>- Great parties of various kinds (ignorant kiddie club
>parties, bougie black tie events, reunions and exhibits with
>upper middle class black snobs, the whole 9 yards)

I think that's what caught me off guard. My wife and I ended up being surprised by the Bub Biliken parade when we first moved to the West End of Hyde Park, but we were more on the periphery of that and the range of ways to enjoy that event seemed a lot more limited. Folks' age and attire just in the block and a half surrounding our place was pretty much exactly what you're describing above.

It was completely nuts. I think we'll be ready next year. At the very least, I'm not going to try and drive anywhere.