Now trending …

The headline of this month’s column is a common term today. We all grasp its meaning: currently popular or widely discussed. It’s often used in our hi-tech world to show how relevant something is. It still applies to life in the Roseland of our youth, even if we didn’t use the term back then.

We were always asking “What are you doing?” … “Where are you going?” … “Did you hear about …?” That was our “trending.” Our friends were our contacts and the rotary dial telephone with extension cord was our hi-tech device that connected us. The longer the cord, the longer and more intense the conversation!

We might not have labeled it “trending,” but we always knew what was going on. We knew the most popular happenings of the day, the week, and the month because we kept our lines of communication open at all times. I thought I would look back at what was “trending” during our time in Roseland’s neighborhoods.

When we were kids, schools were an essential part of our daily lives, but when the weekends and summer days came, the world was wide open to us. Chicago’s park system never lacked for activities to take part in. At Palmer Park, there were classes offered in crafts, including one I took on a Saturday morning with a classmate of mine, Barbara Smith, that taught us how to make sock puppets.

Of course, the parks were especially important to the athletically minded, offering many opportunities. The horseshoe pits had wooden boxes with equipment stored in them for everyone’s use. For the Italian members of the community there were a couple of bocce courts — bring your own balls. Handball was popular and there were tall walls set up for that or for tennis enthusiasts to practice on their own.

The baseball diamonds were particularly popular after WWII ended and the troops came home. After spending years together fighting for their country, the men wanted to maintain the friendships they established. What better way to do that than by joining a baseball team! You could bring your girl or new wife to cheer you and your buddies on while you all spent a great evening outside before ending up at the VFW or American Legion or favorite watering hole.

I couldn’t possibly mention Palmer Park or West Pullman Park without talking about their swimming pools. Many a couple found their togetherness at a swimming pool. Every part of Chicago had a “natatorium” including the Rosemoor neighborhood, which had the Pumping Station on 103rd Street. I recall going to the adult swim at Palmer Park and watching my brother Chester’s friend Louie Baker put his pick-up skills to work. Unsuccessfully, I might add, as I learned the “how not to” of pick-up skills!

The Ave (Michigan Avenue) was the “be all and end all” of teenage living. “Cruising the Ave” was the weekend activity anyone with access to “wheels” would look forward to. That was where everyone went to see and be seen and ,for some, hopefully meet someone.

I saw my grade school buddy Andrew Galvan and his wife a couple of years ago. Of course, life in Roseland and The Ave came up in the conversation. His wife Donna excitedly told me that’s where they met while they were doing the male and female version of cruising the Ave. “He was cruising the Ave and he beeped at me.” She saw him two more times that evening and then came the first date that never stopped. A real Roseland “Cruising The Ave” story.

As young girls grew into young women, The Ave had a lot to offer in the world of fashion. Two stores that I recall helping the growing process were Gordon’s and Three Sisters. Many years ago, I recall a conversation with one former saleswoman from Three Sisters. She told me how they would talk to the young customers and insist they try on the top they were looking at. The dressing rooms were up the wide-open staircase in the center of the store.

As the young lady came out of the fitting room, the upstairs salesperson, while complimenting her, would insist she go down the stairs to the first floor. At that point, the downstairs saleswoman would loudly continue with the compliments. Of course, what could the young woman do but buy the top!

One of the more interesting Ave stories is that of the well-known South Side American Sale company. It began with a Christmas seasonal store on The Ave that did so well, its owner decided to open a year-around store. I know this because I worked with his brother-in-law, who worked in that first store on The Ave, but only for that first season. American Sale has become a well-known South Side staple for recreation and seasonal items.

As we grew up and music grew more important to us, dances became a central part of our weekend lives. Over the years, we could choose from a number of dances. I recall Mendel Sunday night dances along with YMCA dances and St. Willy’s dances. As music became all important due to the Beatles, the Battle of the Bands became a popular event to attend. Local bands also became a thing that gave birth to some of Chicago’s best like STYX, Chicago, M & R Rush, the Buckinghams, and TW4.

Some of the other popular memories include Raceway Park for stock car races. In the summertime, you could hear the roar of the engines for miles around.  Air-conditioning was still a rare amenity in our homes so everyone had their bedroom windows open, which allowed the sound of those roaring engines to come through loud and clear.

Right next to Raceway Park was the Halsted Drive-in Theater with two screens. I recall that the admission was charged by the number of people in the car. One thing we did to avoid the expense of admission required my brother and I to lay on the back floor under a blanket until we got to our parking spot. It was either the floor or the trunk depending on how many of us there were. We also made shopping bags full of popcorn to spare my sister Jean and her husband Bob the expense of taking us kids out with their three kids.

The intermission at the Drive-In Theater was always a fun time. You got to watch the cartoon clock on the screen as it ticked by the minutes until you had to return to your car after using the restroom or getting your refreshments. One of the challenges that I failed at least once was returning from the playground in time and having to run back to our car in the dark when the movie started.

The speakers for the movie extended from a free-standing post to the car window and was attached by a cord. The problem was that the cords weren’t visible in the dark! Once, as I ran back to the car, I didn’t see the cord and managed to choke myself and fall to the ground in sheepish embarrassment before getting back to our car.

I mentioned “Cruising The Ave” as an activity that required “wheels” but there was also another part to that activity: the drive-ins restaurants! As The Ave ended at 115th, the cruise would continue south to 127th Street. That’s where the drive-ins with the carhops, like my sister Rosie, were located. Once wheels became available, we were no longer restricted to Giovanni’s or Nino’s or Ken & Dick’s for pizza. We were officially licensed to head to the carhops and the real action.

Chicken Little, Vinci’s, Vinci’s Tap, and the BBQ Pit became the spot to make the U-turn to head back down The Ave to do more cruising. However, The Ave was for shopping and had closing hours and that was when the drive-ins became the place to be. Talk about the roar of the engines and seeing hot cars and hot women, the drive-ins were it. There were also arrangements to be made for the illegal drag racing that took place after midnight down on Doty Avenue before the Bishop Ford existed.

These are just some of the things that were “trending” back in the day. The accompanying collage of Roseland Memorabilia will definitely bring back memories of what was trending in our lives. We may not have used that word, but it certainly applied!

Petals from Roseland: Fond Memories of Chicago’s Roseland, Pullman and Kensing Neighborhoods” is available from me for anyone interested in sharing or revisiting their life Roseland at $20 + $5 s&h. Contact me at petalsfromroseland@gmail.com or 11403 S. St. Lawrence Ave., Chicago, Ill. 60628; 773-710-3559. My book is also available at D & D Foods, 1023 S. Halsted, Chicago Heights, at Bookie’s New and Used Books, 10324 S. Western Ave, Chicago and at Miles Books,2819 Jewett Ave., Highland, Indiana.