in Forest Park, and patronizing Poor Phil’s in Oak Park for their Friday night get-togethers to watch sports, or relax on the patio.Įven so, he would prefer going to a gay bar to meet new friends. You really have to have some kind of niche.”ĭavid Monterosso, 54, a former Hideaway patron, says since its closing, he and his gay friends have been enjoying Wednesday night Karaoke at Carole’s, 7307 Roosevelt Rd. There have been a lot of gay bars that have opened and closed in the suburbs. But, just opening up a dive and calling it a gay bar is not reason enough for people to come. Going into the city is far, and not drinking and driving is a factor, and Boys Town has gotten more dangerous lately. “Hideaway and Nutbush were pretty much the only bars in Forest Park that didn’t have any windows, so as time went on the crowd there was getting older. “A big reason many of the local gay bars are gone is that they did not keep up with the times to continue drawing people in,” says Jimenez, who has bartended at the two former gay bars in Forest Park, and Cell Block in Chicago.
