Esther's 213 W. Institute Pl. Polly Esther's is a split-level dance club separated by its insistence to glorify the 1970s and '80s in separate doses of hell. There are three bars spread across the large room. The dance floor and stage face each other at opposite ends, and there are some tables and scattered along the sides. The downstairs is a bit more interesting, but that may be because of the dimmer light.
Black light makes the space glow with hazy memories of a giant freshman dorm room.
Around each corner are cheeseball couples who think frenching up against video game consoles is a genuinely romantic venture. Polly Esther's is trying to create a museum of pop culture, filled with artifacts and attitude from decades many people try so hard to forget. The decor, the company and the attitude are so contrived it hurts. It's safer to just wait for the gimmick to die. You can find kitschy stuff from the '70s and '80s in every corner at Polly Esther's.