Customs Chicago customs where do you hang out?

So as a longtime transplant (moved here for college in 1985), I've lived on the North side since 1989. The car scene has dried up pretty bad over the years, so I am wondering where the city folks hang out? I do know of the various suburban scenes like Buona Beef in Arlington Heights and the various downtown 'burban scenes... But what about in Chicago?

I used to go to Fluky's in the 90's with my OT 68 Chevelle SS with black rocker panels, then my OT 70 Chevelle SS with red rally rims, but also a '63 Galaxie 2 dr box top, metallic blue and white roof on 15x7 Cragar SS rim. I knew Yale with the pro Street Galaxie that was red.

Lastly, I'm up for trying to organize some occasional GTG's in the city limits, North or South side. I'm up for Wolfie's, SuperDawg, even Duke's on Harlem.

 

Dukes on harlem has been doing cruse nights, at least on saturday nights. They started doing them again about two years ago. I dont make it there as much as I would like to.

 

I'll be working in Elk Grove Village for a couple of weeks from April 10th, so if there's anything on that's easy to find I'd like to take a look around. I guess Elk Grove Village counts as 'north'?

 

That's the burbs but my car is over at VooDoo Larry Kustoms in Elk Grove Village.

 

It's lame and lame some more around here. I went to a cruise in Mount Prospect last fall. I got a nice noise ticket, I think they just have this cruise to pass these out.

We need to do our own thing here, get a bunch of us guys together and enjoy a few nights in the summer. I'm up by the forest preserves here, theres a grove right across the street from me and a big parking lot. I wonder if we all just happen to show up and start cooking ribs and burgers and brats if the tree cops would shut us down. They are not using it for anything but a drug store and meet and kiss for dudes. We gotta be a step up from that!

 

John:

Saturday mornings, you can stop at Chuck's Southern Comfort (7:00a.m. til??) with the SW Chicago Hamb and Eggers. Always a great bunch of car guys there to b.s. with. Stu

 

That sounds interesting but I'm also looking for a night-time option.

Francisco, you talking about the Mt. Prospect deal by the train tracks? We used to go to Photo's 6-7 years ago too. Are you up Elston when you say forest preserves?

How does Superdawg grab folks? Has a nice vibe.

 

We need to put something together like a poker run and then a get together after in the evening you could do one or two a month on a friday or saturday. The big thing is you got to get some people that would want get out and drive and afer that hang out and have a goodtime.

 

Theres lots of local cruise nights going on if thats what your looking for. Frankfort, my home town Lemont is good on weds nights, Plainfield, and the lemont car club does a sat night get together at a sears parking lot in homer glen. Plus, I go to the HAMB and Eggs breakfast group, try it. I miss thr frosted mug, most of the regulars are at frankfort on thursdays. Just as a comment, and a hard core so sider, super dawg gotta be the worst dog in chicago. I dont get it.

 

Hi Greg, I was talking about Chicago hangouts. I'm aware of the suburban locations. I personally can't make it to a lot of those because they are over 25 miles in rush hour traffic me.

 

John, when you get the Merc done you should do a hang/cruise with me and Alex (Brokenpress). There's not a hell of a lot of "traditional" stuff going on in the city. Maybe we can get some of the Czars along sometime and invade SuperDawg.

 

Last year was the first Forest Park cruise night, Tuesday nights. It was small but fun since I could take a car, walk home, get the other car, walk home to put my son to bed, and then walk back.

I'd like to hit Dukes this summer. I only have driven past during the daytime. Of course that's still pretty far for you John. We go to SuperDawg sometimes. It's fun. My son is getting to the age where it will be easier this year to take him to some cruise nights and not have to leave 30 minutes later.

 

There's not much IN chicago because most guys are afraid to drive their cars in the city. There are any number of cruise nights all over the suburbs any day of the week all summer long though. You live close enough to the highway that it shouldn't take you long to get to any of them.

The HAMB & Eggers breakfasts are fun and Chuck's is great (ate there last night!). Dukes is so-so. The only time I went, I don't think there were any cars older than 69 and everyone freaked out when I pulled in with my 59 like I was going to park next to them.

SuperDawg is cool, but often hard to get a parking space, plus there are more minivans than old cars, but it's worth it for the cranky waitresses.

 

I don't mind driving to Duke's I used to go there in the 90's. Maybe even caravaning down to Duke for the few N'siders might be fun. I know another guy in Logan Square with a chopped '53 Chevy who I think would be down for some cruising.

 

We do gorilla cruises. Meet up at a spot and hang for a bit, cruise, then takeover a restauraunt lot and eat. I'll post pics later when i get home. PM your email(s) and i'll let you know when

 

Do you mean guerrilla cruises?

 

I didn't get an A in spelling. But yea, we do them on the NW side. Last year we met up on western and addison . Cars are right up your alley

 

Super Dawg has been and still is anti cruise, anti hangout. I used to hang out across the street when it was the dairy back in 83, we had a hell of a cool car scene there, guys would run right down Devon.
Spiro Pappas had his Camaro right in the area and he would run it on Howard or Devon or any place flat.
Even back then the Dawg would boot you out of their lot, eat and out, so we hung at the Dairy and the supermarket lot across the street.
It all died off about 88 89.
I believe that Guerilla cruising is the only way to do it.

We are all older guys and if not older we have more common sense than the other types, if we do guerilla cruising we can just disperse or move away from the morons when they show up.
In this modern age with all of the communications we could very easily put together a network for Chicago.
Blades where would you hang at Western and Addison?
John, I'm up by Central and Elston. I don't know why we couldn't all just land at Bunker Hill forest preserves and have a get together. It's not like we want a pavilion or an assigned space. I see guys get together there all of the time to meet up and play soccer, I don't think they have "no stinking permits". I think I'm just going to ask my local County Cop here what they would do.

 

I haven't lived in Chicago for about 6 years now but what a about Martyrs on rockabilly night? There were usually some cars and bikes there

 

On Sunday nites there is one at a Tasty Freeze on Harlem and Rt.83 in Palos. I live by Dukes and very rarely go there. The one on 159th and Bell is huge on saturday nites.

 

In the early 80's to mid 90's,Dukes was the place to go.

 

I like the guerilla idea, sign me up for some!!

 

Guerilla idea sounds cool. I actually live near Addison and Western.

Francisco, I've organized forest preserve gtg's in the past in my OT late model scene, but I like to go somewhere where we get some drivers going by, maybe pick up some more "members." Busse Woods I did some stuff in the past.

I'd do a drive out to a scene too, just have to avoid bad traffic I think.

 

Supposedly there is a show at Jefferson park fest and one in Norwood Park. The North side is really just disorganized and has poor communication.
John,
When you did the get togethers in the forest preserves did you pull permits or just land there?
I hear you on the traffic, it's a freakin log jam around here from 3:30 til 6:30, I like to drive the car but not in that.

 

Well for Busse Woods we don't need permits to park but we do need one to reserve a pavilion.

I think in the beginning let's just find a spot to meet up and then go for a drive. I'll bring the trans fluid and a can of fix flat, who's WITH ME!!!! lol

 

I'm in for this. I already have Blades and John on my friends list, Anyone else who wants to get into the loop lets all get onto each others friends list and network with each other. I want to start cruising as soon as we get some warm evenings. There's a Chicago HAMBers on here, thing is mostly just collecting dust. I think we could buff it up a bit and use it as an event board.

Adding to this post:
I put a bit on the Chicagoland HAMB board.

 

Sounds great. Anyone been to Wolfie's on Petersen lately? They have a big parking lot. And folks don't drive too stupid on that street either.

 

Have driven by but never seen a scene there. Have not eaten there, any good?

 

Haven't eaten there in quite a while, I'll try to swing by and investigate.

 

I totaly forgot about forest park last year. I hope thay dont give up on it this year due to the low turnout. By this time last year thay had banners out around town advertising it.