An every-evening tradition that has brought an entire neighborhood together for 2,000 nights straight is finally coming to an end.
Every evening since March 22, 2020 (and I mean EVERY evening), the residents of the Brooksboro neighborhood on Webster’s north side have been gathering at the end of Jack Turan’s driveway for a kind of happy hour, sharing a beverage, conversation and a few laughs. The tradition began just as the pandemic was shutting the world down and distancing us from our friends and family members.
The idea of being socially isolated from his neighbors did not sit well with Jack, so he did something about it. He grabbed a beverage, stood out at the end of his driveway and invited his neighbors to join him for some socially-distanced conversation.
That was more than five years ago, and every night since then, at least two people have participated in the nightly “Yak With Jack Happy Hour,” regardless of the weather or temperature. Usually it’s more like four or six. Every time they hit a major milestone — one year, 1,000 days, five years — they’d celebrate with a larger gathering, and someone would invariably wonder out loud when it would finally end. But it never did. Until last Friday night.
It was ultimately Jack’s idea to call it a wrap after 2,000 nights, and he’s feeling pretty good about his decision. It was difficult, sometimes, to make sure there were two people to make it officially count, so after a while it started to seem more like a duty than an opportunity.
When I asked him how it felt to be hosting his last happy hour, he said,
“I feel good. I feel like my daughter’s been living with me all through college, all through grad school, finally she says she’s getting married and going to move an hour away. I go ‘Sweetheart, I’ll see you, maybe once a month.’
But he has no regrets.
“We couldn’t have gotten to know our neighbors better than we have. We’ve lived here for 50 years, and all we really did (before) was wave at our neighbors. We really didn’t get to know them. This forced us to get to know each other. We’ve gone from being neighbors to being friends to being family.”
The every-evening-happy-hour tradition might be ending, but the close friendships it forged most definitely will not. Even last Friday night, there was already talk about how to keep the party going, even if it’s just a once-a-week gathering. One neighbor suggested everyone should “driveway hop.” Or maybe — just maybe — they’ll miss it so much that it will never end.
Whatever they decide, you can bet that night 2,000 will not be the last.
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(posted 9/15/2025)
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