Rush & Division

Gold Coast, Chicago – Set in the swanky area of Chicago known as the Gold Coast, Rush and Division is an odd mix of flashy, loud, and slightly seedy that features a range of venues from the rowdy bars along Division to the fat-cat steakhouses on Rush.

The addition of State Street to the west – along with the infamous supply of older men on the prowl – has earned the area the unofficial nickname of The Viagra Triangle, and indeed it’s not unusual to see May-December romances blooming over potent martinis at steakhouses like Morton’s and Gibson’s.

Those who prefer a classier night on the town head to posh nightclubs like Privet and Proof, while partiers in search of a younger scene need only wander a ways down the street, where preppy out-of-towners, hordes of twenty-something suburbanites, and bachelor and bachelorette parties wait in line at raucous bars and clubs like The Hangge-Uppe, Butch McGuire’s, She-Nannigans House of Beer, and The Lodge Tavern.

Most of the venues along Rush and Division would have been termed "singles bars" a couple decades ago, and their focus is still on doing shots, hooking up, and dancing on tables to Top 40, hip-hop, and R&B.

As dawn approaches and the last of the revelers stumble out of late-night eateries Chi-Town Pizza and Tempo Café, the neighborhood prepares to nurse its hangover at brunch spots like Bistro Zinc and P.J. Clarke’s, where bleary-eyed patrons settle in for soothing mimosas.

Mild-mannered by day, Rush and Division shows its true colors by night when neon lights and an energetic vibe create a party atmosphere to satisfy just about everyone, from rowdy to refined.    ← read less