In short: 30 rooftop bars across nine Chicago neighborhoods. The Loop has the most (7), then River North and West Loop (5 each). All are open to the public except Soho House.
I made a list of every rooftop bar in Chicago I want to go to or have been to, then put them in walking order by neighborhood.
How to use it
- Pick one neighborhood a night. The Loop has seven, West Loop and River North five each.
- Go in order. Within each neighborhood the list runs in walking order.
- Soho House is members only. Everything else on the list is open to the public.
The full list
Loop (7): Aire Chicago, Cindy's, Cerise, Château Carbide, London House, TheWit, RAISED An Urban Rooftop.
South Loop (2): VU Rooftop, Panchos Rooftop.
River North (5): Terrace 16, Joy District, IO Godfrey, Z Bar, Apogee Lounge.
Streeterville (4): NoMI Garden, Upstairs at The Gwen, Offshore, IVY Sky Terrace.
West Loop (5): Aba, Tony's Rooftop at Time Out Market, Nobu Hotel Rooftop, Soho House (members only), Selva.
Gold Coast (1): Devereaux.
Old Town (1): Utopian Tailgate.
Lincoln Park (1): The J. Parker.
Wicker Park (4): The Up Room, Whiskey Business, The River, Kennedy Rooftop.
Downtown Chicago from River West at night.
Good nights to string together
- Loop: seven stops, the most in any one neighborhood.
- River North and Streeterville: nine stops on either side of Michigan Avenue.
- West Loop: five, including Tony's at Time Out Market.
- Wicker Park: four, away from downtown.
The full list, with a map and a way to mark the ones you've done, is on the rooftop crawl page. Your marks stay in your own browser.
Navy Pier on the lakefront.