The "Space Bar" (as it was known locally-it's now officially the Russian Room) used to play some remarkable electronic dance music.but today, you'll hear Top-40 radio hits and hip-hop.and the same stuff being played in the Swing Bar and elsewhere. They even taught Swing dancing classes during the week! Today, "swinging" into the Swing Bar will find a DJ playing the same hip-hop (rap) that the other 2 DJs are playing elsewhere in the place. For example, in 2001, you could go into the Swing Bar to find them playing Swing music and people Swing dancing. Some other complaints of mine deal with the fact that the place evolved over the years and some of the things that were really cool in the past are no longer the case now. In the middle of winter when it's really cold outside, that wait will get old FAST. The wait to get inside can be an hour or more. When that happens, they do a 1-for-1 admission, where they let 1 person in for every one person who leaves. On peak nights, there is regularly a line outside of people waiting to get in, due to the place being at maximum capacity. It always used to be crowded (sometimes to the point of being hard to move), and that is still true today. I rarely go there anymore because it's changed too much. I used to DJ and hang out at Koot's a lot back in the late-90s/early-2000s and I used to LOVE the place. Koot's carries a remarkably vast selection of alcoholic beverages to imbibe, from your run-of-the-mill beers and liquors, to much higher top-shelf selections for more selective, "suave and refined" (snobby?) patrons. I don't drink very often and when I do, I have pretty discerning tastes. Drink prices, like any bar, are a a mega-establishment in Alaska like Koot's, they aren't overly pricey. You're not going to get premier foods here, but you'll find the offerings tasty enough. Food prices are reasonable for Alaska and the quality is pretty good. Food is available in several locations inside, the largest being the Alleyway Grille, which serves up a reasonable selection of bar foods, snacks, appetizers and larger fare (such as burgers, burritos, pizza, etc). Each of the bars has its own unique theme: the Swing Bar, Ice Bar (featuring a 25' bar top of solid ice!), Russian Room, North & South Long Bars, The Deck (an outside bar) and the wildly popular Bird House (featuring tons of bras, panties and lingerie hanging off the walls-it must be seen to be believed), among others. They even have a small arcade featuring classic pinball machines and arcade games of yesteryear. They feature live music, DJs (playing Top-40 Radio hits and hip-hop), karaoke, comedians and other live acts (open mic nights, open deck nights for aspiring DJs, Burlesque Shows, etc). "Koot's" itself is one large building that houses 10 different bars, 3 dance floors and 3 stages. On Friday and Saturday nights, parking can be very difficult to find during peak hours. Overflow parking then spills onto whatever spots you can find on the street. It is a VERY popular establishment, and while they have a dedicated parking lot across the street, it's not very big and it can fill up fast, depending on when you visit. Originally opened in 1970, it is located on Spenard Road (2 blocks or so from Northern Lights Blvd) on the edge of "Midtown" Anchorage. Chilkoot Charlie's (or "Koot's" as it's officially been known since 2015) is a mega-bar/nightclub that provides a distinctly Alaskan and one-of-a-kind night out that you won't find anywhere else.
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