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Gold Star Bar, a nearly century-old Division Street watering hole known for its welcoming and unpretentious vibe, has been sold. Longtime owner MaryAnn Reid confirmed to Block Club that her iconic Wicker Park bar at 1755 W. Division St. and the three-story 1890s apartment building it anchors was sold to John and Kate Leydon. The Leydons plan to preserve the bar’s legacy and keep many of the things that made Gold Star so beloved over the years, such as a pool table, free popcorn, art shows featuring local artists and the iconic neon sign. For Reid, the fact the Leydons were eager to preserve the bar played a key role in her decision to sell her business to the couple. “The legacy of preserving the bar is my top priority. I don’t want the sign to ever go down. I want to come back here for free popcorn,” Reid said.
“Neighborhood taverns used to be on every corner and they have unfortunately become an endangered species. Kate and I want to do our part to preserve the history of the neighborhood meeting place,” John Leydon said. “And the thought of that magnificent Gold Star sign being removed is something we want to do everything in our power to ensure will remain for generations to enjoy. We are honored MaryAnn has entrusted us to carry on the tradition. The bar does not plan to close, but in the coming days it will undergo what Leydon said are “necessary upgrades while still honoring the history and celebrating the future.”
“Gold Star has a rich history. Nelson Algren and Art Shay were regulars. Baby Face Nelson, Al Capone’s brother and this list goes on. Back in the day, there was a stage and live music was on the menu. We are big fans of The Green Mill and The California Clipper and would love to bring that vibe to Wicker Park. Just ideas at this point,” Leydon said.
The building is teeming with history. Anchored by a bar with two floors of apartments upstairs, Gold Star’s history as a bar dates back to the Prohibition era. As noted in a DNAinfo feature on the city’s 12 oldest bars, the neon sign above Gold Star Bar in West Town still announces “Furnished Rooms” for rent by the hour, a holdover from the building’s seedy hotel days.
According to Liz Mason, who researched the bar for a walking tour of area dive bars, an antique key rack at the left of the front door of Gold Star Bar was for “ahem, well, let’s just say gentlemen could get with a prostitute in a room.” That room by the hour key rack still hangs on the wall. Leydon confirmed the history of the key rack and the upstairs rooms. “It’s been operated as an apartment building for decades but pre- and post-Prohibition prostitutes worked in the bar and upstairs. The original owner would send a bus down to Navy Pier to pick up the sailors and bring them back to the Gold Star,” Leydon said.
Preservation Chicago would support a Division Street Commercial Landmark District in the future.
Additional Reading
Gold Star Bar Sold, But ‘Legacy Will Be Preserved,’ New Owners Promise, Alisa Hauser, Block Club Chicago, 11/2/18
Editor’s Note
Alisa Hauser has been doing excellent reporting throughout Chicago’s Wicker Park, Bucktown, Ukrainian Village and East Village neighborhoods for nearly a decade. Preservation Chicago and all Chicagoans who love local news will miss her outstanding work. Thanks Alisa! Portland is lucky to have you!
Goodbye, Wicker Park, Alisa Hauser, Chicago Pipeline, 11/25/18