Because its 24 hours and frum Jdews have a love affair with sugar filled slurpies. Some may say its the sexual innuendo behind slurpies, but I merely think its the fact that not only is 7-11 a 24 hour establishment, but its one of the only places in many towns where Jews can actually hang out. I have hung out at many Seven Elevens in my day. Detroit was definitely the first place I ever hung out at 7-11, also the only place I was ever asked by a cop to leave because it was past my curfew, even though I was just visiting.
In Detroit its an all ages crowd, young kids and old folks, cops and the most ghetto people you have ever seen- after all its Detroit and they have a reputation to uphold. Furthermore, like many stupid frummies, the city of Detroits one pizza store has some decree against keeping it open for eat in on Saturday night- because God forbid any mingling between the sexes happens- so instead of hanging out in the pizza store, they go to the Liquor store on Lincoln and Coolidge and grab some good old Mickeys and get wasted- great job Rabbis.
I hung out with the huge chassidic rebel crowd at the Monsey 7-11, and it was quite interesting to watch chassidim in regular garb talking like regular old street thugs, albeit in thick yiddish accents and mostly in Yiddish. Its funny, and I met a lot of interesting characters.
Last but not least, let us not forget the 7-11 on Avenue M in Brooklyn where I filmed the following video of a bunch of yeshiva rebels surrounding this cop who was trying to see if they were on drugs. It was hilarious and if you turn the volume up you may even be able to hear it. preeminent
<object width=”425″ height=”344″><param name=”movie” value=”http://www.youtube.com/v/9eKXpetRSYU&hl=en&fs=1″></param><param name=”allowFullScreen” value=”true”></param><embed src=”http://www.youtube.com/v/9eKXpetRSYU&hl=en&fs=1″ type=”application/x-shockwave-flash” allowfullscreen=”true” width=”425″ height=”344″></embed></object>
I haven’t seen the inside of a 7/11 in years and years but
ugh, here’s the rest of my post..
….butI was parked outside the Monsey one last week and all 4 people I saw entering it were overweight.
7-eleven has always been a hangout for people in small towns. the videos are funny; the one’s on jacob’s account are like the lost fs files. the kid who’s in love with luke ford is funny. (kid, I know you’re not in love with luke ford.)
Sorry Heshy, all night convenience stores are the hangouts of bored teens of all types all over the US. Its like moths to the flame…
ah, but you’ve never been to the 7-11 in Chicago? Primo hang-out spot, gets hit up by all the locals. Of course, we’ve also got a shady Dunkin Donuts to chill at, and Jewel, so the truth is we never lack for late-night entertainment.
it was the closest shop to our high school.
the asian lady who worked there even came to our graduation.
the first favorite hangout for the yeshiva rebels was dunkin donuts on avenue m. now it seems they’ve migrated to 7-11. there arent many rednecks in flatbush so the yrs have taken over.
Quick Check is much nicer and the coffee is much better. But where do you want these kids to hang out?
Some what related story … I was in Steve and Barry’s in Palisades Center (another yeshivish hangout) a few weeks ago, and a couple of yeshivish boys came in to “browse.” They looked like the typical Steve and Barry customer, you know black pants, white shirt, black jacket that doesn’t match the pants. Anyway I kind of followed them to see what they were checking out … I found them gigling over the t-shirts. You know the ones with somewhat out there (some would say rude or suggestive) imprints.
Dunkin Donuts on Rockaway Turnpike is a great hangout- went on a date there once just to mess with people.
Are there any kosher 24 hour diners? I miss being hungry for an omelet at 3 in the morning and not having to cook it myself.
The 7-11 in KGH was never a hangout. But then again, we were all pretty normal. Most who wanted to hang out actually went to Bnei Akiva on Shabbos or Shimon’s pizza on Saturday night. We didn’t hide. Then I went to a Brooklyn HS and was taught to hide. I guess hiding and hanging out can be fun. I will try 7-11 with the hubby one of these days. We’ll spy on the neighbors’ kids and freak them out.
Oh Hesh – The Dunkin Donuts on Rockaway Turnpike! You make me misty with memories. Nothing like showing off a date to the late night crowd.
Utubefan – Love the idea of date night with the hubby at 7-11. That was my first indication that I was old – When people’s kids started being freaked out to run into me at night.
I just noticed my gross apostrophe violation, above. So I don’t bend Chris_B out of shape, and out of respect to your Japanese readers, I’ll just say I can’t believe I did that and banish myself for the night. :puts paper bag over head and leaves:
Miri,
The dunkin donuts on devon can be very shady, but the jewel is a boring hangout, especially at 11pm on a tuesday. Chicago pretty muc sucks after 9pm.
Oh and I’ll add: Here in Monsey, it is so boring and repressed for teens that the hubby and I would actually be happy to drive those kids to 7-11. Nebach.
The Jewish kids I knew didn’t hang out. First of all they got out of school 4 hours later than everyone else, and then they did homework until an hour after their bedtime. Rebels didnt hang at 7-11, they just went to public school and got picked on for being too religious.
Brooklyn has no JCCs, after school programs, youth groups, etc like NCSY or like someone mentioned above, B’nei Akiva stuff. Kids of all ages regardless of religious observance or ethnicity NEED a place to hang out that is safe and fun. Wisely enough they choose a well-lit, clean place to hang out in full view of the public – 7-11! My question to the yeshivish rule-makers – where would you rather the kids hang out, in someone’s basement with the doors locked, doing who-knows-what? They have no place else to hang out, except maybe for Our Place which is small and poorly organized.
Instead of complaining about ‘yeshiva dropouts’ and ‘at-risk’ kids, the frum community should develop extracurricular programs and groups to give teens and pre-teens a fun place to hang out without too much structure. And sports and the arts for those kids who are interested. I wish there was a Y or JCC on Avenue M that catered to the yeshivish community in Flatbush. People around here would stop spending so much money on psychologists and Prozac, I’ll tell you that much.