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City Cast Chicago

Emily Mack

We’re about one week into bridge-lifting season in Chicago. That means all 27 bridges along the Main and South branches of the Chicago River lift twice a week to accommodate boats.

But maybe you already knew that. Maybe you’re a bridge expert. Or maybe you just listened to 

yesterday’s podcast about the (poor) state of Chicago bridges

(Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via 

 opened to the public Saturday — perhaps you know it as The Belmont, the name dominating its exterior marquee. Or, like my friends, you’re simply referring to it as New Berlin.

Taking up the space of the former queer club Berlin, comparisons are inevitable. They’re also welcome, according to manager Marcus Devin, who was a Berlin regular.

“We’re back, but not really. It’s not the same, but it feels the same,” he said of Decibel, which operates from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. Tuesday through Saturday.

Perhaps the biggest difference from Berlin is that the space operates a cocktail bar, called The Belmont, 

I visited during Decibel hours. (At 3 a.m. if you must know.) The dance floor was so rowdy, it was hard to imagine the early-evening lounge. But it was easy to imagine this spot flourishing.

Berlin, which dominated the block for almost 40 years, was the first club I ever went to. (

.) The same is true for countless Chicagoans. Berlin’s accessible location under the Belmont “L” always seemed to entice passersby.

“It was just such a welcoming crowd, the drag queens on the stage were pulling me up,” journalist Yareni Murillo 

, remembering her first legal beverage on the dance floor.

Berlin closed in late 2023 following the 

, “The magic that happened at 954 W. Belmont will never be recreated.”

Like Berlin, Decibel is a queer space. It’s owned by HV Entertainment, which operates several 

. The goal, Devin said, is creating a place for patrons to express themselves.

On opening night, the crowd was diverse in race and gender. Large groups formed on the dance floor. Shirts were peeled off. On the sidelines, people made out passionately.

 helped keep the vibe high, although future prices are not set in stone. At the door, you can expect a cover between $5 and $10. (Also not bad, IMO.)

When I asked a bartender about other changes, he simply rolled his eyes and motioned around. Gone is 

 behind the bar, replaced with a sleek, plainer backdrop and two large screens. The frosty new bar top lights up. The (eternally flooding) bathrooms were redone, thankfully.

I’m also happy to report that the short stage running through the center club is still there. Beckoning. Climbing up can make just about anyone feel like a star.

🏳️‍🌈 Have you been to Chicago’s other legendary gay bars? 

Decibel is now open in the former Berlin space on Belmont. Comparisons are inevitable.

Welcome to The Belmont and Decibel

Welcome to The Belmont and Decibel — AKA New Berlin

Find the best of everything that Chicago has to offer.

Chicago’s Best

Chicago's Best

, is a brand-new venue for magic in Chicago, but its aim is old school. Set inside the historic McCormick Mansion, guests are invited to wander around the swanky space and experience a range of magicians close up. 

, “It marks a return to the golden age of Chicago-style live magic.”

Close-up magic, pioneered at the turn of the century by 

, is no-frills magic performed in an intimate setting. 

I grew up hearing those bar stories from my dad — specifically stories of the 

My dad, Steve, was a 20-year-old bartender there in 1975. Al was a hard-drinking, dildo-wielding magician. (He’d bang it on the bar. “The divorcees love it.”) Al also had a catchphrase: GTFM, or, “Get the f***ing money.” The acronym was emblazoned on the register. “GTFM!” he’d yell if my dad was ever distracted by 

If you were one of Al’s targets, your card might end up on his forehead. Or under your drink. You’d be looking and looking for the card while everyone else laughed.

Later, Al performed at Mycroft’s Pub on Lincoln Avenue. That was something of a magic stretch for a while, with New York Lounge and the 

The elegant Hand & The Eye mansion is a far cry from Chicago magic’s rowdy dive-bar days, but it does keep the close-up tradition alive.

 in Andersonville is also relatively upscale. However, 

entering through speakeasy laundry machines

 can make you feel like a rebel. Ticketed shows are nightly, but anyone can see close-up magic in the lobby bar.

. It’s adjacent to Goodman Theatre and Petterino's, and tickets include one drink.

 is available for bookings too. I can attest: He's spellbinding. I once saw the man do dove work in a cramped Logan Square living room!

 in Lincoln Park — not exactly a magic bar, but it’s got a fantasy vibe and, usually, a tarot card reader. Had to shout out at least one Lincoln Avenue spot!

♣️ Do you remember Heba Haba Al? I wanna know!

The Hand & The Eye is a new venue marketing Chicago-style magic. But what is Chicago-style magic?

Where You Can Still See Magic in Chicago

Chicago Was — Is? — a Magic Town

 through April 25 — which is coincidentally Independent Bookstore Day! There’s an 

However, our recs on where to find and read books in Chicago are timeless.

City Cast Chicago host Jacoby Cochran is on a mission to hit all of Chicago’s public libraries before 

Chicago’s oldest public branch, Blackstone, looks like it could sit on Museum Campus. It's got impressive columns and a dome with 

The modern Chinatown and Northtown branches

Stretching across the building’s entire facade, Edgewater’s mural nicely frames the library sign. 

Murals at the Merlo, Greater Grand Crossing, Bessie Coleman, and Little Village branches.

Legler Regional is a big, busy branch, and the staff is attentive through all the hustle and bustle. Employees walked Jacoby through the library’s public art and food pantry.

Branch manager Valerie Carter of the Bessie Coleman Branch 💕

Da Book Joint boasts plenty of social events every month. This Saturday, cap off Indie Bookstore Day with 

Indie bookstores are undeniably romantic. Take the fantasy one step further at The Book Cellar with a glass of pinot noir. Their cafe (and patio!) is a longstanding Lincoln Square social hub.

Non-profit Open Books recently closed its Logan Square location (RIP), but Chicagoans can still score great deals in Pilsen and West Loop. The stores sell used books, plus like-new books at similarly cheap prices.

Secret World Books celebrates its two-year anniversary, I want to shout out Owner Gayle Brandeis, who has published nine books. I also know she’s a fabulous writing teacher — she was mine!

🚶🏼‍♀️ Best Stretch: Hyde Park to South Shore

 this Saturday. Each sounds fun, but we think their South Side crawl has it all, hitting 

It’s National Library Week through April 25 — which is coincidentally Independent Bookstore Day! There’s an official crawl across Chicagoland.

However, our recs on where to find and read books in Chicago are timeless.

Where to Read in Chicago

Everything to know about Chicago neighborhoods: Where to go, eat, shop, drink, and more.

Chicago Neighborhood Guides

Neighborhood Guides

City Cast Chicago staff

It’s been a little over 6 years since recreational marijuana was legalized in Illinois. At the time, Gov. JB Pritzker called it 

the “most equity-centric” legal cannabis law in the country

. The idea was to center people who had been harmed by cannabis-related enforcement, especially Chicago’s Black and brown communities.

the rollout of social equity licenses has been rocky

. But you can support these Black-owned and employee-owned dispensaries to meet your 4/20 needs.

The state’s first-ever queer, Black, Latino-owned dispensary opened in 2024. Sway sources many of its products from Black- and women-owned businesses. You can join their rewards program, 

, for what they call “brownie points.” They are planning on opening in 

Grasshopper Club was Chicago’s first Black-owned dispensary. Founded by a South Side family, they later opened another site in South Loop, which is the dispensary I frequent the most. You can join their Cloud Club loyalty program for perks like member-only discounts and birthday benefits. Chat with “cannicierges” if you need some help looking for something in particular.

This Black-owned and social equity dispensary was inspired by a local market shopping experience. Founded by a group of women, the name celebrates the nation’s first state legalization of medical cannabis in 1996. Join the 

This 100% employee-owned dispensary was opened by a social equity cannabis license recipient. Spark’d opened a location in South Loop in 2024. Their locations in Richmond and Winthrop Harbor are also consumption lounges. They have plenty of events at both, like their Garden Party today at 

There are no consumption lounges where you can smoke flower in Chicago, yet. There are a few outside of city limits.

This majority Black-owned dispensary opened its doors in Bucktown in 2022 and its Logan Square location in 2024. Join their 

 for exclusive perks, like cash-back purchases, and a thank you Tuesday discount.

What’s your favorite Chicago dispensary?

It’s been a little over 6 years since recreational marijuana was legalized in Illinois. At the time, Gov. JB Pritzker called it the “most equity-centric” legal cannabis law in the country. The idea was to center people who had been harmed by cannabis-related enforcement, especially Chicago’s Black and brown communities. 

Celebrate 420 at These Chicago Dispensaries

at Humboldt Park! Neighbors, myself included, were crushed to hear the swan boats flew the coop in 2025 due to years of slow business. The paddleboats first came on the lagoon in 2018 and will return April 25.

Besides the swans, there are plenty of water and boat activities to enjoy as the season heats up.

 is officially upon us! Rides run daily through September, and stops include Ogilvie, Michigan Avenue, and Chinatown. It’s $10 for a one-way ticket.

Yes, I drifted down the river in one of those floating hot tubs — 

. Six friends fit into the jacuzzis which coast along the river for 90-minute rides. And although that season is over, rentable party options for the spring and summer include 

The architectural boat tours are not just for tourists. Trust us. 

, which partners with the Chicago Architecture Center, is usually the go-to option. It’s also 

Many different companies offer river kayak rentals throughout Chicago. 

, one of the larger competitors, rents from Goose Island in May, with expanded summer hours beginning later that month.

 offers weekend rentals from Clark Park beginning Memorial Day weekend. 

 also offers rentals and tours from Rockwell on the River. Even further north, Forest Preserves of Cook County offers 

canoe, kayak, and different boat rentals on the Skokie Lagoon

 offers kayak rentals along Bubbly Creek.

 REI no longer offers kayak rentals from Ping Tom Park.

If you want to get wet, Seadog is the way to go. This speedboat ride, which leaves from Navy Pier, offers 30 fast minutes bouncing around Lake Michigan. Part tour, part thrill ride. Real thrill seekers should try 

Jet skis are available to rent at outposts across the city, from 

 but the season hasn't started yet — stay tuned.

👙 Personally, though, I just hang along the ledge, usually near the Montrose Point Bird Sanctuary, until a passerby jet ski offers me a free ride. Works every time.

Editor's Note: A version of this article was originally published May 13, 2025. 

As we mourn the Humboldt Park swan boats, there are still plenty of Chicago water and boat activities to enjoy as the season heats up. 


Chicago Water Rides and Boat Rentals

Chicago’s Splashiest Water Activities

Michelle Navarro

It’s National Poetry Month, and while you can find 

 in April, poets call Chicago home all year round.

 is a poet, artist, and educator born and raised on the South Side. She is also Chicago’s poet laureate who began her two-year tenure in January.

We talked to del Valle to learn more about how her upbringing in Chicago impacts her work and what makes Chicago’s poetry scene special.

The following has been edited for length and clarity.

How does your South Side experience inspire your work?

“My earliest experiences as an artist happened in the house I'm in right now, and down the street from here. Even while I was living away from home, when I left for school, and as my career took me to NYC and LA, I always returned to many of the same themes, moments, and memories. I was gone for so long, but was always coming back, physically and metaphorically. It's just cooked into me! … I think a lot about that young woman who was running up and down 63rd St in the 90's and the things she was looking for. The way she wanted to see herself reflected in something. So I think I write for her a lot of the time.”

“I think there's a sense of community and a commitment to activism here in Chicago that you don't find in many other places. There's an underlying sense here that poetry is meant to be written and shared for a greater good, and people who do this work either know each other or know of each other, because of the level of commitment to building a better world that poetry asks of us. It's an art form that demands truth from the audience as well as the writer, and I think Chicago's scene exemplifies that in a way you don't find in many places. … It's done from a place of love for people, for the city, and from a place of "passing it on" and contributing to the lineage of poetry as a truth-telling tool. I love that.”

What is your favorite poem about Chicago, and why?

. It's just amazing to think it was written in 1914, and it remains one of the best portraits of Chicago. It's beautiful to think that what made the city so special and real back then still stands today. It's unapologetically rough, raw, never pretentious, and always defiant.”

🎤 Poetry events all month long

For more poetry events and to learn more about Chicago’s poet laureate program, check out the 

Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE)

It’s National Poetry Month, and while you can find a variety of workshops and open mics in April, poets call Chicago home all year round. 

3 Questions With Chicago’s Poet Laureate

What Chicago celebrities, public figures and key citizens have to say about living here.

3 Questions With Chicago Public Figures

3 Questions With

If you are like me, all your family history lives within multiple photo albums and VHS tapes stored in your parents’ living room cabinets. I love the rare occurrences where we pull them out and talk about the day that the photo was captured, who was still around, and how the block used to look.

What if you could share that family history with the city? These three archival projects are keeping Chicago family stories alive through photographs and videos past and present.

Black Film Club Collective’s new archival project, Making Meaning, partnered with photographer Kenn Cook Jr. to take 

beautiful black and white portraits of West Side families

 like photos and home movies that reflect life on the West Side to their collection.

 is dedicated to digitizing and showcasing Chicago’s Latine history. The project, founded in 2024, hosts photo-scanning events where Chicagoans can digitize their memories. They accept submissions of photographs taken before 2008.

📷 This collection makes me so nostalgic of my childhood in Chicago because it showcases backyard parties, kids playing in open fire hydrants, posing outside of storefronts that no longer exist, or the everyday gatherings with family and friends.

This searchable catalog has over 700 digitized home movies shot by South Siders from 1929-1982. The project started over two decades ago with the mission to preserve and celebrate personal histories on the South Side. If you are or were a South Sider, you can 

How are you preserving old family photos and home movies? 

If you are like me, all your family history lives within multiple photo albums and VHS tapes stored in your parents’ living room cabinets.

Who’s Preserving Chicago Family History?

People, places, and scenes from Chicago's past.

Chicago History

. The City of Broad Shoulders is home to the 

, which publishes “Poetry” magazine, plus constant

spoken word events and workshop opportunities. We’re on it year-round. But since April is 

 National Poetry Month, consider diving in deeper.

Some classic and more contemporary lyric odes to the complicated city we love. 

Hog Butcher for the World … City of the Big Shoulders

Chicago who wears her skyscrapers like a necklace ...

Chicago … Like loving a woman with a broken nose, you may well find lovelier lovelies, but never a lovely so real.

✒️ Favorite line: The whole thing! (It’s short.)

“the great stone lions outside monumentally pissed by jumbo wreaths and ribbons”

“whenever i’m at that land is chicago”

underneath my gym shoes. is a trail of salt. that last sentence is a test.

 “i’ll miss crossing guards ushering the grown folks too, like ducklings”

Chicago Public Library and plenty more organizations are hosting readings, workshops, lectures, and performances throughout the month.

 | April 8 | Call & Response Books | Kenwood

 | April 9 | Haymarket House | Uptown | Free

 | April 11 | Archer Heights Branch | Free

 | April 11-12 | Ruth Page Center for the Arts | Near North Side

 | April 13 | Portage Cragin Branch | Free

 | April 15 | Harold Washington Library | Loop | Free

 | April 19 | Offshore Rooftop | Navy Pier

Patricia Smith, Ashley M. Jones, Donika Kelly, Aimee Nezhukumatathil

 | April 23 | Poetry Foundation | River North | Free

Sijo and Sijo-song: Korea’s Poetry Form

 | April 25 | Little Village Branch | Free

Every month is Poetry Month in Chicago. But since April is actually National Poetry Month, consider diving in deeper. 

Celebrate Poetry in Chicago for National Poetry Month

Celebrate Poetry in Chicago

Think you know Chicago bridges? Test your knowledge!