Speed Dating in River North
River North is where Chicago goes out, which makes it the natural home for Chicago First Dates. Our nights here run in the neighborhood's cocktail lounges and hotel bars along Hubbard, Kinzie and Clark, a few minutes on foot from the Loop, Streeterville and the Gold Coast and one stop off the Brown, Red or Blue Lines.
The crowd is the widest we host anywhere: people who live in the towers around Kingsbury and Chicago Avenue, lawyers and consultants walking over from the office, and suburbanites who came in on the Metra for a real night out. Every event is organized by age range, so the room is full of people at a similar stage of life who want to meet someone in person.
Why River North works for a first date
Everything is close. You can arrive early for dinner on Hubbard Street, meet ten to fifteen singles over two relaxed hours, and still be home on the North Side or the North Shore at a sensible time. The venues we choose have a reserved section and a volume that lets you hear the person across from you, which matters more than any other detail.
Upcoming speed dating events in ChicagoHow the night runs
Check in with our host, grab a drink, and settle in. You'll have a series of five-minute mini-dates with everyone in your age group, a break in the middle to mingle, and nothing to decide on the spot. The next day you log in, choose who you'd like to see again, and we send contact details for every mutual match. It's the same format we run across Chicago, just in the neighborhood with the most to do afterward.
Nearby
Most of our downtown calendar sits within a mile of here — see speed dating in downtown Chicago for the full list, or browse every neighborhood and suburb on the locations page. Streeterville, the Gold Coast and Old Town each have their own page too.