History in Old Town

When Harvey Dent (played by Aaron Eckhart) becomes Two Face, he takes a shot while sitting at the bar at what is (in real life) Chicago's most famous rib joint, The Twin Anchors at 1655 North Sedgwick Street.

Twin Anchors arguably enjoys more notoriety than any other restaurant in Chicago.  Since 1932, it has served its famous brand of baby back ribs to everyone from humble neighbors to international celebrities, including its most famous "regular," Frank Sinatra.  With its nautical theme and cozy decor, the restaurant has been cooking up ribs from the same building since the inception: a three-story brick edifice that was built in 1881 and served as a brewery for some time before the First World War at 1655 North Sedgwick Street.  Two major motion pictures captured the ambience of the restaurant ("Return To Me" and "The Dark Knight"); Conan O'Brien listed the restaurant as one of his ten "must haves;" the HBO drama "Boardwalk Empire" selected the Twin Anchors for its "Speakeasy Tour" documentary; and Emeril Lagasse showcased the restaurant on his television show "The Originals With Emeril."

Henry Gerber founded the country's first gay-rights organization, the Society for Human Rights, while living at 1710 N Crilly Court in Old Town Chicago in 1924.  The city of Chicago designated the Henry Gerber House as a landmark on June 1, 2001.

After breaking 67 world records and earning several Olympic gold medals in swimming, Johnny Weissmuller became a model and an actor and parlayed his talents into the role of Tarzan in the 1932 film “Tarzan The Ape Man.”  He soon became an international sensation.  He was born in Pardany, near the border of Romania and Serbia, but his family emigrated to the United States when he was just a child, and he lived at 226 West North Avenue during his youth.

During sociologist St. Clair Drake's 23-year tenure at Roosevelt University, he founded one of the first African-American Studies programs in the country.  The University dedicated the St. Clair Drake Center for African and African-American Studies to him.  He lived at 501 West Chestnut Street when he taught at Roosevelt.