Prior to beginning this piece, I reached out to a few Chicagoans with a simple question that ended up being surprisingly difficult to accurately answer - What neighborhood is Great Lakes Tattoo in? West Town, River West, the Near North Side, Humboldt Park, none, or all? According to the City of Chicago itself, technically GLT is in the West Town Community Area which is made of several neighborhoods. West Town’s neighborhoods have evolved over time, so much so that “The Patch”, the actual home of Great Lakes Tattoo, is still so comparatively unknown that it isn’t even considered by name. Historically the neighborhood was inhabited by newly arrived immigrants; Italian immigrants, in particular, congregated heavily around the Grand Avenue corridor and around the intersection of Grand & Ogden. This established Italian immigrant and Italian-American communities existed in the area for generations.

Even though these communities were able to withstand the disruption and upheaval caused by the Chicago Fire of 1871, one of the major, and relatively recent, causes of displacement of community residents is much more contemporary: residential real estate development. These communities were able to withstand the disruption and upheaval caused by the Chicago Fire of 1871, the expansion of Chicago city limits, and the city’s rapid population growth but ultimately, these communities were largely displaced because of contemporary real estate practices. The Patch’s proximity to downtown, the Expressway, and large arterial roads made the area valuable to real estate developers. Early 2000’s re-development in the area included demolitions that destroyed historical housing and commercial buildings that were replaced by expensive luxury developments, commercial and residential. 

Tattooer, Chicago tattoo historian, and owner of Great Lakes Tattoo, Nick Colella, explained that before major demographic, social, and economic changes in the neighborhood, residents along the corridor formed social clubs, with “six alone in just this neighborhood”. - In broad and contemporary terms, social clubs are usually exclusive members-only; a country club, a fraternity. These are not the type of social clubs that existed in The Patch. The Grand Avenue social clubs were informal, non-transactional, and existed for the benefit of the broader community. Largely existing in public or publicly accessible spaces, like sidewalks and porches, Chicago’s social clubs, especially informal ones, created opportunities for residents to socialize, share information, exchange goods and services, and frankly, allowed residents to feel more connected to and more comfortable in their communities. Yes, organized crime existed within the community but ignoring that true and complex history of the area would be dishonest and a disservice to the legacy of the area. The neighborhood surrounding Great Lakes Tattoo might be relatively unknown by name but in the same way that Great Lakes Tattoo is committed to preserving the history of Chicago tattooing, we’re also committed to preserving the historical social context of the neighborhood.

A tattoo shop and a tattoo parlor are the same things with different names. Unless you break down the difference between the purpose of a shop and the purpose of a parlor and really consider the implications. A shop is a place of commerce, business-based and transactional. A parlor, however, is a place meant for gathering; yes, business transactions can happen at a parlor but parlors inherently have a social component. When you combine the history of the local social clubs that existed around Great Lakes Tattoo with the idea of parlors as spaces for gathering (and, depending, exchanging goods and services), the idea behind the Great Lakes Social Club begins to fully take shape. Great Lakes Tattoo takes pride in honoring Chicago’s rich tattoo history - the shop itself is a mixture between a tattoo parlor, a tattoo history museum, and a change to an event space and art gallery. Books are open, the doors are open, and we’re here for the community. With eyes on the street and feet on the sidewalk, The Great Lakes Tattoo Gee El Tee Social Club mentality is an open invitation to the world of Chicago tattooing.  And, in some ways, a warm-hearted but contrarian reaction to the transactional nature of contemporary tattooing where exclusive clientele and ‘closed books’ scheduling are becoming the norm. 

Originally a nod to the guys who sat out on Grand Ave much like that Satriale's, the deli of The Sopranos - the parody morphed into a sincere and genuine venture - The Gee El Tee Social Club.

 A social club that respects the history of the neighborhood, values closeness of friends, and is a pandemic-friendly way to meet and socialize with the Great Lakes Tattoo community, as well as the community at large, in much the same way that the historical social clubs of The Patch allowed for residents to keep their feet on the ground, eyes on the street, and to connected with one another.

There is an open invitation to join the Gee EL Tee Social Club and all members are welcome. Stop by and check out the shop, get tattooed, come to an event, or buy some of our new merch coming soon! With or without the merchandise, the club, like our books, is open.