Double Door Nightclub   

1572 N Milwaukee Ave
Chicago, IL 60622
773-489-3160
www.doubledoor.com

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By now, you know that Wicker Park has become synonymous with hip. The area is bubbling with both genuine local hipsters and commuting hipsters from the not-so cool neighborhoods. By the time Double Door opened up both its doors there were already enough clubs established that it looked like one of the commuting hipsters trying to cash in on the area.But the club quickly staked out a place in the local scene. The two-story bar became a central live music joint in the area. The beauty (or the problem -- depending on how you see it) can be the booking policy and its diversity. On any given night, the act might be anything from a trendy acid jazz trio to a screaming, hard-core punk band.Double Door also breaks other stereotypes of the music club. Traditionally, the image of a hip music joint is quickly followed by the image of a dingy music joint. Most of us are used to enduring beer stained tables and dirty floors to hear a good band, but at Double Door the cleanliness is a welcome change. The bathrooms are even respectable. Toilet paper is almost always on hand and the staff fights an uphill battle to keep stickers off the walls.One problem at Double Door: the tables and the stage seem to be locked into to battle over who should get more floor space. There is just enough room for people to stand around the stage, but not enough for a sizeable crowd to gather. On the flip side, acoustic shows are sometimes interrupted by loud conversations at the nearby tables.Nonetheless, Double Door remains one of Wicker Park's -- Chicago in general's -- better places to catch a show, all the while without being engulfed by tourists or gift shops. -- Patrick Delahunty