What was the "original" Pipers Alley like? (Chicago: for sale, apartment)

[ChicagoMeO]

Originally Posted by Irishtom29

Kinetic Playground, originally the Electric Theater. I saw Led Zeppelin open for the Vanilla Fudge there. Also saw a show with Joe Cocker and the Grease Band, Buddy Rich and The Who.

The Aragon was a psychedelic joint for awhile, called the Cheetah. I saw the Moby Grape there, undoubtedly the tightest and hardest rocking of the hippie bands.

woww yeah!!! imma Joe Cocker fan from way back!!!

I wish i were a few years older at that time, I for some reason never thought i could go there. the only places i ventured farther from home was the beach and Old Town But i saw it on the Jeffrey Behr documentary about it

[nana053]

University of Chicago has a collection of photos from the Chicago Seed. Not sure how it is accessed though.

Chicago Seed (Newspaper) Photograph Collection | Black Metropolis Research Consortium Survey

Found this on youtube

THE SEED UNDERGROUND CHICAGO HIPPIE NEWSPAPER - YouTube

[williepotatoes]

The Seed was considered soft core in my hood. There was revolution in the air, and Rising Up Angry was the big read in Logan Square/Humboldt. I would get my copy at school and carry it around to every class. The cops would blow a fuse if they saw you with it.

Group Efforts: Rising Up Angry and the greasers' revolution | Calendar | Chicago Reader

[Chi-town Native]

Awesome. Both of 'em.

[baileyvpotter]

Originally Posted by TheSwede000777

My concern !!!! If lots of people talk highly about Pipers Alley, and different places in OLD Town {The Hippy years} Then why the hell didn`t someone ever take photos of OLD Town back in the Hippy Years and display them on the internet??? I would love to have a poster of OLD Town back then. I personally miss those special days. I wish I could build a Time Machine and go back to that area and simply stay there. I was happiest back then. Great music also. Hendrix, Joplin, The Doors, etc, etc. Glenn S.

Originally Posted by Chi-town Native

Not in Pipers Alley but right down the street was Bizarre Bazaar, I loved that place.

What was the name of the store on Wells, South of North ave (on the east side of the street) that
had clothes, purses & other misc. stuff ? I think the original building still stands - it was a one story.
When I used to go to Old Town in the 70's, Pipers Alley always reminded me of "Yesterday's St" in the
Science of Industry Museum. There was a record shop there (forgot the name) and the smell
of patchouli oil hit you when you entered.
I loved going to OT back then to escape and it was so close to the zoo. One of my favorite spots
there was the candy shop that had the best taffy apples. It is still there and owned by the same
family "The Fudge Pot." Although OT was just a few streets it had a wax museum and a Ripley's Believe
It or Not. A few stores south the area was a little gritty.

[Chi-town Native]

That may have been Bizarre Bazaar - it was kind of like an open loft/warehouse, lots of posters, giant bins on the floor, little nooks and crannies. A very fun place to just wander through. Ripley's cracked me up, still does.

[baileyvpotter]

Originally Posted by Chi-town Native

That may have been Bizarre Bazaar - it was kind of like an open loft/warehouse, lots of posters, giant bins on the floor, little nooks and crannies. A very fun place to just wander through. Ripley's cracked me up, still does.

Thanks, I've been trying to think of the name for years. Although it looked kind of rough, I found some
cool things there. I wonder when it closed. Agree with you about Ripley's. The old wax museum
was strange but fun to go to once in a while. Kept reminding me of the Vincent Price movie
House of Wax.

[ChicagoMeO]

OH GREAT!!! I have to look at those links - thank you!

We also got Rising Up Angry too, I went to high school on the northwest side.

Could someone tell me - there was an office on Wilton Street, probably in between Fullerton and Irving where either The Seed was printed, or the Jesus People USA were at. This is driving me nuts. Something substantial was located on Wilton Street. Does anyone know what I am remembering? or maybe it was something else.. its driving me coo coo.

[emathias]

I grew up in Oregon, and my mom is from Idaho, but she graduated from Valparaiso University in the late 1960s and as a social work major frequently came into Chicago for school-related reasons. When I moved to Chicago most recently, in 1999, I lived at Wells and Goethe. I told my mom I lived in Old Town and she seemed skeptical about being a proper place to live, but when she visited she said, "This isn't the Old Town I remember."

It's changed a lot. One aspect of the seedier side of the old Old Town that does remain is the Bijou Theatre/gay sex club.

[emathias]

Originally Posted by ChicagoMeO

OH GREAT!!! I have to look at those links - thank you!

We also got Rising Up Angry too, I went to high school on the northwest side.

Could someone tell me - there was an office on Wilton Street, probably in between Fullerton and Irving where either The Seed was printed, or the Jesus People USA were at. This is driving me nuts. Something substantial was located on Wilton Street. Does anyone know what I am remembering? or maybe it was something else.. its driving me coo coo.

Jesus People were (and, I believe, still are) based on WILSON Street a bit east of Sheridan, which is 4600 North. Irving Park is 4000 North and Fullerton is 2400 North.