Lifestyle

The suburbs at night: Yeah, there's stuff to do

Posted July 16, 2009 11:00 pm

Marie Wilson

Ethan Nelson, 18, of Lisle, Bill Collins, 18, of Darien, DJ Cook, 19, of Lisle and Erik Colmenero, 18, of Romeoville, hang out at Dhuwan Hookah Lounge in Lisle. Lounges like this are among the few late-night options for 18- to 20-year-olds. Photo by Marie Wilson

Driving through the suburbs late at night or early in the morning, strip malls often appear dark and deserted, normally bustling parking lots lie empty and many entertainment options and eateries become temporarily dormant.

Add a birth date before July 17, 1988, and many young people - especially those home on summer break from college - say there is little to do in the suburbs at night.

Sure, IHOP, White Castle and other chain restaurants keep their doors open, and friends' basements are always a backup plan, but some young suburbanites seek out other ways to spend the late-night hours.

Ethan Nelson, 18, is a regular at Dhuwan Hookah Lounge in Lisle.

"I'm from a big city, Houston, and there's a pretty heavy night life there," said Nelson, who now lives in Lisle. "Compared there to here, there's nothing to do here. So Dhuwan's is a nice place to go because it's kind of like a city feel but in the suburbs."

Open until 2 a.m. every day, the hookah lounge and next-door cafe try to satisfy the night-life needs of the 18-to-20 age group, said manager Ahmed Salim.

At least those who smoke, or don't mind being around those who do.

"Well if you can't drink and there's nothing else to do, it's definitely always a good place to get away from your parents," Salim said. "Even if you're above 21, we still have a fair share of the market because the suburbs are kind of boring. There's not that much to do if you don't want to go all the way to the city."

Another Dhuwan patron, Stephanie Thompson of Naperville, said hookah lounges are a late-night option she sometimes chooses over more routine hangouts.

"It's kind of tough because I'm 19, so as far as being 19 in the suburbs, unless you go to a late-night eating place like Steak 'n Shake or I guess you could see a movie, there really isn't that much to do," said Thompson, who is home before her sophomore year at Purdue University. "It's more about being with your friends than actually smoking."

The college-age crowd is used to late hours. At school, there's always someone to hang out with and something to do - no matter what the time. That makes the transition home over the summer all the more difficult.

Bill Feldgreber, managing partner of Eskape Entertainment Center in Buffalo Grove, said the bowling alley with a laser-tag course, an arcade, a restaurant and a bar, offers one alternative to seeing movie after movie.

"That's part of the reason why I built this place," Feldgreber said. "I built it for a suburban destination."

Oksana Dovbak of Wheeling visited Eskape on her 19th birthday earlier this month. Dovbak said she is always looking for places to spend the hours after dark other than friends' houses, cafes or occasionally dance clubs.

"I think it would be better for us to go out and do something instead of just sitting at home," Dovbak said.

Another active option Dovbak mentioned is miniature golf, which Putting Edge glow-in-the-dark courses offer in Lincolnshire and Hoffman Estates.

Jhonatan Hernandez, assistant manager at the Lincolnshire location, said young adults play mini golf after eating dinner or seeing a movie, and sometimes stragglers show up after closing time.

"A lot of people do come in and say 'Why are you not open until 2 or 3 (a.m.)?'" he said.

Night owls can play outdoor mini golf at the Brunswick Zone in Roselle, one of the area bowling alleys with late closing times - midnight Sunday through Thursday and 1 a.m. Friday and Saturday.

Manager Jackie Zelinka said the crowd ranges from 2-year-olds to seniors at most times, but Friday and Saturday cosmic bowling beginning at 9 p.m. caters to teen and college crowds.

While the overnight crowd at County Donuts in Schaumburg includes a mix of regulars, truck drivers and travelers, its dining room is open 24 hours a day, said manager Menan Joshi. The drive-through at another doughnut shop, Country Donuts in Elgin, is also open 24 hours. Bakers at both shops begin the day's second round of doughnut-making between 8 and 9 p.m.

"We bake around the clock anyway so someone's always here and there's really no point in closing," said Jennifer Salter, owner of Country Donuts, which also has a location in Crystal Lake. "For us, we get to meet a lot of interesting people when we're open around the clock."

High school and college students can also experience night life at one of three suburban clubs with a 16- or 17-plus night. Energy Nightclub in Stone Park opens to those 17 and older 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. Thursdays, while Zero Gravity in Naperville and Mission in Elgin serve the under-21 crowd Saturday nights.

But some still believe there is room in the suburbs for more late-night entertainment.

"From what I've seen," Hernandez said, "there is interest."

Allen O'Shaughnessy, 18, of Naperville blows smoke at Dhuwan Hookah Lounge in Lisle. Open until 2 a.m. daily, the lounge attracts a young crowd, including many 18-20 year-olds. Photo by Marie Wilson

White Castle restaurants, such as this one in Hoffman Estates, have traditionally been known as late-night joints. Bill Zars | Staff Photographer

Bill Collins, 18, of Darien and DJ Cook, 19, of Lisle smoke at Dhuwan Hookah Lounge in Lisle. This lounge is popular with the under-21 crowd in the suburbs. Photo by Marie Wilson

Eskape Entertainment Center in Buffalo Grove houses a bowling alley, laser-tag course, arcade, restaurant and bar. Open until 1 or 2 a.m., Eskape attracts the under-21 crowd in the suburbs. Marie Photo by Marie Wilson

The Putting Edge, which offers glow-in-the-dark miniature golf in Hoffman Estates and Lincolnshire, stays open until midnight on Friday and Saturday nights. Daniel White | Staff Photographer

<div class="infoBox"> <h1>More Coverage</h1> <div class="infoBoxContent"> <div class="infoArea"> <h2>Video</h2> <ul class="video"> <li><a href="/multimedia/?category=1&type=video&item=249 ">Night life in the suburbs </a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> Open late Not everything in the suburbs closes at 10. Here is a sampling of places open until midnight or later. Brunswick Zone 1000 W. Lake Street, Roselle Open 11 a.m. to midnight Sunday through Thursday; 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. Friday and Saturday 558 North Ave, Glendale Heights Open 9 a.m. to midnight Sunday through Thursday; 9 a.m. to 2 a.m. Friday; 8 a.m. to 2 a.m. Saturday Dhuwan Hookah Lounge 2801 W. Ogden Ave., Lisle Open 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. daily Energy Nightclub 3815 Lake Street, Stone Park Open 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. Thursdays Eskape Entertainment Center 350 McHenry Road, Buffalo Grove Open 10 a.m. to 1 a.m. Sunday through Thursday; 10 a.m. to 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday Mission Nightclub 209 E. Chicago St., Elgin Open 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays Putting Edge Fun Centers 2535 Golf Road., Hoffman Estates 275 Parkway Drive, Lincolnshire Open 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 10 a.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday; 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday Zero Gravity 22W613 75th Street, Naperville Open 9 p.m. to 4 a.m. Saturdays 24-hour eateries Avalon Restaurant 4821 Grand Ave., Gurnee Denny's Addison, Arlington Heights, Aurora, Carol Stream, Carpentersville, Gurnee, Hanover Park, Hoffman Estates, North Aurora, Palatine, Oakbrook Terrace, Prospect Heights, Schaumburg, Vernon Hills IHOP Addison, Arlington Heights, Buffalo Grove, Hoffman Estates, McHenry, Rosemont, St. Charles Note: Other locations open shorter hours. Omega Restaurant 1300 Ogden Ave., Downers Grove Steak 'n Shake Gurnee, Hoffman Estates, Naperville, Rosemont Note: Other locations open shorter hours. White Castle Locations in Addison, Aurora, Batavia, Carol Stream, Carpentersville, Des Plaines, Gurnee, Hanover Park, Hoffman Estates, Lake In The Hills, Lombard, Mundelein, Palatine, Villa Park

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