Before "urban removal" in 1957 the Hyde Park area had a lotta clubs. After what the U of C called "The Final Solution" all were gone but the Woodlawn Tap. Anybody got the names of those clubs that went missing?

The Hyde Park Herald is online. You might want to look at some of the old issues http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives/?p_product=HA-ILHPH&p_theme=histpaper&p_nbid=&p_action=keyword&f_editSearch=yes&p_queryname=2

The Beehive was on 55th and Blackstone. It was the last place Charlie Parker played in Chicago. The Red Head Lounge was on Garfield- I know this from Bobby Swisher's obit about fifteen years ago! The Kentucky Lounge was andother one on Garfeild. I was born in '58 so i only kno what I'm told,

Here's the Beehive in 1955:

[url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/29821940@N00/4666437402/]The Beehive, 1955[/url]

and across the street was the Cadillac Lounge (run by Cadillac Bob of the DuSable Hotel):

[url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/29821940@N00/6221459562/]Cadillac Lounge[/url]

Just down the street from the Woodlawn Tap (where the fire station is now) stood the Compass Tavern (lots of Second City history) and at 52nd & Lake Park was the Nob Hill.

I just accidentally ran across your post from 2010 asking about the church steeple with a pointing finger.

It appeared to me your question was never correctly answered, so I decided to sign up so I could send you this link:

http://www.fpcportgibson.com/history.html

I hope it helps!

A native Illinoisan

Bill! Thanks for the tip! Apparently taverns were targetted as problems by 1949 and really became an issue in the spring of '54 with the Alderman Robert E. Merriam who called the 12 taverns on 55th "an eyesore" and "a little West Madison, a (potential)skid row" Though some collegiate imbibers tried to save their hang out, the University Tap"in 1955, the demolition of the north side of the street started in 1957/58. The noted "urban renewal" photogerapher Mildread Mead shot some "before and after" shots. So now I'm gonna go start some other Hyde Park threads...

I believe that The Compass was on 55th near Woodlawn and that this was where Mike Nichols and Elaine May started out in The Compass Players. Looking up The Compass Players just now on Wikipedia I learned that the group morphed into Second City and "revolutionized comedy" with their schtick of having the audience suggest themes for improvisation. A couple of books have been written on The Compass Players. The group included Shelley Berman, Valerie Harper, Alan Alda, Ed Asner, and a long list of others.

Didn't they used to call the Woodlawn Tap Jimmy's, or was that another watering hole?

Jimmy's and Woodlawn Tap are pretty much interchangeable namewise. It's the same place.

HP, 55th Street, used to be hoppin' - my dad talks about bars where they knew the raids were coming and would warn people. I think Goldstein in Chicago features one.