{"id":501395,"date":"2026-01-08T13:20:10","date_gmt":"2026-01-08T13:20:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/501395\/"},"modified":"2026-01-08T13:20:10","modified_gmt":"2026-01-08T13:20:10","slug":"it-felt-like-a-secret-remembering-chicagos-berlin-nightclub","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/501395\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018It felt like a secret\u2019: Remembering Chicago\u2019s Berlin nightclub"},"content":{"rendered":"

Berlin nightclub in Chicago\u2019s Lakeview neighborhood closed permanently in November 2023, after four decades in business. The closure happened amid stalled negotiations between the bar\u2019s owners<\/a> and its unionizing employees<\/a>. Today, the space remains empty, and it\u2019s unclear what will take its place.<\/p>\n

In our last episode, Curious City looked into a mural that was a staple at Berlin for much of its existence<\/a>. Today, we revisit an episode of WBEZ\u2019s The Rundown<\/a> podcast from just after the club closed. In asking some of the people who worked there, danced there and made memories there, it\u2019s obvious that Berlin was more than just a bar.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt felt like a secret almost,\u201d said All The Way Kay, who DJed at Berlin for over 15 years. \u201cIt felt like something that you wanted to hold very, very close to you because spaces like that really don’t exist.\u201d<\/p>\n

We talked with Kay, queer historian Owen Keehnen, DJ Greg Haus and several listeners who called The Rundown podcast to share what Berlin meant to them and what they hope for the future.<\/p>\n

This episode originally published on Dec. 12, 2023.<\/p>\n