What ever happened to ... Stop 'n Chat

Stop 'n Chat is one of only a few places that hold memories for me from various phases of my life.

[Amber]

We went to Stop n' Chat all the time growing up. I have such great memories of my dad driving us there on humid summer nights, after my brother's little league games or after a trip to the library. Those types of places really make summer memories for kids.

[RegularGuy]

Stop 'n Chat was a nice long summer evening walk from our house. We'd put the kids in a wagon or stroller, then take a long after-dinner walk for ice cream.

There was almost always a line - the place was a neighborhood favorite - but we'd wait, get our ice cream and let the kids make a mess on the walk home.

The Snowflake ice cream shop in Lyons met the same fate a couple of years ago.

It's sad to see the small Mom 'n Pop places close and the chain stores take over.

[hayesk0304]

I discovered Stop 'n Chat as an adult. What fun. Both nephews and my own child got to enjoy it before it closed.

It always opened around tax time, and as an accountant, I'd file that last return and head to Westmont from Hinsdale and grab the first cone of teh season.

Down here in Normal, Carl's doesn't even come close.

[Will]

We used to take what was, as a child, a rather long walk on warm nights to Stop N Chat from Clarendon Hills. I remember being tested by the huge selection of flavors and dips one could put on his cone. It's closing put something of a punctuation mark on my childhood, and I hope the O'Connors know how much it was really beloved. I, for one, would kill for a Stop N Chat t-shirt.

Now, instead of the modest ice cream stand, there is an out-of-place block of condominiums.

[Hank]

Polar Bear is still open in North Riverside (Cermak East of Des Plaines). An old time place although it lost some of it's charm when they paved the parking lot and removed some trees which had reminded me of my youthful visits to places like it

[r m kraus]

An exact replica of this article and its comments, almost word for word, appeared in the Akron Beacon Journal a few days ago about the Kenmore Freeze in Akron. It's that time of year.

[Katie]

I worked at Chat one summer with the 10th and 11th O'Connor kids. It's true, we really did have to clean all the machines on the rainy days. What a great time, though! The O'Connors are always filled with stories, jokes and a welcoming smile. They are a great family who truly loves their community. I miss Chat, but I will always have those great memories from that summer.

[Courtney OConnor]

I am the 10th O'Connor kid...I happen to have a Stop n' Chat T-Shirt on today!
I miss all kinds stuff from there - delicious vanilla ice cream, pizza burgers, hot dogs, burgers, deluxe turtle sundaes, the list could go on FOREVER. But I will never miss how hot it got in that building!
Thanks for all of your nice comments! I know it means a lot to my family!

[ChiliMac]

Who needs a place like Stop 'n Chat? New condo's are WWWWAAAYYY more important!/s (the /s stands for sarcasim, if you didn't know.:D)

[From Across the Street]

I grew up across the street from the O'Connor family in Villa Park, talk about fun. My summer afternoons were filled with great trips to "Chat" droping off or pick someone up for work. For me and my life long best friend it was a chance for us to take a ride and have another fun time at Chat. On the ride over we'd be travling south heading towards the building and we couldn't wait to be the first to call "I See Stop and Chat", most times the building wasn't insight at all. Without a dime in my pocket, we would eat hotdogs, fries, ice cream, really anything we wanted. I could go on and on about Stop and Chat and the O'Connor family, in many ways Chat and the O'Connors helped make me the way I am today. Thanks from Good Old #52.

[therese]

Growing up in Westmont in the 70's and 80's, Spring wasn't official until Stop n Chat was opened for the season. Stopping after school (Holy Trinity) and getting a twist to enjoy on the walk home! Great memories!!

[Ferris]

I worked here one summer and still carry the memories, all 22 pounds of them.

[John G]

Ah, the pizza burgers from Chat! What a treat those were! I knew some of the O'Connor kids (Pat, Kevin, Sean and Erin) and they were great people. Sadly I've been out of touch with them since moving South but this article reminds me of the good times and the good food they served up.

[kate in clarendon hills]

loved stop'n chat, used to bring my kids there when they were little please tell the O"Conners that after it was demolished we took a red brick for a memory , would they like to have it?

[Originally From Downers]

Wow- great memories! Before my late Mom had her drivers license, she occasionally drove us to Stop & Chat for ice cream. I grew up, moved away, and came back years later and took my daughter there. Now I only wish I could take my grandson! The memory of my normally law-abiding mother driving her kids for ice cream is one I'll cherish forever. Wish they'd open another........

[Frmr Blackhawk Hts Resdnt]

I have two memories of Stop & Chat (or "Pause & Converse" as my buddy called it...
- Making the long walk from Central (now Manning) School in 2nd Grade (circa 1970) for a class trip. The entire class piled on the small picnic table which subsequently collapsed (sorry O'Connors)
- Returning from a late night in Chicago as an adult and finding firemen cleaning up after a fairly extensive fire at Stop & Chat

[Westmont is the Bestmont]

I grew up a couple of blocks from Stop & Chat and can still remember the excitement of the first day it was open every spring....dipping into the piggy bank for a few quarters to run up there after school and get a twin-twist dipped in peanut brittle....word spread like wildfire among my friends: "Stop & Chat is open!!!" To this day (I am now 32) I miss Stop & Chat!!! And I still have not found a better twin-twist!!!

[Mitchie]

This is a GREAT ARTICLE....if it were in a high school paper.

[jackie]

Mitchie wrote:

This is a GREAT ARTICLE....if it were in a high school paper.

Then go read a high school paper!

I loved Stop 'n Chat! What a great location, a walk away from the Park District and so much fun. Every time I drive past that location it brings back memories.

[Mich]

Amen, Jackie. It would seem as though someone like Mitchie's writing career probably got as far as the High School paper, then decided to be bitter about it.

The Stop 'n Chat was a huge part of the community. For the reporter to identify that and write about it so eloquently truly shows the paper has not lost its focus from the area it covers.

Props.