Why Chicago’s Basement Bars Disappeared

In mid-century Chicago, the party didn’t happen at the corner tavern — it happened downstairs. Across the city’s bungalow belt, families built real bars in their basements, complete with wood paneling, neon signs, and mirrored shelves. For generations of Chicagoans, this wasn’t strange — it was part of everyday life.

This episode traces how that tradition began with immigrant saloons, survived Prohibition by moving underground, and flourished in post-war homes before quietly disappearing in the 1990s. Join us as we uncover how a city built on taverns brought the neighborhood bar home — and why so many of those spaces are vanishing today.

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