DO NOT consider a winter wedding here, and absolutely DO NOT expect transparency or flexibility…read morewith any hiccups in their formula. Also, they apparently blocked my account on Zola -- I can't find them in a search when I'm logged in anymore. Thankfully I was able to leave a review without being logged in, and am also sharing here. TLDR: they can't accommodate winter weddings, despite including those months as available on their website, and they aren't transparent about their inability to do so. They can only provide half a venue, with 40% decreased capacity, but still expect you to pay full price. I was appalled by their poor communication and business practices throughout our experience trying to book them for our January wedding. -- -- The issues started when booking a tour -- their availability is challenging if you work a day job, and we were also limited with my partner's 24/48 shifts for the city. But I rearranged my work to accommodate their schedule. The day of the tour we received a vague cancellation with 3 hours notice, saying they would work with our schedules to get a new tour on the calendar. They very much did NOT work with our schedules, declined several options I requested that would work without us making major concessions on our end, and only offered a small window later than their once-a-week evening slots. We were once again rearranging our schedule to work for theirs after their cancellation. When we finally had the tour, I'll admit it's a gorgeous venue. We were excited about booking there, but concerned about how they'd handle January events. Since their website includes Jan in their off-peak season rates, I figured they had a plan for accommodating cold weather (they have a tent for the yard, but it's insufficient for temps under 30 degrees and that's a heavy gamble for evenings in January). They didn't seem to have any ideas outside using that tent. They do have an upstairs to the venue that reflects the ground floor footprint, so I asked if they would include these in the base rate (they're usually an add-on expense) because we were losing space in the yard. They said they would "compromise" by including just one of the rooms, but would reduce capacity to only 70. We had been straightforward that our guest list was 80-90, and their website advertises up to 120 guests for a buffet or cocktail reception, which was our plan. I understand they don't do a ton of events in the winter, so I thought maybe they just didn't have a well-designed plan for colder months and we could find a way to work one out. But they refused to work with us to expand capacity beyond 70 guests AND made no concessions on price. I have no idea what they would have done had we moved forward and temperatures were too cold for a tent (leave our guests shivering? cut our guest list week-of? at the door?) -- I asked and and they couldn't answer. On top of it all, they made me feel like I was a problem for having these concerns. At the end of the day, I can't believe that a venue would expect clients to pay full price for half a venue and 40% decreased capacity, especially in a season they admit having little to no bookings. They clearly do not want business in their winter months, but will jerk you around for a month pretending they do.

Exceeded our (extremely high) expectations at every step, turn, and touchpoint!…read more We worked with the AMAZING Teddy and Sarah and from the start knew we were in the right place, space and best of hands. First of all, Firehouse is charming as all HECK. This isn't your drab hotel ballroom where partition walls, lighting rigs and bunches and bunches of flowers can barely start to cover the lack of character. This space has personality and soul, every last inch. Classic Chicago neighborhood setting, we didn't want to leave the beautiful courtyard space. Everything about the venue is built to make your guests feel at home, comfortable and intimate to the party. Did we mention the firepole?! Best entry ever for a groom to make. We can't recommend enough - Teddy and Sarah listened to all our thoughts/concerns/ideas and custom built a space and flow that complimented the night in every possible way.

What a fun little restaurant/bar and venue…read more Parking is a little harder as it is in Chicago and these are neighborhood streets. We went with another couple who miraculously found parking right in front. Had it been warmer out, we could have sat outside for dinner. This bar has been around for decades and they haven't lost their spark yet. I think they're just getting ready for the summer and a lot more fun. We ventured here from the suburbs to see a friend's cousin's band called 76th Street. So we went early, enjoyed some drinks and dinner, and then made our way into the venue in back. Beat Kitchen has a lot of beer options (fir those who like beer) with a mix of mainstream, local brews, and some IPAs. They did have a cider (dry) that didn't interest me, but they had a drink of the night that seemed good and I ordered that. The bartender knew what they were doing as it was delicious. I next ordered the burger, but seriously almost got a salad. They both looked great. However, I saw a burger at another table and that sealed the deal. Perfectly cooked and toppings were fresh. Next we headed into the venue. It was loud, but not too loud. As it filled with concert goers, it got warm. Some couples were making out in front of us and it was awkward. Thankfully security broke em up as, hello, it was awkward! It's a cool place to catch a show and they did accommodate us with some chairs as we are a little older (in our 50s) and the crowd was barely in their 20s. It was a fun night and well worth visiting for food and drinks, even if you are seeing a concert.

This is a typical "Dive Bar" located on Belmont Ave…read more We went to see School of Rock perform. In the back of the restaurant/bar is a small stage area with limited seating. Sound is good when the sound board engineer is paying attention. In between sets we decided to have lunch. We tried their Cheese Quesadilla,Beat Burger with pepper jack cheese and Thai pizza. Surprisingly the food was pretty solid with the winner being the Thai pizza. Very unique.... bursting with flavors. Bathroom location could be better plus they need to be cleaned. Parking in the Rosco Village is always a challenge. If looking for live entertainment almost every night if the week,give The Beat Kitchen a visit.

Came to Colvin House for a wedding. I have to say the parts that I explored were awesome. The staff…read morewere super nice and on top of their game. I love the Peacock Room that reminded me of a speakeasy. It was a nice place to unwind in the middle of things. Also the mirrored phone booth to record messages was an awesome touch. The outdoor space is an awesome place for a wedding.

Always down for anything food. Especially, when the venue is amazing and you can get great pictures…read moreby the water. Not to mention the bonus of valet parking. So nice to meet so many foodies, restaurant and bar owners. The energy level was high, the DJ was doing his thing, the food was amazing and the drinks flowed nicely. This was my first masquerade and I had the time of my life! Will do it again next year.

I love raw spaces that you can transform for events and Rockwell on the River is that exactly, I…read morerecently attended a bar mitzvah here and was super impressed with the space. It's absolutely massive so I'd recommend for a large party, although it looks like you can divide it into a smaller space if necessary too. This space was beautifully decorated for this particular bar mitzvah and do think very high centerpieces are best due to the high ceilings. It was february so everything was done inside, although they did connect a heated tent for the kids cocktail hour. I'm headed to another event there in August where they plan to use the outdoor space for cocktail hour and I hear river boat rides are even an option. Super cool! I'm sure they have lots of catering options to choose from, but this particular party used limelight and i thought the food was better than the average bar mitzvah/wedding. I would definitely consider this venue for an event. I don't love planning downtown events due to the long drive from the suburbs, but since this wasn't as far it took us about 45 minutes to get there from Glencoe on a Sat evening and then another 25 minutes home later that evening.

This theatre is amazing! I saw the performance of "Float," with my girlfriend and it was a great…read moretreat! We both enjoyed the play and the atmosphere! The theatre is small which makes the performances more intimate!!! Both my girlfriend & i can't wait to return!!!!

I just saw their current performance of Execution of Justice, and it was incredible. The play…read moreconcerned the Moscone-Milk Assassination in San Franciso in 1978, and it was phenomenally acted, beautifully staged, just in general a performance well worth seeing, especially if one is at all interested in the history of the gay-rights movement. The theater itself is small-ish but probably still seats a hundred people or so. Possibly more. There's a little stand in the lobby for refreshments and just in general it's a nice facility. But I would be coming back even if the place was a dingy wreck, they were just that good. Go check them out.

So glad to have this space back open! I rented it out for my son's 2nd birthday party. We had a…read moregreat experience and would highly recommend. The kids loved racing around the open space and exploring all of the toys. The toddlers loved climbing through the tunnels. The adults enjoyed the space to gather in the party room. As the host, I had a terrific experience! The owner allowed me to drop in early to store some of my supplies in the fridge. She was very helpful during the party supplying me with things I'd forgotten and checking in to ensure all was well. I look forward to dropping in for classes in the future. As I was dropping things off, there was a cute baby sign language class taking place. The environment is so fresh, clean, and calm! Welcome to the neighborhood, Southport Fundamentals!

We recently attended a birthday party and the kids (and adults) had a great time! The space is set…read moreup to allow children to be active, creative, and engaged. We would highly recommend this space for birthday parties, as the party room is perfect for decorating, storing food/drinks, and mingling. Fun aside, the space is exceptionally clean and the owner was on site to help with the flow of the party. This space would also be ideal for hosting adult gatherings (classes, parties, meetings, etc.). Welcome to the neighborhood!

PanIQ Escape Room Chicago never misses!…read more My fiancee and I were in Chicago for a memorial. We had done one of the PanIQ Escape Rooms with him and went in his memory. We chose to do The Red Wire. The room itself was very well put together. Upon entering the room, you're transported to a small street in London and the game is afoot. We found all the puzzles fun and a bit challenging. There were a couple of times we needed hints, arguably we were trying too hard. Our game master could tell we were seasoned "operatives", and actually made us work for one of the hints. We enjoyed our interaction with them in this way. Overall, the room was great. We got out in time and felt like we did our buddy proud. 10/10 recommend

Really fun escape room! It was challenging but the decor was excellent. I liked that you got to…read morehave wands and use them for the magical one. It was fun to try to figure everything out as a group and escape!

As we were in the neighborhood, our adult daughter suggested visiting The Sugar Hole, a puppet-run…read moreice cream window at the Color Club! I wasn't too interested at first, but I was pleasantly surprised and ended up having a very fun experience! When we were there around 5:30 pm on a Sunday, there was a line, and a small crowd of people were around the window taking photos. A googly-eyed puppet named Puddles was taking orders. Our daughter ordered a cup of swirl soft serve ice cream with rainbow sprinkles, while I ordered another one without any toppings ($6 each). It's funny that Puddles asked me to put my credit card between his eyes and disappeared behind the black curtains. When he re-emerged and returned my credit card, I forgot to ask for a receipt since I was dealing with a puppet, lol. A young man brought our ice cream to the outdoor seating area, which has two large communal tables. He would call your name, so do pay attention. There were a lot of kids, and we heard that some of them were repeating customers. However, there were also people like us who did not bring any children, were there just to have ice cream and a fun puppet show, simply had a good time! Puddles later sang a song at the end of his shift! When he went to take a nap, the next puppet Trevor popped up, that was so cute! As for the ice cream, although it was not the smoothest or creamiest, it was not bad. Portions were pretty generous, both our daughter and I could not finish our ice cream and had to share with my husband, who did not order any. There's a sign that if you pay with a credit card, there's an 18% tip added. In our case, it was $2.16, just the puppet's song was already worth it. The Sugar Hole is only open in the summer on Saturdays and Sundays, but will run through September. We enjoyed the experience and would highly recommend it. You still have a few chances left for the rest of this summer!

TL;DR: The ice cream is not great. But for the novelty of the experience, it is worth making your…read moreway here. I haven't been inside the venue; we came here for the Sugar Hole one warm late spring day. It's a cute and fun idea. My daughter (age 2) was curious about the puppet but a bit wary, but she put up with it since she was with mom and there was ice cream. She was pleased with her twist with sprinkles. The ice cream was big--I don't know why I didn't think of getting one to share, since usually if they don't suggest different sizes they're too big for a toddler. As it was we each only ate half of ours (I got the swamp monster, because who wouldn't be curious?) so keep that in mind when you're ordering. I wouldn't come here just for the ice cream; there are a lot of ice cream shops around, including a Dairy Queen not too far away, all of which have much better ice cream. There was no line when we got there but one formed pretty quickly after we ordered. The puppet chats briefly with folks, and of course it's a big photo moment, so the line is probably a bit slowe than in other places. But the treat comes out pretty quickly after ordering.