Clubs & Parties Review: Alhambra Salsa Tuesdays ****

This is a continuing blog series reviewing the salsa scene in Chicago, with emphasis in places where UofC students would go to dance. Please feel free to comment and add as much as you wish. If you want to suggest places to review, please write to salsa at uchicago dot edu and we'll try to grant your wish as soon as we can. Enjoy and keep dancing

Alhambra has salsa every Tuesday night, and it is worth going! In my opinion, Alhambra is the most beautiful venue for salsa dancing: there is a very large dancing space, a high-quality wooden floor, and effective air conditioning. The decor is Spanish/Moroccan themed and very ornate. Drinks and water are expensive ($5 for a bottled water), but you can sneak in your own water.

The dance level is very good: there are always many advanced dancers at Alhambra, and often watching can be as fun as dancing. There are a few beginners as well, but if you're a beginner you might be intimidated to ask strangers to dance since they are likely to be at least intermediate.

The music is a mixed of old and new salsa, combined with small bits of bachata, chacha and merengue. Alhambra occasionally hosts a live band. These nights are more crowded and the cover charge is slightly higher, but the live music is definitely worth it. The band sits up on a stage so they're easy to watch and they really command the crowd.

In a nutshell: Alhambra Salsa Tuesdays
- Location: 1240 W Randolph St, Chicago, IL‎
- Hours: 8pm-2am
- Admission: $10 but if you register in the guest list here before 4pm on Tuesdays you get half price entry.
- 21+ after 9pm
- Ideal for intermediate-advanced, OK for beginners
- 4 of 4 stars: Best Salsa Experience.

Joy Heafner

Legend:
* : Please don't go
**: If you really need to dance, you can go there...
***: Good overall
****: Excellent! Best salsa experience