Palmolive Building from ralph braseth on Vimeo.
The Palmolive is one of the most distinctive and beautiful in the city. It sits in the heart of Streeterville within spitting distance of the Drake and Knickerbocker hotels just off Lake Michigan. At one point it was the tallest structure in the neighborhood and the searchlight atop the building used to attract lots of attention to the Playboy Club, the very first Playboy Club which opened up in this building in 1962. Can you imagine the parties? More on this at another time, but it wasn’t merely a sexy club with sexy bunnies, it was a status symbol for the established and the up and comers. Another story for another time as well, Chicago’s well heeled black community joined their wealthy brethren at the Playboy Club. Hugh Hefner wasn’t anywhere nearly as interested in black and white as he was green. Don’t for a second think the Playboy Club was first and foremost a capitalist venture. Hefner printed money.
Ralph Braseth 
This is incorrect information. The first Playboy Club was located at 116 E. Walton, 1/2 block west of the Palmolive building. The Chicago Playboy Club was there from 1960 to 1980. The final club was in 1960 Lincoln Park West from 1980-1986. The original building on Walton was demolished shortly after the Club was relocated.
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