City View Loft

We had our wedding at City View Loft last Friday and we cannot stop talking about how it was the most amazing day! We had signed our contract with City View well over a year ago and we had the catering company turnover which ended up being a seamless transition and probably for the better because we then got to work with Gabi who was just wonderful. She was so nice and very responsive providing us with suggestions on space layout and day of timing. We got married in Kitchen Chicago with the reception in City View. Both venues looked stunning and we had so many compliments on the space as well as the food. It was just a perfect day and we cannot thank Gabi and the Kitchen Chicago/​City View Loft/​and LM Catering teams enough! I highly recommend this venue to anyone!!!

We had our wedding here on 10÷17÷15 and it was magical. We had a long engagement and we experienced many turnover issues as well as the dissolution of the original catering company. That being said, Gabi took care of us at all times and was so responsive. First off, the space is amazing and totally unique. We used the second floor for our ceremony and the third floor for our reception and the transition was seamless. Also, the food was great and totally affordable. Our guests told us that the appetizers and food was the best they had ever had at a wedding and we were very happy with the outcome.
If you are a couple on a budget, but want to get married in the city this space has many places where you can save but still achieve the desired effect. Specifically, the tables and chairs that are included in the rental are gorgeous on their own and do not need many adornments. Also, there is free parking all around the area so you don’t have to worry about paying for valet parking. We loved the venue and highly recommend it.

We had our wedding here on 2÷13÷2015 and we had a blast! I was looking at other venues that could accommodate up to 200 guests (we ended up with 185). What I liked about CVL compared to other similar venues was that the price was much more all-​inclusive and there weren’t as many choices. That might sound counter-​intuitive but other places will do anything you want — for a price; that quickly drives up the cost when you start including rentals, candles, coat check, bar service, different tiers of catering, etc. At CVL we used their tables, chairs, did our own decorations (just lots and lots of candles) and rented some extra tables because we wanted large, banquet style seating. Our bill at the end was pretty much what we were quoted in the beginning. (Coat racks, bar service, catering, and their furniture is all part of the package).
We wanted an industrial looking venue and this was by far the most beautiful one that fit our large size. We used the Kitchen Chicago space for the ceremony and cocktail hour (and Kitchen Chicago for catering) and then went upstairs for dinner and dancing. We worked with Gabi and she was extremely easy going and attentive leading up to the event. So many guests have commented on how beautiful our wedding was and more importantly how fun! The only snafu we had was that dinner came out late, but everyone had had so many delicious appetizers and were busy socializing with their tables so it really wasn’t a big deal.
All of the little things were handled so well by the staff, like getting everyone in the bridal suite a glass of champagne before we walked down the aisle, making sure my husband and I were brought a plate of appetizers, and doing the finishing touches on setting up our decorations.
Absolutely would recommend to other couples!!!

We just got home from Chicago, got married here at City View Loft last Friday! We are from San Diego and booked the venue site unseen… couldn’t have been happier! Working with Gabi was an absolute dream, and our guests are still texting us about the amazing food! We had family style dinner, and had no problems with the amount of food, or taste! Living across the country from the venue initially seemed really overwhelming, but Gabi answered every question promptly and our night was literally PERFECT! The only suggestion I have would be to create a nicer bar, for picture purposes, but you could easily use fabric or lighting to make the existing table fancier.
Thank you City View Loft for the most perfect wedding ever!

The meal was absolutely horrible. They brought out family style food… the plate of meat did not make it around the table. There were 8 people (4 men and 4 women). No one took a lot. It ran out on person 6. The Brussel sprouts also didn’t make it around the table. When we asked for more the girl brought out a plate full of cooked onions and said «no more meat and no more Brussel sprouts.» worst meal ever. Everyone left hungry. I would not say this was «awesome catering.» City Loft was trying to really save money on their food…

Nice space only problem was they made us move our car in the middle of a reception so we were not pleased. Would have been fine but they told us we could park there and then told us we could not.

We looked into City View Loft for our wedding and loved the look of it online so I tried to contact the people here. Their phone number always went to voicemail that was ambiguous and simply said something about Google Voice. Wasn’t even sure it was the right number. I also sent them an email and tried to book a showing on their site. Someone responded to my email but the showing wasn’t confirmed. I replied to the email. No response. Reply again. No response. Reply a third time with simply, «Is anyone even reading these?» And also leave another message on their cryptic voicemail. Finally someone calls back to confirm the time and to my delight she sounded enthusiastic and nice… but to no result. We ran a bit late for the appointment and tried to call and email to let her know, but no response and no phone pick up. Arrived about 10 min late and the location is SKETCHVILLE. Door next to a dumpster and building adjacent to a barbed wire fence protecting what looks like abandoned food trucks and buses. No one picked up on the intercom, the phone, or via email. We waited 20 minutes and then got an Über home. The service at this place sucks. Do yourself a favor and choose a different venue.

The most amazing wedding we ever could have dreamed of took place at Pure Kitchen and City View Loft!
From the moment we saw City View Loft, we knew this would be a great space for us to get married. We loved the industrial, yet city feel of the building. The view of the city skyline was spectacular. The dance floor area, lighting, and chandeliers made the space sparkle during the night.
We worked with Gabi and she was such a treat. She was so helpful to us– no question was too small. Gabi put our worries and stresses at ease. Having some gluten and dairy intolerances, they sent us menu options free of both, which were amazing options.
Wedding day was nothing short of spectacular. Everything set wonderfully for the ceremony and cocktail hour. The tables were set beautifully with centerpieces we had brought in and they arranged. Dinner service and quality was fantastic and delicious. The staff that was working our wedding was fantastic and so easy to work with the whole night through.
Thank you Gabi, Patty, and the entire City View Loft and Pure Kitchen Team!

I recently got married at CityView Loft and as someone who has been in and attended a ton of weddings, and my husband who is in hospitality, we had super high expectations and we were extremely happy with our experience at CityView. The staff, especially Gabi — she was nothing short of incredible — the vendors they recommended, the communication, the incredible value (tables and chairs, hello!) and professionalism every step of the way was wonderful. the staff at Pure Kitchen and CityView (we used both spaces) rolled with every punch, made fantastic suggestions and really made the entire experience wonderful. Josh and his team are very talented and the space is so unique, cannot beat it.

We fell in love with this space as soon as we toured it in early 2014 — the pricing was very reasonable compared to similar venues in the area and the space was much larger and unique with 2 levels of space suitable for both ceremony and reception/​dinner. I wasn’t willing to «flip» the space like other loft venues recommended for our size wedding (150 people). We used Pure Kitchen Catering which is the in-​house catering and I continue to hear from people how great the food was — it was actually better the night of the wedding then what I remembered from our tasting! We also continue to hear endless compliments on the space and the view. We worked with Gabi through the entire process and she was amazing — very patient, organized, responsive and a pleasure to work with. I cannot say enough good things about our experience with the staff here and with the space itself. Highly recommend this venue if you are looking for a more rustic non-​traditional wedding space suitable for both ceremony and reception!

We had our wedding here recently and the space is really cool. Very urban and industrial loft space with a great view of Chicago. We booked the space early so we got some deals on pricing and add-​ons, so it was really reasonably priced — lower than most of the other venues we looked at in the city. The neighborhood isn’t the nicest looking, but it’s still close enough to downtown that it was a quick shuttle from our hotel.
The service entrance to the building (and the entrance that you have to use to use the elevator) isn’t the prettiest and the elevator is the slowest moving thing on earth, but I wasn’t terribly bothered by that (although, it doesn’t make the best first impression on any guests who can’t take the stairs).
We had Julia and Dan on their staff as our wedding planners and they were great. I cannot say enough great things about Julia, she was very responsive, very flexible, a calming presence in the midst of the craziness that a wedding can be, and very professional. I would highly recommend working with her. Dan was also super helpful and organized (he was my secondary contact, so I don’t have too much to say, but together, they were a great team).
We had our ceremony and cocktail hour in the Kitchen Chicago space and it was gorgeous! We also used Pure Kitchen Catering and they were great. The food was really outstanding.

We just had our wedding ceremony here and it was beautiful. Everyone commented on how unique the space was and wanted to know how we found it. Gabi was helpful from the moment I contacted her. They had the chairs (included with the space!!) and décor set up the night before the wedding which was wonderful. It’s a simple space, so if you’re looking for a formal grand venue for your wedding or event, this probably isn’t for you. But it is modern, urban, and simple which is exactly what we wanted. The neighborhood it is in is industrial and not the prettiest, but there is free street parking so I feel that makes up for some outside lack of aesthetic appeal. We were pleased overall with City View as our ceremony location.

City View Loft is an amazing new venue in Chicago’s west loop. We photographed a wedding there back in April (as well as one in February at their second floor location, Kitchen) and the staff was absolutely fabulous. They were quick to respond to e-​mails after our walk through and quick to respond the day of wedding. They were very attentive to the details and time line of the day. We are excited to be photographing another event there this August. Josh and Julia are the perfect coordinators and so kind.
If you are looking for a rustic, loft like venue this location and Kitchen are perfect. You can see Mirka + Brian’s wedding on our blog (Megan Saul Photography) to get an idea for the venue and the formal photos inside the space.

My husband & I got married in March 2014 at Kitchen Chicago/​City View Loft. This is a hard review to «rate» as we would give some aspects of the event 5 stars & others 0 stars.
THE GOOD:
The spaces are beautiful. They both offer a nice mix of raw industrial space with beautiful wood furniture (benches, tables, chairs, etc.). The cathedral ceilings in Kitchen Chicago are awesome & the skyline view from CVL really can’t be beat. The ceremony & cocktail hour were held at Kitchen Chicago & the reception was held at CVL, one floor above. The transition of guests between spaces was flawless & the reveal of the skyline at dusk as they entered CVL was stunning.
The food is delicious. The kohlrabi chimichurri appetizer was great during cocktail hour. We had the hay-​roasted chicken & the roasted vegetable farro risotto with hazelnut gravy as our main courses. Many of our guests were vegetarian, including us, so we had a predominantly vegetarian menu. We received many compliments on the food & have heard from guests that the chicken was the best they’ve ever had. Dinner was served family style & there was plenty for everyone.
The night-​of wait staff was fantastic. They were friendly, attentive, & helpful all night.
THE BAD:
It mostly comes down to communication, or in this case, the horrible lack thereof.
There isn’t a formal brochure that details available options, rentals, add-​ons, vendors, etc. In our experience this led to pricing & details that change in every email. For example, my husband & I, unknowingly both emailed inquiring about rates for an add-​on & were given different prices for the same service, with no details as to what was included in the pricing. It’s confusing & frustrating. You have to constantly stay on top of what they’ve told you & make sure it’s actually what they end up charging.
Without a brochure or itemized pricing, there is no way of knowing what CVL’s mark-​up is for outside vendor costs. We ended up going with one of their preferred dessert vendors, Black Dog Gelato. We were told that it didn’t matter if we booked directly with BDG or if the booking went through CVL. CVL gave us a quote for one option with BDG. We emailed Joshua with a few questions & he never wrote back. After a week or so, we decided to contact BDG ourselves. We’re so glad we did! They offer multiple serving options, # of flavors, hours of time & were significantly cheaper than what CVL quoted us.
Throughout the planning we would email bulleted lists of questions. When CVL got around to emailing back, they would only answer 1 or 2 of the questions, forcing us to re-​mail for answers to the remaining questions. We paid in full up front & once we had done so there was little follow-​up or initiative from them. It felt like they just washed their hands of us.
Joshua emailed us at 9:30pm the night before our wedding to ask if we wanted the lights we had originally asked for or if they could comp us the chandeliers that were up from a previous event so they wouldn’t have to take them down. Luckily, we both checked our email that night & replied to Joshua that we did want the lights we had requested when we signed our contract months before. Joshua emailed at 11pm to let us know that some of the original lights had been broken in a past event & if we went with what they had left it would be very dim. We expressed how unprofessional this was to let us know this at 11pm the night before our wedding, & by email no less. We asked them to find a solution that fit with what we originally asked for & gave off enough light so it wasn’t a hazard for guests. CVL did come up with a good solution for the day of. But, this wasn’t something we needed added to our plate the night before.
On the wedding day, my bridesmaids’ purses & mine were robbed of all cash while they were in the room we had been told we could safely keep our things. We realized this 5 minutes before we were to walk down the aisle. Joshua assured us they would file an insurance claim & reimburse us for what was stolen & that there was a locked room we could have used instead. I’m not sure why the locked room wasn’t suggested to us before the robbery? We quickly put it out of our minds & enjoyed our wedding. We assumed that CVL would contact us first thing Monday to go over next steps to make the theft right with us. They weren’t. We had to do all of the follow-​up, as it was clear that it wasn’t an important issue to resolve for them. We’d get emails saying they were still playing phone-​tag with the ins. company weeks after our wedding. Ultimately, they did reimburse us.
A wedding isn’t cheap. And we expected a certain amount of professionalism & organization from our venue. Unfortunately, our experience with CVL was drastically lacking in both. Fortunately, the day of was gorgeous & smooth (minus the robbery) & no guests knew of any of the issues we had with the planning. Overall, the party was fantastic, but the planning experience was awful.

I attended a Pure Kitchen Catering event here last month and was pretty impressed with this new loft-​style space. The view of the city is great, the food is fantastic (they are the exclusive catering company), and the venue is reasonably priced (I looked into it as a wedding site). The only reason I’m giving this 4 stars instead of 5 is the location is a little weird and we drove right by it because it is not very well marked. There is a very small lot and some street parking, which makes me wonder what it would be like as a guest for a wedding.

I had the extreme pleasure of attending a wedding here this past Firday.
Awesome, small but intimate space with a knockout view of the Chicago skyline from a west side perspective.
Only strange thing is the elevator can move pretty slow
I would definitely recommend this space to anyone that wants to have a small, intimate wedding.