12/9/2023 0 Comments Tavern on rush street![]() I think it is unique in the world and if the city ever loses it, we will have lost something special. Join us in looking back on three swanky nightclubs from the ’60s. So we’re diving into that jet-setting, Mad Men time when Michigan Avenue became the Mag Mile. From speakeasies in the ’20s to rooftop bars today, Chicago’s seen a lot of wild nights. But then, I’m prejudiced about Rush Street. Chicago nightlife history is full of fun and fascinating stories. Emerich, accompanied by his golden retriever, Jasper, said, “I think Rush Street was on hold for a while after the 1981 recession, but things are starting to pop again. But he was back in 1985 when he had to shutter Jay’s to make way for the construction of what is now a hotel called the Thompson Chicago. He would frequently travel to California, leaving the tavern under the management of his younger brother, Tony. Decades later, Rittenberg would run into some legal troubles, as part of a fraud case involving MilerCoors.)Įmerich made real estate investments but stayed in the tavern/restaurant business with Jay’s, a cozy place on the southeast corner of Rush and Bellevue. (Rittenberg would stay on as the club’s manager for a time and the club closed in 1989. “It took us about five minutes to do the deal, no lawyers, nothing,” says Rittenberg.Ī few months later Emerich sold the club to a group of investors. His disease in remission and his appearance back to normal, he came back and bought out Rittenberg’s shares in Faces. Rush Street night life, looking north from Walton Street, in Oct. He dated some beautiful women too, celebrities among them, like Jill St. He had been a very handsome man, a ‘chick magnet’ as they used to say. “The treatments with steroids devastated him, physically and mentally,” says Rittenberg. “Truth be told, the owners of Studio 54 came here to check things out and used Faces as a model.”Īfter being diagnosed with lupus, Emerich spent some of 19 living with his sister in California. “A lot of people and writers called it the Studio 54 of Chicago,” says Floodstrand, referring to the famous Manhattan club that opened in 1977. The club was a magnet for any big name passing thought town and for any locals seeking a buzz. And we raised a lot of money for charity.” The place was filled at all hours with celebrities coming to watch. I worked for 72 straight hours until the winners were announced. ![]() It was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. “They were able to get sponsors for every one of the couples, a group that included record labels, corporations and some members. “They had a three-day dance marathon,” she says. (Jack Dykinga / Chicago Tribune)īy 1976, she was a cocktail server and recalls an event the club staged to mark the U.S. 11, 1975, at Faces disco bar on Rush Street in Chicago. During a short break while the dance floor was being waxed, couples wait for a dance marathon to resume on Aug.
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