Garcia said “the neighborhood was rough” when Little Jim’s first opened, but it “started the whole trend on Halsted Street.” It’s bittersweet to think back on those memories.” Credit: Google Maps Pioneering Boystown bar Little Jim’s closes Thursday night. “I was afraid in my youth that I’d miss something if I wasn’t there every night.
LGBTQ activist Rick Garcia said he’d visit Little Jim’s every night after moving to Chicago in the ‘80s. At the time, it had darkened windows to protect the safety of its customers, according to a Chicago Magazine feature on the tavern. Often described as the gay Cheers, Little Jim’s opened in 1975 and was the first gay bar in Boystown and the second-oldest gay bar in Chicago.
Halsted St., is in negotiations to be sold to Howard Brown Health so the LGBTQ-affirming health center can build a new clinic that would double the capacity of its nearby center at 3245 N. BOYSTOWN - The oldest gay bar in Boystown is closing its doors for good Thursday night after 45 years in business.
