Once the crowd diversified and a few more women arrived, I found myself thinking I might not know this was a gay bar if I wandered in on a lark. “You get the occasional tourist who takes a look around and announces he wouldn’t be caught dead having a drink here, but mostly they just ask if it’s a gay bar and then they stick around,” he replied. “Is this a common occurrence?” I later wondered aloud to Downtown’s owner, Brian Martin, who most recently managed the restaurant Eve. Next we watched a husband and wife, no doubt guests at a nearby hotel, walk in and stand for a long, confused moment before taking two seats at the end of the bar. You wouldn’t have known such a thing was going on from the looks of the crowd, an all-ages mix of fetching, well-dressed men who seemed to be engaged in conversation with friends-or at least not blatantly checking their iPhones. There’s a lot of Grindr action going on here,” my friend Tim muttered, peeking at the so-named smartphone app that lets like-minded seekers of, ahem, certain favors zero in on one another, wherever they may be. Relieved to find the drink list unencumbered by craft cocktails or hundreds of beers to sift through, I ordered my old faithful, Maker’s and Diet ($8), and huddled with my group under the dramatic barrel ceiling. With three male companions in tow, I headed to Downtown first, since I’d heard happy hour is bus-tling (my next visit will be for Talentless Tuesdays karaoke in the basement).
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As a veteran of many a Boystown bar hop, I had decided to visit both spots and evaluate the possibility of a new gay district on Chicago’s nightlife horizon.
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Among the lounges that dot River North, Downtown stands as the sole gay bar save for the stalwart dive Second Story in nearby Streeterville. (Second) Story Time: One Infamous Night at the Mag Mile’s Only Gay Diveįor the first hour of a recent Saturday night at Downtown-a new bar in the space once occupied by Gentry and, ever so briefly, The Lucky Lady-I was the only lady in the room. On Friday 9 at 6pm, the Windy City Gay Chorus and Aria will hit downtown for Caroling at Cloud Gate in Millennium Park.5 more gay bars outside the Boystown/Andersonville bubble The crowd is surprisingly mixed in both age and race (although it’s mostly male), and the atmosphere more lively than you might guess for such an under-the-radar gem. It may not be as gay as the nearby Gap, but if you follow the faded red carpet up a flight of stairs and turn right before you hit the psychic, you’ll land in one of Chicago’s great gay dive bars. We’re not sure if it’s the gorgeous atrium lighting or the visual feast of vintage hotel dinnerware, seasonal gifts and flea market finds that make this gay-owned shop special, but we do know that it’s the perfect place to scoop up a gift like a vintage city map or snag some lovely Parisian bistro bowls. Otherwise, grab a table and sink your teeth into a tasty sandwich like the Blue Pig n’ Fig ( jamón serrano, Ader Kase Reserve blue cheese, locally made fig and black tea preserve, whole grain and Dijon mustard). If you’re gift hunting, consider signing up a family member for one of Pastoral’s monthly clubs featuring all kinds of artisanal goodies. Take the most adorable places for wine, cheese and charcuterie out of California’s Napa Valley and restitch them into a single Loop boutique and you get this wonderful gay-owned food store and café just a stone’s throw from the shops at Block 37.
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Games are designed to increase critical thinking, memory, coordination, word skills and visual perception, all of which you’ll want to have when it’s 2am at the bar and those beer goggles are screwed on mighty tight. Not to take you away from Elder Scrolls (or Angry Birds), but consider instead directing your frontal cortex at the challenging games, puzzles and brain teasers sold at this chain whose out CEO Lindsay Gaskins lives in Chicago with her wife and daughter. There’s elbow room for all (sometimes more than we’d like) including plenty of seating around the rectangular bar or in the plush banquettes we recommend a hot toddy or Baileys and coffee for the wintry days ahead.Ĩ45 N Michigan Ave, 31 or 55 E Grand Ave, 31
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It’s not quite the bar where everybody knows your name, but this 2010 newcomer in the former Gentry space continues to anchor gay life in the heart of the city while offering a welcome respite from the busloads of tourists hauling their plump selves up and down the Magnificent Mile in search of the next great bargain.