space is large enough to be accommodating and small enough to be intimate. The layout is…read moreuser-friendly and can be reconfigured without becoming labor intensive. Management is professional and affable. Pricing is flexible and fair. Situated in the Auburn Gresham neighborhood, this venue is comparable to upscale locations throughout the city.

Wonderful space! Dan Ryan Pavilion is open all year round and holds max 120 seated guess. Lot…read moreparking, NOTE: enter off 83rd st, GROVE SIGNS 1-5.

Doesn't look like a place where you'd hold event like a memorial, but once the doors opened, it was…read moreTHE PERFECT PLACE! The property is well kept, and the park host/liaison was very nice and informative. Parking was perfect as I had a guest list of roughly 60 plus people. Also, I will say that the walk up from the parking lot to the venue is a bit much for some. Suggestion: have a designated driver at the bottom and have them drive people back and forth from the lot to the venue. Otherwise, this place is beautiful, and I will definitely use it again.

Attended a lovely wedding ceremony and reception at this venue. The staff were very professional…read moreand happy to serve the wedding family. The venue is really gorgeous inside. The high ceilings and all areas were tastefully decorated. The wedding room was very bright. The seating was comfortable. After the wedding, there was a cocktail reception outside while they prepared the rest of the event. I would say this took longer than expected but it could be that the wedding party was off taking photos. On this occasion it wasn't too hot but if more than 85 degrees than maybe an issue. Once allowed to enter dinner reception it was setup beautifully. The bar area accommodated a Photo Booth area as well. For food we had baked chicken, yams, Mac & Cheese, greens and cornbread. Dinner was delicious and I had no complaints on the food. Also like that they had hot sauce and salt/pepper easily accessible. The servers did a good job and bringing around sweet tea and lemonade. Overall a fantastic experience. Lots of detail was put into making this a special experience for the Oliver family. I would give it 4.5 stars. Only downside was small parking lot, only 2 bathrooms and timing of event felt slow. Not sure if DJ was apart of wedding venue but the music was horribly loud during the wedding and at times it was hard to hear.

This business is the worst venue . We had booked an event at this space and they would not allow…read moreguests inside and had us standing in the cold !!

Norman Bolden is also the owner of Haven Entertainment Center. This a beautiful venue. The owner…read moredoesn't know how to treat customers he has a oh well attitude. I waited two hours for food the owner was informed and he was like oh well. No offer of a free drink or meal on us. I will surely eat before I go.

Tucked away on East 43rd Street near Lake Shore Drive in the Kenwood-Oakland/Bronzeville…read moreneighborhood on Chicago's South Side is the best reception hall and event destination spot that most of you Yelp'ers have never heard of. Owner Norman Bolden renovated and reconstructed this building into *the* event space for South Siders and anybody seeking a lovely, centrally located and well-appointed space. Its appeal lies in its loft-style charm -- a split-level, open floor plan boasting gleaming mahogany floors and exposed brick that you can pretty much decorate any way you want for your event. After attending almost a dozen birthday parties, holiday parties, wedding receptions and fraternity and sorority events at Room 43, I knew that this was the only place where I wanted to hold my dad's 80th birthday party. It was the right decision. Rental rates are reasonable for the space that you get (there are two rooms to choose from) and a variety of chairs and tables are included for both the upstairs and downstairs. You supply your own linens, food, DJ and decorations. The onsite staff is also incredibly helpful. The facilities manager Richard is really great -- flexible and accommodating for all of the last-minute changes that come with party planning. The 80+ guests at my dad's party loved the venue. It's easily accessible from North or South from the Oakwood exit on Lake Shore Drive, and also the 43rd Street exit on the Dan Ryan. There is plenty of street parking as well. Lucky for the owner that he was on-site and actually stayed awhile for my dad's party, because several guests were so impressed they inquired about having their own events there. One thing that some have complained about: You can't bring your own liquor, and unless you pay for a tab, your guests are subject to a cash bar. I don't honestly find this unusual, and I paid a tab that allowed guests to enjoy open bar for about 3 hours. In addition to being a party space, Room 43 is also home to the Hyde Park Jazz Society, and you can catch all of their shows there on Sunday evenings. Anyone who reads me, by now, knows that I am big on supporting local businesses, and for the quality, service and location, I absolutely recommend Room 43. Room 43 is an emerging destination spot and represents the best of the "new" Kenwood-Oakland/Bronzeville community. I would not hesitate to give them my business again!

They treated me with respect and kindness the staff was very helpful and professional. I would…read morerecommend this business to my family and friends.

This is an excellent facility to hold meetings or big events. I have attended several meetings and…read moreworkshop at the Charles Hayes Center for years. It's clean/neat with an up/to-date kitchen and plenty of space!

I am an Architect and Mies is my favorite modern Architect. He was and is still a master for the…read morestudents and architects. His architecture was perfect and this building is another masterpiece of him.

The architectural crown jewel (no pun intended) of the IIT campus just celebrated its 50th…read moreanniversary in August 2005. Appropriately enough, Mies' masterpiece is the architecture school on the campus. Its main floor is one large open space thanks to its engineering. Its significance as a landmark has also been celebrated with its own US postage stamp a few years ago.

My husband and I hosted an intimate celebration with our closest friends (20 people total) at…read moreMaharlika 360 after our recent civil wedding ceremony, and it was everything we dreamed of. Rose and her husband were incredibly kind and responsive to our questions and requests throughout the planning process. The place itself is already beautiful, so we barely needed any decorations! Parking was convenient for us and our guests. When we arrived, Rose greeted us right away and made sure everything was ready. Clean up was simple thanks to the clear directions provided. Our guests constantly complimented the space, and the karaoke made the night even more fun! We keep looking back at our photos and videos and can't stop smiling, seeing how beautiful everything turned out and how much fun we had with our guests. We highly recommend booking Maharlika 360 for your next event!!

If I could give Maharlika 360 ten stars I would!! Booked the venue for our daughter's 1st birthday…read moreand it went great!! Good price for a nice and clean venue with plenty of space for our 50 guest. I would definitely look into them again for any future events!! Don't hesitate go see it if you're looking for a venue!

Where do I even begin? My night was perfect thanks to Row 24. I was looking for a space that fit my…read morevibe and the vision I had for my 30th, and the event space EXCEEDED my expectations. The communication start to end, the bar packages that are available, and the willingness to help when one of my vendors didn't show up. The area is great and has tons of parking (paid and unpaid) nearby, safe for guests to arrive, and they provide security. They were there every step of the way and so kind. If I have any events in the future, this will always be top of my list. Here are some photos of how the space was set up for me. Hopefully this helps someone else.

I love this place, security is great, music lit, food is good and the bathroom is clean!!read more

"It's just like Harry Potter," they told me, but I had only seen one Harry Potter movie and read…read morenone of the books. The truth of the statement revealed itself as vaunted ceilings gave this cavernous room an aura of grandeur and the feeling of tradition. There were beings engaged in erudite studies with an inflexible concentration on laptops, notebooks, and in the back were old men going back and forth on the chessboards. It was still and had the eerie silence of a church chapel and sunbeams flowed in from the windows above. What an alien universe and there I was with a large foil tin carrying thirty of the best chicken wings Chicago had to offer. After the religious pilgrimage to Wings Around the World, Reuben H and Aurore L had the good sense to take us all to Reynolds where we wouldn't be bothered and be allowed to worship our wings in peace. For the moment, Reuben went to fetch pop while Aurore went off as well. I was alone and a heretic - a trespasser sneaking in and using up space that I had no right to, but the chess players were very old and had no business being there either. Then it came to me that everyone was allowed in and Reynolds was there for all to share, no identification required! Lined on the walls are large portraits showing various trustees of the University of Chicago. Lists of past Presidents line the wall and the fashion progression from long beards and robes to finely made designer suits and shaved faces led us to mock one portrait - he definitely wanted some of our chicken wings! We cracked open our wings and uncapped our pops only to find that the Cherry Pepsi was expired! While we munched and crunched on our chicken wings, nary a soul turned their heads nor noticed what fine dining we were helping ourselves to. The unbending concentration of the other people in the hall sustained itself except for the old chess players who all got up and went out for a smoke. We ate undisturbed and worked to get rid of the evidence. On our way out a young college student declared that he was going to have to retake high school chemistry. We laughed about it and then I thought that they were right - It really was just like Harry Potter!

The home of WHPK 88.5 FM!…read more Don't be fooled by the irresistable smell of pizza when you walk in. The pizza they have here is crap. But the rest of the building is all gothic and oldskool college cool.