aliveOne
2683 N Halsted St
(between Schubert Ave & Wrightwood Ave)
Chicago, IL 60614 (773) 348-9800
- Nearest Transit:
Diversey (Purple Express, Brown)
- Price Range: $
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Music: Juke Box
- Happy Hour: No
- Alcohol: Full Bar
- Smoking: No
- Coat Check: Yes
284 reviews
Neighborhood: Near North Side
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46 Reviews for aliveOne
I have only been here once, but it was a good time. They have a bunch of music stuff on the walls and it is a very chill place. They have a huge selection of beverages and also a DJ and back room that is a little more club like but still very chill as well.
You have to love a place that has a great jukebox. Just that alone usually speaks to the caliber and clientele of an establishment. While having a great time with great drinks, it is easy to forget that you're on Halsted just blocks from places like Irish Eyes and Gin Mill. Funny how a place so close could serve as kyrptonite to the crowd of over eager drinkers looking to black out and/or ruffie young college aged girls....
And then to serve as a reminder to the amateur hour that Lincoln Park could be and usually is, ambulances were rushed to a passed out patron on the stoop. I've been pretty drunk in the past, as have many another Yelper, but it's been a while and I've never passed out on a public sidewalk. This guy was so hammered that he decided it was a good idea to just "give up" right in front of the door. I can't help but laugh that people can get to that point while still out and about. Really dude, did you need those last five So Co Lime shots?
Anyway, aside from the drunk passed out guy who I can't help but feel bad for (I couldn't imagine anything sucking more than waking up hung over in a hospital gown and IVs coming out of you) I am happy to report that this fine watering hole is most certainly a place that I can see myself hanging out at again. I also added a star for leaving my credit card and not having the staff get overzealous with the tip add on. Looks like drunk passed out guy wasn't the only one who was a little over served by the end of the night.
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Seemed like a pretty relaxed place to hang out...until about 11pm. Then I felt very old...at 28...is that old? Maybe. Sad.
I would come back for drinking beers early evening or weekend daytime drinking...otherwise I need to learn my lesson and stay out of Lincoln Park bars. yikes.
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Considering my one visit here was way, way too eventful, I think this is an ok bar. Next time, I'll avoid ridiculous, semi-inappropriate conversations and fainting at the bar.
Besides all that, this is a fairly non-descript place. Then again, the familiar isn't so bad. Decent drinks, fun, youngish crowd, you know, the typical Lincoln Park bar scene.
This place was ok. I would rather go there earlier in the night to hang out. By 11 the place was packed and so loud we couldn't even talk to each other. And the line to play pool was HUGE. And keep in mind that the back room is closed on Sundays, so it gets double crowded without enough room to sit.
I couldn't really stand Alive One before smoking was banned. But I've returned to Alive One since then a couple of times and almost felt like it was an entirely different bar! I could actually see ten feet in front of me and hang around for more than one drink without my eyes burning.
It can get pretty busy on the weekends and they have the tiny one-stall bathroom ordeal, so be sure not to forget about the 2nd one in back.
I feel like it is a lot less trendy than most of the bars in the area, which is nice... I'll probably be back sometime soon.
This place is great. They have a (mostly) live music only jukebox that plays 15 songs for $5. They also have a halfway decent selection of beer. A lot of places I go to are "out" of Harp, this place actually changed the keg while I was there. Also $2 pints on tuesday. I will definitely go here again.
Why do I not remember if I had anything to drink here? Oh yes, that's because I was already drunk when I arrived. We were in the front bar for a little bit where I might have had another beer, but am not sure. It's a nice small bar that's fun and laid back. I was here with friends and their friends and moved on to the back section which was very different than the front. I like the music a lot , and had I taken my coat off to stay a while I could have gone to town dancing. I didn't bring my dancing shoes though. It felt like I was a friend's sweet ass house party. I wouldn't mind coming back here.
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Each and every Tuesday, check out PINT NIGHT and The Funk & Soul Revue!
A weekly event with resident DJRC bringing you the best in heavy funk, sweet soul, real hip-hop and anything else that grooves. Domestic pints are only $2, Micros $2.50, which includes everything from Fat Tire to Sierra Nevada to Goose Island to Guinness. And of course, there's never a cover!!!
The Funk & Soul Revue
Tuesdays @ aliveOne
(2683 N. Halsted, Chicago)
$2 Pints / No cover / Music @ 10pm
http://www.aliveone.co...
http://www.funkandsoul...
I'm a jukebox fanatic! Being a musician I like to entertain people. I like to see people having a good time.
This place has one of the best, most unique jukeboxes in the City. With the majority of selections being live recordings and bootlegs, your favorite songs now have a new life with versions you may not have heard! The front room is decorated with rock posters and memorabilia, a huge American flag type art sculpture streams out over the bar calling you in...give me your tired, your poor, your thirsties!
The place is casual but not crappy. Service is good and seats are plentiful on weeknights. There is a tiny room in back with its own bar for private parties and they even have bands once in a while.
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For some reason, many of my chums are obsessed with this place.
Maybe because there's a back room solely for DANCIN!!
or
Maybe because some guy gave me a free shot once. That was cool.
But I'm pretty sure the main reason everyone's obsessed with this place is because the Kings of Leon hang out here. Like all the time. I brushed against the bass player once. No joke.
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I only just came here for the first time recently and I was surprised! I always thought it was just a dive bar but there is a really fun dance room in the back! I will def go back there again because there were a lot of fun people and I had a good time!
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I can stand very few bars in Lincoln Park, but this one is a good time.
The front part is often filled with people hovering around late 20s who probably used to go to rock shows and possibly had long hair. Now both have receded to a less active roll in their lives. The music is good, especially if you lean to classic rock. There is a nice selection of imports and micros on tap and the bartender buys me a shot of Jamo every trip in.
Linking the back and front is an area with a few couches and lamps. You can usually find a cute girl smoking a cigarette or a couple whispering sweet nothings.
Make your way to the hip hop room where the younger and drunker have found each other. DJs spin and dancers knock into each other on the crowded dance floor.
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I like Alive One. It's not really the greatest bar, but it's the first one I went to when I turned 21- so for that it'll always be a place I'll enjoy in some ways. Plus it sometimes offers a nice escape away from the disgusting popped collar/brahhh crowd that most Lincoln Park bars have to offer.
Also, like many others have said, the music here is better than average. If I didn't think it was a complete waste of money, I'd play that whole live Ween album in the front bar and see how many people leave. Back room and middle room are awesome too- good, calm, sometimes dancing. A plus.
Oh yeah, and 2 dollar pints on Tuesday has gotten me drunk many times. 2 dollar Deadguys...thanks,dudes. That's a good enough deal to help me ignore the hippies/occasional jam band music/occasional leak in of dirt bags.
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I'm not into the bars of LP but aliveone is definitely not like other bars in LP. It brings in a pretty chill crowd and nice back room always with live music and always filled with people dancing and just enjoying the music. Thursday night is the best time to go and check out a local favorite, Lubriphonic! This band is rockin' they really will get you dancing all night long. I love this place because of the music selections they play in the front bar and everyone really just gets along, it's a place where yuppies go to pick up one another. I don't feel like a piece of meat at this bar, and they have great specials!
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Great atmosphere and a great selection of beer on tap. The back room is also a very cool spot to kick back with friends. The live jukebox is second to none in all of Chicago!
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Back in my LP trixie days, I used to secretly love this place... mostly because it was such a different scene than the rest of bars on the Halstead Depaul strip. It's been a few years since I've been here, but I was genuinely stoked when I came back to Chicago to see Alive One was still alive and kicking.
Alive One feels much more Wicker Park than Lincoln Park, and the crowd is surprisingly hip. You'll find a lot of Miami-Ohio grads here, I believe the owners went there... and I'm betting they recruited their artsy-cool friends when this place opened.
The front bar is usually packed and just ok... on the weekends the back room is where the action is.
Fellas - if you are looking to do some romancin'... there's a great spot in this bar that will really help your game. The red room (small entry way between the front and back bar) has a couch in the corner that's slightly secluded, and small enough that you just can't help but invade personal space. If you've been chatting someone up all night, head to the red room couch before last call - and you'll see what I mean...
If you can't seal the deal... no fret, my pet... late night hotspot Taco Burrito Palace #2 is just a stone's throw away. Who needs lovin' when you've got a burrito the size of a football?
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Pretty good, as LP bars go. This is definitely the best one in that area. They spin decent tunes, even some good deep house in the back on occasion. Very nice selection of beers. Mixed crowd that spans a pretty wide variety of people. I can see peoples' experience here varying widely but the times I have been there it's been pretty good.
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I love me some rock and roll, and this place definitely plays it! They played a lot of my favorite classics, and I was only in there for an hour and a half or so. They have blue moon on tap (which ROCKS). After 10, it gets a little crowded with bleach blond trixies and jocks, so not really my scene. But the music was good!
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I wouldn't consider myself a regular at Alive One...hehe...but everytime I go, the staff makes me feel at home. That's just how it is...you come in a few times to chill; they may not remember your name, but they remember your face and will show it by either giving you a free shot or giving you half off on a drink...what a bunch o' sweethearts!
The back and front room have very different feels. The front rooms draws a bit of an older crowd and by older, I mean late 20ishes. There's a pool table and the music is decent.
But I wrote this review to rave about the back room. The art is definitely worth noting. Ive sat there arguing forever, probably due to an increased level of intoxication, about what the three paintings behind the bar actually mean. IN the back room, you'll experience a loungy feel and at about 12:30 or 1 on the weekends, all the buzzed young thangs start breaking out their dance skills....whether or not you like to dance is one thing, but if you love good hip hop and when I say good hip hop, I mean good hip hop and not mainstream rap...basically hip hop you don't hear at any other Lincoln Park bar. The adorable weekend DJ has excellent taste in music plus he always comes through and will never stiff you on your requests. note: if he's not going to play something you requested, he'll usually let you know. The crowd here is dope...and Im not saying that just because I'm part of it ;)
CHeck this place out on the weekdays for some live music. I will forever be faithful to Alive One!!
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a musical mullet: rock in the front, hip hop in the back.
Lately there has been an unusual amount of seemingly underage or barely 21 yr olds, so I have kept clear. Good to go hang out with beer-drinking friends. And why do they cover up the pool table in the front room? I thought that's where drunk stripping usually began.
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This bar was a lot of fun. It has a little something for everyone. The only knock is they aren't the best price in the neighborhood. But the atmosphere makes up for that. Definitely a place I would go to again.
I just moved to New York and am already missing Alive One...and looking for a similar place in NYC. Over the course of a year and a half, this stood up as consistently my favorite bar. The only thing its missing is some sort of patio. Other than that, its got something for everybody and manages to pull it off without seeming pretentious AND in a pretty small space. A gem of a bar that stands out in an area packed with mediocre college bars.
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I was just getting ready to post my review about how Alive One is like a mullet, "party in the back", but then I noticed that Courtney has already used the same comparison. Regardless, Alive One is better than your average Lincoln Park bar, and it will treat you right whether you're in the mood for jamming to some rock music in front or grinding to hip hop in the back.
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When I first moved to Chicago, this one was on my favorite bars. Then a year ago, we kind of had a fight. To make a long story short, It had to do with me finding myself there late at night, in the back on the dance floor (with a DJ, playing unz unz music). If you know anything about the FRONT section of Alive One it is nothing like back. And if you know anything about ME, I am not really a late night grinding machine.
Last Friday, Alive One and I made up. Like an old friend, it welcomed me to it's friendly front bar. The bartenders and bouncer were cute, laid back and attentive. The live music I knew and loved blasted loudly, erasing my not-so-fond memories of the back "thumping" section. This place tends to get a little packed but if you arrive early enough to get a seat, it is a GREAT place to chill and listen to live music (there is a really good selection in the jukebox). All in all, I am glad we are friends again.
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Lame & cheesy. I've been here for many different occasions and have yet to see what the big deal is.
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FANTASTIC weekday chill-out bar. Went to the Columbia Records pre-release listening party for Bob Dylan's late '06 album... good beer selection. Just a great place to chill out and not worry about any bullshit people.
If you want lots of singles and people looking to hook up, this is not your place. If you want to go have a couple of drinks, sit down, and talk amidst a decent and subdued lot of people, go here. I'm talking weekdays, not weekends where apparently DJs spin...
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What's not to love? aliveOne offers an inviting atmosphere coupled with a very competent and friendly waitstaff. Their jukebox consists of all live music and DJs spin in the backroom regularly. Don't forget about $2 pint night on Tuesdays!
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This bar is great. if you're a fan of live rock and roll, this is the place. The jukebox is all Live shows/albums from various artists. They have a great selection in the jukebox from The Grateful Dead to Built to Spill to Stevie Wonder. Drinks are priced decently, and they have great weekday specials. If you're in the mood for dancing, the back bar usually has a DJ on weekends as well. Great place for a mixed crowd.
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I've spent many a nights at this place. I love it, maybe because I've always gone here or maybe because it's really that great?? Great music(all live, get it?), an attractive staff, sometimes it gets too crowded. Young crowd, less preppy than its neighbors. It's usually fun in the backroom when DJs spin on Saturday nights.
Different crowd and atmosphere than your typical LP bar. I like that it's seperated into two areas, one for the live music and the other just to chill and talk. I've actually only been here once but the band was talented enough and the bartenders are friendly. I'll definately be going again!
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AliveOne looks a bit sketchy, but it's a really fun bar. My friends and I threw a party here a few years ago and it was great. The manager really took care of us and ever since then we've become regulars..
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eh. it's a bar. the front room plays rock music and has a pool table and the room in the back plays hip-hop and it's all pretty much what you'd expect. the drinks seemed reasonably priced though, and it gets an extra star because sean was there.
Formerly granola, now trendy, this bar has a $2.50 pint beer night on Tuesdays, with Bell's Oberon and Two Hearted Ale on tap!!
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Eclectic crowd which makes you feel like you have left cookie-cutter LP. Good specials during the week and Thursday is the night to go; house funk/rock/jam band Lubriphonic never fails.
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This is one of my favorite bars in the Lincoln Park area.
There are two big rooms in this bar - the room when you walk in typically plays hippie type music - while the room in the back mostly plays hip-hop.
I really enjoy the low key atmosphere of the bar and the friendly crowd. The prices are pretty reasonable for this area.
Fun bar and atmosphere. They also have a small dance floor in the back. Have to admit - I was pretty drunk here. Seemed fun though!
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I'm willing to battle the wall to wall crowd when I come here. The DJ's in the back usually spin unbelievable hip hop so I spend most of my time back there. But if it's a chill night you'll find me hanging up front listening to various bootlegs. The thing I really like about this place is the wide variety of people you can find. There are frat boys, sorority girls, there's some representation of the granola crowd, and your hip hop lovers also. It's like a small melting pot
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yeah, i'm somewhat a newbie, and a 5 star review thus doesn't pack a whole lot of punch, but this is easily one of my top five bars in chicago.
and it has been for well over 5 years.
the music can't be understated...everything in the jukebox is live, and there are old concert posters, musical art, and black & white photography of legends like mick jagger covering the walls. the walls are lined with wooden cabinets featuring an extensive collection of historic live performances.
the pool table is a friendly watering spot where strangers vie for table rights and any level of player is welcome.
tuesdays are the best (last night included): nothing on draft (maybe 15 or 20 in all) costs more than $2.50 (guiness, harp, sierra, fat tire - all less than $3?? yes.) and the crowd is the perfect size. not too crowded, but relatively busy.
bartenders are super friendly and attentive, although i have seen them a bit overwhelmed with their crowds at times.
i've also been there on late weekend nights, and had a blast dancing and splitting time between back room and front room...two very different scenes.
i consider this an ideal weekday bar. i also consider this an oasis in the halsted/depaul area that just can't be matched.
A bar worth stopping into. They have good beer and a diverse crowd. It can get crowded but I enjoy it most on the laid back nights. The jukebox has a lot of music that you can't find other places (think jam bands & the like).
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