AliveOne to the Rescue
By Hanna Aronovich in Food on Mar 14, 2006 4:51PM
A lack of forethought led Chicagoist to Lincoln Park on Saturday night. As expected, after a day of watching the parade and the river turn green, the junior varsity league was plastered and packing the Irish bars to the brim.
We wound up cruising down Halsted around 11 p.m. trying to find a decent spot. Hidden Shamrock was literally overflowing with decked-in-green bargoers. We stopped in to Glascott's, where we could move around comfortably despite the stifling-hot air. Sipping our drinks at the bar, we had the misfortune of standing next to a trio of blonds in matching green track jackets. They danced, with their eyes rolling in the back of their heads, and Chicagoist decided it was time to take off.
Hoping to salvage the night, we headed to one of our favorite Lincoln Park spots: aliveOne. At 2683 N. Halsted, aliveOne is relatively unassuming. There’s never a line, even when crowded, but things were especially low-key last weekend.
Low-lit and eclectic, the front room is spacious, with a full bar up front, several tables, a pool table, and a few hidden couches toward the back. Rock and roll memorabilia hangs against the rich, wood-paneled walls. The jukebox plays all-live recordings by classic artists. 
The center room is barely large enough to hold the couch, two chairs and a coffee table, but this quiet nook is a perfect hideaway lounge. The back room, with a separate sound system, is outfitted with a second bar, a few tables, another seating area with couches and a DJ booth. Drapes and colorful, funky artwork hang in the background. The crowd tends to skew to the mid-20s, but overall the scene is diverse. Drink specials and the occasional CD release party make aliveOne a great spot to check out during the week.
On the weekends, the DJs play laid-back funk and soul, but mix in some hip-hop, old school rap and Motown (think Biz Markie and the Jackson Five) as the night goes on. By the end of the night, the back dance floor is packed. Attitude free, Chicagoist thinks aliveOne is a great spot for an easygoing, but upbeat night. Most refreshing, last Saturday, there was no green in sight.