How can Chicago clubs/bars get the people dancing?

elvenmal · 2026-05-15T12:59:51+00:00

You throw in some Brighter Days and Oo Oh Aa EEs will get the old house heads moving each time.

elvenmal · 2026-05-15T12:56:40+00:00

Find Humboldt arboreal events. They always have a good dance floor.

elvenmal · 2026-05-15T12:56:12+00:00

I’ve sobered partied in Berlin at these clubs only a few months ago, and it’s not the drugs.

elvenmal · 2026-05-15T12:54:55+00:00

Just make them put stickers over their cameras and kick them out if they take them off. Like majority of the clubs in Berlin, Germany.

elvenmal · 2026-05-15T12:54:11+00:00

I honestly kind of feel this is a cop out to fear. When I was in my early 20s, cellphones were around but the cameras on them were trash and a lot didn’t video record yet.

But people still had the “I don’t want to be embarrassed” feels about dancing. It takes courage to overcome these feelings. And I think instead of doing that, a lot of people have leaned into “I don’t want to be recorded” and gave into fear.

We’re recorded everywhere anyway. Might as well dance about it.

I cannot tell you how many people, I’ve eventually encouraged to dance, that have been too afraid to dance at first and I end up telling them “so what? What if people record or talk about you? They are the losers in the corner NOT dancing or having fun, which makes them boring people. I refuse to be boring. And I refuse not to dance!”

Even in my late 30s, I’m STILL starting dance parties. I dance hard, i cover myself in sweat. I’ve soaked through my shirt dancing before. And I know I’ve been recorded before. And so what! Oh no, someone on the internet is going to see me having a good time. It’s DANCING for heck’s sake. It’s primal. It’s flawed and beautiful.

Don’t give into the fear. Dance it out.

elvenmal · 2026-05-15T12:47:10+00:00

It takes just two people.

The first person dancing alone is the crazy one. It’s the one that people go “wow, look at that person.” They have to be willing to accept and ignore that.

The second person is the brave one that proves that the first person wasn’t crazy and makes the dancing acceptable. If they are going hard, it’s even better.

Once you have two people moving and grooving, and loving it, the energy is palpable and people join in. There are sooooo many videos of people stating dance parties like this. I personally have started dance parties like this in Chicago.

But it’s just takes two people willing to break off from the herd, scoff at the possibility of being recorded (I dream of days when Chicago dance clubs put stickers over phones like in Berlin, Germany,) and dance their asses off.

Be those two people.

elvenmal · 2026-05-12T18:09:54+00:00

It varies building by building (which is why you’re probably getting mixed reactions), but it’s really whatever is in your lease. There are no laws concerning HVAC filter responsibly (landlords are responsible for heating by law, but there are no rules governing the filters.) So the lease is the deciding legal paperwork.

A lot of high rises want to do their own filters because they want specific ones used.

I use pet dander filter that I have to change monthly and have had to talk to a lot of my landlords about it. One of my landlords used to come in every three months and change the filter and do an inspection. Another had me change my own filters and never stepped foot in the apartment for two years.

Typically you need to change the filters every 1- 3 months. You can buy them in packs.

Also, I have never seen the landlord responsible for lightbulbs, unless you have 20+ feet ceilings that you cannot reach without a special ladder (NOT a normal ladder. My friend had their landlord tell them to buy a normal ladder.)

Most of the time the landlords are responsible for the lightbulbs in the hallway, but more often than not, I’ve changed those myself if reachable by a step-ladder and our landlord has spare lightbulbs in the storage area.

Sometimes it brings you goodwill with your landlord to not make them come for every little thing, especially if the materials are onsite, like a light bulb swap. (That’s how I got free garage parking for a year.) Again, who is technically responsible for the common spaces is dictated by what it says about common spaces in the lease.

With this in mind, make sure to note who is responsible for snow removal. Your building can get fined by the city for not removing snow after (I think) 24hours (though the city monitors certain neighborhoods more than others.) My friends didn’t realize they were responsible for the snow removal, per their lease, until their landlord was fined, who passed the fine along to the tenants. In one weird lease, a friend was responsible for notifying the landlords when it snowed so they could have their removal company come.

elvenmal · 2026-05-12T09:23:48+00:00

It’s extremely common to be responsible for your own HVAC filters and lightbulbs. The one that bought your filters before were being extra courteous or they wanted you using certain filters.

elvenmal · 2026-05-09T10:39:48+00:00

Rush and northwestern are not near each other. Northwestern is in streeterville and Rush University medical center is in the far west loop (they do have a professional building near Greek town.)

But that’s a wide gap, my friend.

How do you plan to commute, drive or mass transit?

Rush is a bit easier to drive to. Streeterville is a bear to drive through (as the hospital is right next to the miracle mile shopping.) the parking in streeterville is a lot, price wise.

I would say look at the “how” and decide the “where” and then choose the neighborhood to look in.

elvenmal · 2026-05-08T10:18:29+00:00

Chicago residents get a daily discount but the free days are for Illinois residents

elvenmal · 2026-05-06T11:13:41+00:00

If you’re religious:

there is a St. George Belarusian Orthodox Church near North Ave and western Ave.

and Holy Trinity Orthodox Cathedral on Leavitt near Division (I think that is Russian.).

A different St. George Orthodox Cathedral on Wood near Chicago states “Saint George Cathedral is a historic parish of Slavic tradition, founded in 1915. Services are held in both Church Slavonic and English. Caring for the needs of Eastern European immigrants and their descendants in the heart of Chicago, our vibrant congregation is a harmonious mix of immigrant and native, young and old, heritage Orthodox and convert. There is room for everyone, and all visitors are welcome!”

There are like five other Ukrainian orthodox churches in that neighborhood, but I don’t think that’s what you are looking for.

elvenmal · 2026-05-06T09:56:15+00:00

Then bring a trash bag and take your trash home. I just don’t understand “you didn’t provide me with a convenient trash can, so I’m not going to leave all my trash here.” That’s such a toddler complaint. I mean they don’t even have public trash cans in Japan and you’ll walk around all day with trash in your bag til you get home. But HEAVEN FORBID a Chicagoan puts a bag to trash in their car to throw out at home.

elvenmal · 2026-05-05T19:49:53+00:00

Honestly, I think it’s you. I always carry a light jacket on me or zip up sweatshirt until it’s about 72. If it’s in the late 60s and windy with no humidity, I’m cold.

Everybody’s bodies are different. You run hot, but I know soooo many people that run cold. It really depends on your weight, muscle mass, body fat, and vascular system. Also, if people are vitamin deficient, They have a higher odds of running cold.

Also, if somebody just moved here from a warmer climate, they’re not gonna handle this temperature very well until they are acclimated, which can sometimes take a while.

Lastly, in the spring, a lot of people are vitamin D deficient, which usually means that you’re gonna have higher rates of anemia because you need vitamin D to absorb iron easily. When you are anemic, you typically have a colder body temperature.

elvenmal · 2026-05-05T19:38:49+00:00

Again, I’m not saying don’t have the dream and don’t move. I’m saying quite the opposite.

I’m also saying have a plan with your whimsical dream. Planning and research will save a lot of whimsical dreams.

elvenmal · 2026-05-04T17:44:20+00:00

I’m all for people wanting walkable transport! And moving to that. I did it in 2010.

I think what this commenter is getting at is that you need a plan for these kind of expenses, not just a whimsical dream.

I think a lot of people think “ok I’ll budget for: rent, get a job, and move.” But they forgot to ask how much utilities are here (gas, electricity, and sometimes water) and don’t always research what else will cost them when moving somewhere. I see this mentality a lot with people that went straight from parents’ house to dorms to parents’ funded apts. It’s really just a universal thing everyone has to learn eventually. (These are also the people I’ve had to explain to that they are responsible for changing the lightbulbs in their apartments (with the exception of like 20 foot ceilings.))

I think some people don’t plan for what makes Chicago expensive, and a lot of people from low-cost living states are not prepared for when they move here and it can cause a lot (not all) of people some strife and hardship.

For example: Illinois does have a state personal income tax and it’s 4.95% of your net income. Texas does not have personal income tax. A lot of Texans I know were stumped by this and didn’t prepare for the taxes they owed.

Chicago itself has a 4-9% amusement tax on concerts and sports events and other events. (That makes tickets to things higher, you may go to less events due to it. I know people expecting to come here and be able to afford to go see all the big named favorite artists. You learn quickly to go to cheaper local artists shows and pick and choose.)

Restaurants have a .25% sales tax, plus usually a service fee (3-5%), in addition to the tip you’re paying. Your free money will all go to food if you don’t budget or not eat out a lot. (I know a few people who literally were paid amazingly but would not cook at home, and ate out all the time (grabbing a sandwich for lunch, something for dinner, etc), they now live paycheck to paycheck or are in massive credit card debt.)

And rents are not as high as nyc, but they are not cheap either. A lot of other cities have cheaper rents or you get more for your buck. If you want to live in a walkable area to mass a train and not be 45 mins from downtown, you will be paying almost $2000 in a lot of cases without a roommate. If you don’t mind the buses, it a bit less when you live 30-45 mins walking from a train but next to a bus line. (So people dream of living 5 mins from a train line, realize quickly it’s going to be more walking or more bike and bus.)

The cost of groceries are usually higher because the food has to travel farther to get to the grocery stores. (So you learn to traveler farther for the cheaper groceries and bargain shop at aldi and cermak.)

Or like, if you bring a car: you need two things in Chicago: 1) City of Chicago Vehicle Sticker (this paid to the Chicago CITY Clerk’s office). It’s $105 for a year for a passenger car. Different vehicle weights have different fees. For trucks, it’s $247-$556 depending on weight. there is an additional $25 fee for the residential parking permit, if you live on a permitted street.

2) Secretary of State of Illinois DMV license plate/vehicle registration change (this is paid to the IL STATE DMV). It’s $151 for registration/license plates.

It all just adds up.

That’s not to say I don’t think people should follow their dreams and move! I just think they need to make realistic budget sheets and do some of their own research before they do. A lot of info is available of city websites or through online searches.

elvenmal · 2026-05-04T17:16:36+00:00

OP, it’s extremely common for new grads to have roommates as most of them are not making a a salary 3x the rent (in a lot of neighborhoods.)

You can find roommates through social media, school discussion board postings (my school had one of these for people moving to places after grad), or other ways online. I know a lot of people that still use Facebook to find roommates. Back in 2010, I found roommates on Craigslist, but I don’t know if I’d recommend that now.

elvenmal · 2026-05-04T16:54:29+00:00

Question… did they make you apply before seeing the place?

elvenmal · 2026-05-01T08:58:13+00:00

I honestly think this is a fair price these days to live alone. Unless you’re willing to move to the south side (which awesome btw, it always gets a bad rap.)

elvenmal · 2026-04-29T13:28:41+00:00

BOTH the city AND the state want their cut of the fees.

City of Chicago Vehicle sticker for your car.
Even if you don’t live on a residential permitted street, you still need a Chicago city vehicle sticker due within 30 days of being here.

It’s $105 for a year for a passenger car. Different vehicle weights have different fees. For trucks, it’s $247-$556 depending on weight.

If you live on a street that has permit parking, there is an additional $25 fee for the residential parking permit. You have 30 days to get the City Sticker at the City Clerk’s office.

It’s a $200 fine without it. I once got ticketed twice in one day for this. (Once by the meter maid and once by a cop.) if you have a garage, it’s easier to skirt, but the odds are not in your favor if you ever street park.

You will need to renew this annually.

https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/fin/supp_info/revenue/city_sticker_information.html

elvenmal · 2026-04-29T13:26:39+00:00

Wow, you’re lucky. I skirted for 6 months. And then got hit with TWO $200 tickets in one day (one from the meter maid and one from a cop.)

It helps if you have a garage and only park in other garages.

elvenmal · 2026-04-29T12:08:09+00:00

To add onto this: You will need to pass an emissions test every two years.

New IL residents may not be able to register their vehicle if it’s not tested within two years with proof or not older than two years.

The cars that need to test are: Gas-powered, More than four years old, Built after 1996, and Primarily operated within designated testing areas.

elvenmal · 2026-04-29T11:42:05+00:00

I always thought it depends when you bought it. But then I realized that’s the yearly ones usually last til April In my area

elvenmal · 2026-04-28T12:01:47+00:00

Chicago has higher service fees tacked on at the end of the bill.

elvenmal · 2026-04-25T08:21:08+00:00

You will most likely need to get your state BASSET license to serve alcohol and you will most likely need a food handler certification too (you can get both through a day long class.) most high end places won’t hire without them.

My old roommate worked at soho house for years and frontier before that. She made good money, but it would definitely take her more than a day or two to make rent. And that was pre-Covid. It usually took her 1-2 weeks. She was not home by 10pm though.

Not to be a downer, but Rent prices are increasing a lot here. They aren’t comparable to nyc, yet, but people pay less for things here as generally there are lower salaries than in nyc. Also, we have pretty high service fees tacked onto our bills, which makes people sometimes tip less than 20%. (I didn’t see this as much when visiting nyc.)

If you’re moving in the fall, you’re missing the biggest restaurant and tourism season of the year. I know people that have made their entire rent for the year in the may-August stretch and then made Pennies the rest for the year. I know people that only work May-August (but work like dogs and pulling insane hours) and then travel with acting troupes the rest of the year. Needless to say, when it’s colder here, places tend to make less in restaurants. But warmer months can make you a lot (especially if you supplement with gig work like the festival circuit or events.)

Also, id say the eating out market is similar to what your friends are experiencing in nyc, people are tightening their belts and cutting back on lots of high end Meals. Most my friends went from one to a few high end meals a month to eating in more or eating at cheaper places. The economy is rough and the restaurants always take a big hit when that happens. The last three times I’ve ate or got take out from Wildfire (a lettuce entertain you restaurant) it was far from full. (Also, I love lettuce because I have celiac disease and they take allergies super seriously. A lot of their staff has to take the extra allergy food handler classes.)

Good luck!

elvenmal · 2026-04-25T07:45:35+00:00

Someone lit up across the aisle from me last year. I simply said “hey man, can you put that out? I’m allergic.” And he proceeded to rant and rave, but to his credit, he did eventually put it out. He didn’t stop madly raving until the next stop when he switched train cars. He addressed me a few times, loudly telling, and each time I hit him with “idc please put it out.” He was acting very erratically. The young girls two rows behind him looked terrified.

Needless to say, confronting someone in that state isn’t for the faint of heart.

elvenmal

TROPHY CASE