Chicago Clubs

Thought I would blog about something from the past. Chicago clubs.
In the late 80's and early to mid 90's I was a vapid club goer, and spent most nights (when home from college) at a variety of city dance clubs. When I was in my 20's, my club tastes and the scene changed, but my love of dancing did not.
In the late 80's the club I was a regular at was the now long gone, Medusa's. This club was legendary and home was a 3 story building on Sheffield Avenue. Dj's had names like Psycho Bitch and spun music until the wee hours of the morning. My friends and I would dance to bands like Ministry and Nitzer Ebb and while we never drank inside, we were always sneaking out on the fire escapes, or standing under the 'L' tracks to drink cheap Boone's or warm beer. The lines were long to get in, the bouncers were jerks, but once you were inside, it was a dark labyrinth of fun. The main floor of dancing had tall podiums on the sides, and if you were lucky enough to get a spot, you could dance above the crowds for everyone to see. Upstairs were dark hallways, sitting areas and another dance floor, that at various times through the years served as a VIP area and a bar. When Medusa's closed in the mid nineties, a generation of us mourned.
After the demise of Medusa's and the gentrification of the location, (which they turned into high priced condos), we moved on to Club 950 located at the intersection of Lincoln, Sheffield and Wrightwood Avenues. Named after it's address, this "alternative" club was one of the best. You couldn't miss the building, one outside wall had a mural of a dancing couple and Humphrey Bogart that was visible from multiple streets and the 'L' Line than ran behind it. The dance floor was large and the cover was cheap, and we would dance to Joy Divison, New Order and Depeche Mode to name just a few. (One memorable night we met 3 members of Depeche Mode when they partied at 950 after their concert) There were 2 large rooms in the club and each room would often feature different music nightly. The smaller room was eventually converted into a pool room and upscale VIP bar, and the main dance room underwent numerous remodeling over the years.
Other Chicago Clubs in those days included the Liar's Club, Excalibur, Berlin, Shelter, Ka-Boom!, China Club, Exit, Crobar and Delilah's, but nothing is remembered like Medusa's and Club 950. Once in a blue moon I go dancing, but these days I head to Neo and enjoy the nostalgia.

Chicago-North Side

I think it is time that I started to write a few things about my home town. With all the traveling I do, there is no place like home and Chicago is absolutely one of the coolest cities in the world. The Windy city is a large sprawling metropolis that is a collection of vastly different neighborhoods. Some defined by ethnicity and some by income.
There is really nothing like knowing a city so well, that you can always find your favorite restaurant, museum, 24 hour diner, hotel, niteclub, resale shop, or even your favorite park bench. I have experienced so much of my life in Chicago that I love when I can find my way almost anywhere, even when the expressways are so crowded you have to take side streets. I used to boost I could get anywhere in Chicago, even during rush hour within 45 minutes. But those days are long gone. The traffic in this city is so bad, and the construction so unrelenting, that it now takes almost 1.5 hours to get anywhere within Chicago city limits from the suburbs.
I have lived in various locations within Chicago and the suburbs and if I had my choice I would prefer to live in the city than the 'burbs. Throughout my 20's, I lived in 4 different homes, within 3 Chicago neighborhoods. I loved them all, but some neighborhoods I fell in love with. I lived the longest in the Jefferson Park area, located at the junction of the Kennedy and Edens Expressways. Easy accesibility was the charm of Jefferson Park, the Metra Train, bus station and Blue Line on the "L", made this neighborhood easy to get to from the suburbs and Ohare Airport. I lived in 2 beautiful homes, both had been converted into 3 flats, and with sprawling parks and small fenced yards, the area was safe and a perfect place to raise kids in the city. Many of my neighbors were Polish and a large group of residents were Chicago firefighters and policeman.
I also lived briefly in the Lake View neighborhood and the Lincoln Park area, both of those sections of Chicago will need their own posts.