Southport Lanes was a neighborhood restaurant/bar on Southport in Lakeview. For nearly 100 years, Chicagoans have been coming to Southport Lanes with friends to enjoy not just food and drink, but also its bowling alley and billiards room. On the facade of the building near the cornice line is the unmistakable Schlitz globe found on many bars across Chicago. This logo signifies bars at the turn of the century that were opened to serve only Schlitz, or a “tied house”. Eventually, Schlitz sold the building to a new owner who converted it into a brothel. The walls of the stairway contained a mural of scantily clad faeries. The stairwell led upstairs to a number of bedrooms, which were reserved for the oldest profession. One could wander up the steps to their… appointment and be greeted by these naked nymphs.

The closure of Southport Lanes is a loss for the Southport business district.