Lower West Side · Then vs Now
Lower West Side: 2024-05 vs 2025-05
A side-by-side look at how Lower West Side shifted between two periods.
| 2024-05 | 2025-05 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Building permits | 44 | 32 | -27% |
| Construction value ($) | $4,806,854 | $42,085,180 | +776% |
| New business licenses | 50 | 47 | -6% |
| Business closings (proxy) | 0 | 0 | — |
| 311 service requests | 1,480 | 1,320 | -11% |
| Reported crimes | 258 | 257 | -0% |
| Violent crimes | 88 | 88 | 0% |
| Failed food inspections | 8 | 2 | -75% |
2024-05
Lower West Side permit value jumps to $4.8M
Permit value in Lower West Side shot up 753% in May, hitting $4.8 million compared to April's $564k. The neighborhood logged 44 permits, triple the prior month's count. Twenty-seven came through the express permit program, which usually signals interior work or smaller-scale renovations. Eleven were standard renovation or alteration permits. Three new construction permits also appeared. No new business licenses or closures showed up in the data.
2025-05
Lower West Side permit value jumps to $42M
Permit value in Lower West Side shot up more than 1,000 percent in May, hitting $42 million compared to $3.5 million the month before. The count actually dropped from 40 to 32 permits, so one or two big projects are driving the spike. Crime rose 30 percent overall, with violent offenses up 44 percent to 88. Service requests climbed 19 percent, led by 447 graffiti removal calls—nearly half the month's total. Street lights out and potholes rounded out the top complaints. No new business licenses recorded.
New businesses — 2024-05
- TRUFFLE GRILL LLC (Retail Food Establishment)
- EM + H CHICAGO (Regulated Business License)
- La Malinche Coffee House LLC (Special Event Food)
- LA ESPERANZA RESTAURANT (Special Event Food)
- ECONOMIC STRATEGIES DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION (Pop-Up Retail User)
- DON CHURRO (Special Event Food)
- PILSEN COMMUNITY BOOKS (Limited Business License)
- HVAC BUDDIES L.L.C. (Regulated Business License)
- TATTOO PRINCESS BRITT LLC (Regulated Business License)
- BREAKER PRESS CO INC (Limited Business License)
New businesses — 2025-05
- TACOS LA GUERITA VIN #1GBKP32R1X3302668 PL # 33766641B (Special Event Food)
- THE ONE HAIR SALON SPA (Limited Business License)
- ST. PIUS V PARISH (Pop-Up Retail User)
- MEXI-TACOS VIN #5B4JPD28X83433920 PL #186764F (Special Event Food)
- CHI-TOWN FAVORITES VIN# 1GDKP321LXR3500551 PLATE# 511574D (Special Event Food)
- SO TASTY (Mobile Food License)
- DELICIA 100% MEXICAN STYLE VIN# 6397 | PLATE# 4129701B (Mobile Food License)
- THE FAT SHALLOT VIN: 5B4HP42V253408090, PLATE: 1Z1395 (Special Event Food)
- TAKUMI RAMEN (Retail Food Establishment)
- LA CATRINA CHRIS CORP. (Mobile Food License)