City In Review: Chicago

Lower West Side · Then vs Now

Lower West Side: 2024-10 vs 2025-10

A side-by-side look at how Lower West Side shifted between two periods.

2024-10 2025-10 Change
Building permits 42 38 -10%
Construction value ($) $3,289,870 $2,447,069 -26%
New business licenses 31 27 -13%
Business closings (proxy) 0 0
311 service requests 1,076 1,070 -1%
Reported crimes 245 262 +7%
Violent crimes 87 98 +13%
Failed food inspections 15 3 -80%

2024-10

Lower West Side permits fall to $3.3 million

Permits in Lower West Side dropped to 42 in October, down 16% from September, with total value sliding 29% to $3.3 million. Twenty-two permits came through the city's express program, eleven covered renovations or alterations, and five were for signs. No new businesses or closures this month.

2025-10

Lower West Side violent crime up 27% in October

Violent crime jumped from 77 incidents to 98 in October, a 27% climb. Overall crime rose 16%. Graffiti removal led service requests with 374 calls—more than five times the 63 rodent complaints that came in second. Permit activity picked up: 38 permits totaling $2.4 million, versus 31 the month before. Twenty-three were express permits. No businesses opened or closed.

New businesses — 2024-10

  • 5W COACHING (Regulated Business License)
  • PERK UP INC. VIN: 4UZA4FF40WC806123; PLATE NO. 197474F (Special Event Food)
  • UNITED NEIGHBORHOOD ORGANIZATION OF CHICAGO (Pop-Up Retail User)
  • URBAN CANOPY INC. (Regulated Business License)
  • OZINGA READY MIX CONCRETE, INC. (Limited Business License)
  • DOCTORS CHOICE HOMEMEDICAL EQUIPMENT (Limited Business License)
  • QUESABIRRIA JALISCO RESTAURANT (Retail Food Establishment)
  • OZINGA READY MIX CONCRETE, INC. (Manufacturing Establishments)
  • MAILO'S (Wholesale Food Establishment)
  • EXTRA SPACE STORAGE #1710 (Commercial Garage)

New businesses — 2025-10

  • RMBR (Wholesale Food Establishment)
  • CHOMP PIZZA (Retail Food Establishment)
  • Penelope's Vegan Taqueria #3 (Consumption on Premises - Incidental Activity)
  • URBAN CANOPY INC. (Food - Shared Kitchen - Supplemental)
  • URBAN CANOPY INC. (Wholesale Food Establishment)
  • TACOBOUT PILSEN (Mobile Food License)
  • Tasty Pot (Retail Food Establishment)
  • UNITED NEIGHBORHOOD ORGANIZATION (Pop-Up Retail User)
  • ESSENCE BEAUTY (Limited Business License)
  • DARK HORSE GYM (Regulated Business License)