Fortnightly Club

The calm before the storm. Annual Community Association meeting. Being on the board, we’re hoping for a docile crowd this year. Next year we need to serve cocktails BEFORE the meeting.

I recently attended an event at the Fortnightly. It’s a beautiful old building that has been maintained well, and the owners have preserved many of the original features and style. There’s a grand staircase right inside the entryway, a private dining room to the left, a large sitting room to the right, and a grand hall just behind that which I imagined at one time may have been a ballroom or large dining/​entertainment space. There are also two more upper floors, but those weren’t being used for this particular event.
The staff at this establishment were wonderful. Everyone was professional, friendly, and seemed to go out of their way to be helpful and attentive to all the guests. Staff regularly swept the room, refilling beverages and removing empty plates. They were also quick to offer assistance, almost before you even realized you needed it! When one room needed to be converted from a lecture hall to a dining space for the 100 or so attendees, the staff quickly went to work and had everything set up before my husband and I had even made it through the tea and dessert line.
Parking can be a little difficult and pricey in the area since there are a lot of high rises and it’s so close to the major shopping and dining around Michigan Ave. There was supposed to be parking at a neighboring building for the event, but when we drove past the garage the entrance was blocked with parked cars and there were no attendants on duty. That’s not necessarily the Fortnightly’s fault, but I think it’s worth mentioning for visitors.
Overall, I loved the ambiance of the building and the extremely professional staff at the Fortnightly. I’d be thrilled to attend another event here in the future.

The Fortnightly club of Chicago is the city’s oldest women’s organization. Founded in 1873 the Fortnightly club is located in the Bryan Lathrop mansion on Bellevue Place in Chicago’s gold coast and has hosted early club members including Jane Addams and Bertha (Mrs. Potter) Palmer.
Today with over four hundred members the Fortnightly club focuses on education and over the years, the Club has hosted prominent speakers including Mark Twain, Henry James, Robert Frost, Isaac Stern and William Butler Yeats.
More recently, guest speakers include Daniel Barenboim, Frank McCourt, Gwendolyn Brooks, Ed Pashke, Arne Duncan, Patrick Fitzgerald and Mayor Richard M. Daley.
Yesterday I had the opportunity to attend the Fortnightly performance of the Chicago Bar Associations annual comedic revue which included songs and piano music satirizing current events and politics.
Before the event the Fortnightly kitchen put on a very nice three course dinner starting with a chilled shrimp asian inspired salad followed by juicy roasted pork chop and finished with a chocolate dessert that capped off the dinner in style.
For Chicago women seeking a place to be exposed to learning and memorable events look into the Fortnightly Club of Chicago.