You know the "Elaine dance", right? From Seinfeld? *oh sweet fancy Moses!*…read more Yeah at one time that could have been me. But see, back then I was unfamiliar with the super delightful, incredibly fanciful & all around blissful dance called "Swing". And excuse me for saying so, but if you don't agree it isn't one of the most fun dances to not only participate in, but also WATCH others do, well then friend you are a miserable bastard that should spend the rest of your days watching re-runs of Solid Gold and Dance Party USA. aHEm. So see, I had come across a Groupon for a six week series here and when I saw that...why I couldnt have been more excited if Gregory Peck himself came back from the dead just to goose me. And holy heck was it fun! The instructors were awesomely patient and thorough about explaining all the steps, and even when you had to dance with some two-left footed schmoe, you still were having a good time. The facility is big, and decorated in sort of a vintage, thrift store hodgepodge, but it works. This aint Arthur Murray over here kids...they also offer a bunch of other classes that have nothing to do with dancing too! But I dont care about that...I am completely hooked and cant wait to go back to take more swing classes. And now I am proud to say I don't look like I am doing a full bodied dry heave set to music anymore. rockin! Thanks Galaxie!

Did you ever aspire to be a welding stripper like Jennifer Beals in Flashdance..?…read more ~Well, at the Galaxie Chicago you can become just that! This is a huge multi-purpose space that offers almost every kind of class you can think of from dance to, that's right, welding..! They have tons of swing dance classes and workshops, kick boxing, wedding party partner dance classes, silk screening, yoga, karate, art, animation, stained glass, glass blowing...oh, and you know that book you've been meaning to get bound..? Learn how in a book binding class! Now, I've only participated in the swing stuff and can tell you that you'll learn from the best, Nicolle Wood, who also owns the space. I've also attended many private parties here and they manage to transform the space from casual to elegant effortlessly...it's just such a unique space... This Galaxie is not far, far away either... ...now if they would just have a stripping class my dreams could come true...

Beautiful area inside. However entrance is not intuitive as it's not really marked so it's hard to…read morefind.

I went to see Kokoroko back in October and had a great time. We got in line early so we got into…read morethe auditorium among the first few people and snagged two seats on the side, near the front. They were a bit elevated, so we saw the stage very well while standing (except when a tall dude stood in front of us for awhile, but c'est la vie). There was a bar and the line seemed to move pretty fast. We didn't use the restrooms, but they were clearly marked. My only complaint would be that there's a long staircase you need to climb to get to the concert space. Not the most friendly for those with disabilities or difficulty climbing steps. Also feels like it could be a bit of a hazard in the wrong conditions. Otherwise, great place!

Loved this place you should go! I never knew this place existed! Glad to see it restored to its…read moreglory!

Went to Thalia Hall for the first time for wave to earth's lollapalooza after show and had an…read moreamazing experience! This is a small, intimate avenue in Chicago that hosts concerts, opera, and plays. There really isn't a bad seat in the venue! We were able to snag one of the larger opera boxes, which I highly recommend, especially if you're going with friends. Ours was on the left side and perfectly angled toward the stage, so we were incredibly close. The box seats up to six people and they even provide water for you, which was a nice touch. The venue also has a bar area and a balcony. For this show, the balcony was general admission. There are four large balcony boxes and two smaller two-person boxes, which would be super cute for a date or going with a friend. The staff were extremely friendly, and parking was surprisingly easy! We found street parking within about five minutes. They do serve food and drinks, though we didn't get any this time. Overall, the show was intimate, fun, and such a great experience. If I come back for another concert at Thalia Hall, I'll definitely try to get an opera box again.

UNPROFESSIONAL OWNERSHIP Update: an indication of the lack…read moreof 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.

Lovely venue! Attended a dance event here many years ago, and selected this space for an offsite…read morework 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.

It's very cool...but...so cool you almost can't figure out how to get in. There are two doors. The…read moreone before Family Dollar is the one you can get in. This location is NOT handicap accessible as far as I can tell. Could be because I arrived mid-show but there was not much staff or direction or interaction. I paid my entry fee with nary a word and enjoyed a very weird, but intriguing show of experimental electronic sound. Their sound system is impressive! Very 8D, I could really feel the movement of the sound and despite being remarkably off-putting, it was also visceral and intriguing. Parking in the area is a little weird and unreliable.

Stopped in for a Screen Printing show with artist from near and far…read more BUSY but the crowd was mindful of their space and flow offering relatively free movement despite the space constraints. Picked up a few pieces for myself to add to my collection and caught up with friends.

We saw two shows at the Den Theater in Chicago over the weekend. It is a small venue, but very…read morestylish. The bathrooms are pretty clean (even at a late show). The seats are comfortable. It is an intimate venue. The drink service is great. The drinks are good. I had a "Dirty Shirley" which is a Shirley Temple made with vodka. The standout is the service though. The box office staff is amazing. I am not going to share how they saved my bacon one evening, but it totally blew me away. The security folks are nice and helpful and the servers are wonderful. If there is a show you are interested in, go see it if it is at the Den!

The Den Theatre hosted what could have been the worst performance I have ever seen, The Peep Show…read more I left at intermission and only want to warn others. The best entertainer was the magician but yet the burlesque dancers made me and others disappear. They were unapologetically lethargic and not enthusiastic. Nothing sexy or entertaining... The Den is a staple of Milwaukee Avenue but this show was a complete miss. Go see a movie instead of seeing this show. It will be better entertainment for your hard earned dollars.

First time here to see Frankie Quinones…read more It's a beautiful venue and we got to sit close by the stage on the far left side bc some arr reserved but some are also first come first serve basis. Not sure about the food bc we didn't ask. We had one drink and it was just a. Regular corona beer and that's always good. We got to meet Frankie Q. His comedy show was great!!! Front row seat people should be told not to interrupt the comedian unless spoken too bc there was this one lady who kept interrupting Frankie Q. Overall a great show. And great venue any seat is a good seat.

Lovely venue! Spacious, well organized, and friendly staff. The entrance and security lines move…read morequickly. You can bring a 12x12 purse/bag inside. Comfortable seating, great views and acoustics. Delicious drinks and attentive service. Good vibes all around. I would definitely come back here for another show.

This ballroom is affordably priced and marketed as a do it yourself venue. They allow you to bring…read morein any vendor however you have to use their secuirty and bartender. They are in the maybe pile.

This place is great. George and El was simply amazing. They truly do care about their guest. Very…read moreaccommodating, very clean venue, staff was amazing I hosted my son and daughter-in-law's baby shower event there yesterday. They both were very thrilled with the venue and especially the events planner. I will definitely use this venue in the future.