https://cityinreview.com/ Monthly neighborhood dispatches from City In Review. https://cityinreview.com/neighborhood/near-west-side/2024-04/https://cityinreview.com/neighborhood/near-west-side/2024-04/April brought a wave of new licenses to Near West Side, with 124 businesses registering—including BAKEWELL, a wholesale food operation, and MODE GYM. The neighborhood issued 52 permits worth $4.5 million, most of them through the express program. Residents filed 65,258 service requests, though 62,976 were logged as information-only calls. The area recorded 812 crimes, 241 of them violent. Eighteen food establishments failed inspections.2026-04-29 08:42:19 https://cityinreview.com/neighborhood/archer-heights/2024-05/https://cityinreview.com/neighborhood/archer-heights/2024-05/Archer Heights issued 14 permits in May, up from just one in April. That count spike pushed the month's total permit value to $14.2 million. New businesses included Golden Balloon, Legacy Barber Studio, and Alvarado Auto Works—three of 16 new licenses issued. Crime rose 49%, from 61 incidents to 91, with violent offenses climbing from 17 to 25. Graffiti removal requests topped 311 calls at 220, trailed by 53 abandoned vehicle complaints. No food inspection failures were recorded.2026-04-29 08:42:11 https://cityinreview.com/neighborhood/kenwood/2024-05/https://cityinreview.com/neighborhood/kenwood/2024-05/Permit value in Kenwood shot up nearly 7,000% in May, landing at $7.9 million compared to $112k the month before. The 22 permits filed included a dozen through the express program and nine renovation jobs. A BP station on Woodlawn opened under new licenses—filling, retail food, and tobacco—while Queen Noir Body Waxing got a limited business license. Service requests climbed 27%, led by 90 tree trim requests (a category the city no longer accepts). Violent crime ticked up from 38 to 47 incidents.2026-04-29 08:41:53 https://cityinreview.com/neighborhood/loop/2024-05/https://cityinreview.com/neighborhood/loop/2024-05/The Loop issued 223 permits in May, up from 71 the month before—a 214% jump driven almost entirely by 150 express permits. Construction value rose to $34.5 million, about 10% higher than April. New business filings dropped sharply, from 489 to 151. Among the newcomers: Mammoth Poke, a retail food spot, and two World Parking commercial garages. Crime ticked up 16%, to 826 incidents. Graffiti removal requests led 311 calls at 256, followed by 88 complaints about traffic signals. Food inspection failures fell from 15 to three.2026-04-29 08:41:43 https://cityinreview.com/neighborhood/beverly/2024-06/https://cityinreview.com/neighborhood/beverly/2024-06/Violent crime in Beverly nearly doubled in June — 23 incidents, up from 13 the month before. Overall crime rose a more modest 6%. Permits dropped to 23 from 41, with construction value falling by half to $668k. Eighteen of those permits were express-track jobs. On the business side, 17 new licenses came through, including Cork And Kerry (tavern), The Chocolate Ember, and Nicky's Grill & Yogurt Oasis. Service requests fell 21%, though tree-related calls still dominated: 97 debris cleanups, 71 removal inspections, 59 emergencies.2026-04-29 08:41:25 https://cityinreview.com/neighborhood/beverly/2024-07/https://cityinreview.com/neighborhood/beverly/2024-07/Beverly residents filed 1,209 service requests in July, up 46% from June, with tree debris clean-up leading the surge at 213 calls. Tree emergencies (115) and low water pressure complaints (97) also ranked high. Twenty new business licenses were issued, including Open Outcry Brewing and Horse Thief Hollow for special events, plus Sparkle Express Car Wash. Permit activity jumped 44% to 33 total—mostly express permits—but their combined value dropped 43% to $380k. Violent crime fell 26% to 17 incidents, though overall crime ticked up 15% to 118 reports.2026-04-29 08:41:15 https://cityinreview.com/neighborhood/riverdale/2024-07/https://cityinreview.com/neighborhood/riverdale/2024-07/Crime in Riverdale jumped 43% in July—137 incidents, 63 of them violent. Seven businesses opened, including Garden Fast Food and a Key Food Liquor that secured retail, package goods, and tobacco licenses. Manufacturers Cygnus Corp, Innophos Inc., and General Pallet Inc. also registered. One permit pulled: a $24k demolition. Service requests dipped slightly to 149, led by 23 tree emergencies and 20 busted street lights.2026-04-29 08:40:58 https://cityinreview.com/neighborhood/edgewater/2026-04/https://cityinreview.com/neighborhood/edgewater/2026-04/Edgewater logged $11.6 million in permit value this April, up 22.5% from March, though the number of permits fell to 40. Express permits accounted for 29 of those. Seventeen new businesses opened, including TACO BELL CATINA, CBD Kratom, and Smokes on Clark. Crime dropped 34% to 133 incidents; violent offenses fell 26% to 43. Residents filed 1,324 service requests, led by 130 pothole complaints and 94 graffiti removals.2026-04-29 08:40:41 https://cityinreview.com/neighborhood/ohare/2026-04/https://cityinreview.com/neighborhood/ohare/2026-04/Permit value in O'Hare hit $6.6 million in April, up 232 percent from March, even as the permit count fell 23 percent to 23. Twenty of those were express permits; three were for renovation or alteration. Aircraft noise complaints accounted for 39,613 of the neighborhood's 39,952 service requests. Crime dropped 37 percent to 67 incidents, with violent offenses down 52 percent to 14. New licenses went to Meitheal Pharmaceuticals, a McDonald's, and several airport lounges including Berghoff Cafe and United Club outposts. Twenty-nine businesses opened; none closed.2026-04-29 08:40:23 https://cityinreview.com/neighborhood/morgan-park/2026-04/https://cityinreview.com/neighborhood/morgan-park/2026-04/Morgan Park saw 13 permits worth $112,864 in April, down sharply from March's $997,243. Most were express permits. Three businesses opened: Rainbow # 1091, Lenore's Kitchen Catering, and Popeyes. Crime fell 43% to 78 incidents, with violent offenses down a third. Residents called in 780 service requests, led by 70 pothole complaints and 70 garbage cart issues. Two food establishments failed inspections.2026-04-29 08:40:07 https://cityinreview.com/neighborhood/mount-greenwood/2026-04/https://cityinreview.com/neighborhood/mount-greenwood/2026-04/Permit value in Mount Greenwood fell from $21.3 million in March to $1.4 million in April, a 94% drop, even as the number of permits slipped only slightly (17 vs. 21). Most permits were routine express jobs. Three businesses launched, including Mosaics Boutique and Tea and a self-storage outfit called Storage Star. Crime fell 27% to 19 incidents, with violent offenses down from seven to five. Potholes led 311 complaints at 82, followed by garbage cart issues and standing water. One food inspection failed.2026-04-29 08:40:00 https://cityinreview.com/neighborhood/washington-heights/2026-04/https://cityinreview.com/neighborhood/washington-heights/2026-04/Crime dropped to 114 incidents in April, down from 177 the month before—a 36% fall. Violent offenses slipped from 51 to 41. Residents logged 1,001 service requests, up 7%, with garbage cart maintenance leading at 88 calls. Potholes drew 70 complaints, tree debris 63. Permits ticked up to 33, though their total value fell 15% to $756k. Most were express permits. Two businesses opened: A Piece of Mind Beauty Salon and a peddler, Leonard Bernard Johnson.2026-04-29 08:39:51 https://cityinreview.com/neighborhood/beverly/2026-04/https://cityinreview.com/neighborhood/beverly/2026-04/Permit value in Beverly shot up 319% in April, hitting just under $2 million compared to $468k the month before. The neighborhood pulled 23 permits, up from 16, with 19 filed under the express program. Four businesses opened: Island Furs, Morands Liquors, a Taco Bell, and Addus HomeCare. Crime dropped by a third—36 incidents versus 57 in March, with violent offenses falling from 19 to 12. Residents filed 722 service requests, nearly flat with last month. Potholes led the list at 98 calls, followed by garbage cart issues and tree debris cleanup.2026-04-29 08:39:35 https://cityinreview.com/neighborhood/auburn-gresham/2026-04/https://cityinreview.com/neighborhood/auburn-gresham/2026-04/Crime in Auburn Gresham dropped 29% in April, with violent incidents falling from 134 to 99. Residents filed 185 pothole complaints, the most of any 311 category. The neighborhood issued 50 permits—up 22% from March—but their total value fell 27% to $2.6 million. Two new businesses opened: SAMS DELI & MARKET INC. and ABC Daycare Learning Center. Service requests overall declined 13%.2026-04-29 08:39:25 https://cityinreview.com/neighborhood/ashburn/2026-04/https://cityinreview.com/neighborhood/ashburn/2026-04/Ashburn's permit value shot up to $8.9 million in April, an 1,758% jump from March's $479k. The permits themselves dropped from 36 to 29, so one or two big projects are driving the surge. Gee Jay's Wine, Liquor & Bar picked up three licenses (tavern, package goods, tobacco). Crime fell sharply—60 incidents this month versus 144 last month, with violent offenses down from 54 to 24. Pothole complaints led the 311 board at 209, followed by 141 garbage cart requests. Overall, a quiet month on the business front but not on the construction ledger.2026-04-29 08:39:11 https://cityinreview.com/neighborhood/greater-grand-crossing/2026-04/https://cityinreview.com/neighborhood/greater-grand-crossing/2026-04/Crime dropped 41% in Greater Grand Crossing in April—288 incidents, down from 485. Violent offenses fell by the same margin. Falcon Fuel / Sals Philly and Seafood opened with filling station, tobacco, and retail food licenses. Mobil Gas Station and Jimmy's Family Food also arrived. Permit value slid 24% to $1.94 million across 25 permits, 20 of them through the express program. Residents filed 91 pothole complaints, leading all 311 requests.2026-04-29 08:39:02 https://cityinreview.com/neighborhood/englewood/2026-04/https://cityinreview.com/neighborhood/englewood/2026-04/Permit value in Englewood jumped 223% in April, reaching $9.5 million compared to $2.9 million the month before. The neighborhood issued 26 permits total, with 15 coming through the express program. New businesses included a Taco Bell, a tobacco shop called 69 Food & Tobacco, and a secondhand dealer named Anotherlevel Connection. Crime dropped 27%, from 354 incidents to 257. Violent offenses fell from 138 to 103. Residents filed 1,105 service requests, up 11%. The top category was tree trim requests—though that service is no longer being accepted—followed by garbage cart maintenance and pothole complaints.2026-04-29 08:38:44 https://cityinreview.com/neighborhood/west-englewood/2026-04/https://cityinreview.com/neighborhood/west-englewood/2026-04/West Englewood saw permit value climb from $1.2M to $1.9M in April, even as the count dipped slightly to 37. Express permits led the way with 17 issued. Service requests rose 16% to 1,252—garbage cart maintenance topped the list with 90 calls, followed closely by potholes (89) and abandoned vehicles (82). Crime dropped 30% to 229 incidents, with violent offenses down from 108 to 91. New business licenses fell sharply to two: a peddler permit for Diana M Thomas and a limited license for Butcher Meat & Frozen Alnmrod Inc.2026-04-29 08:38:25 https://cityinreview.com/neighborhood/chicago-lawn/2026-04/https://cityinreview.com/neighborhood/chicago-lawn/2026-04/Crime in Chicago Lawn dropped to 224 incidents in April, down from 321 the month before—a 30% slide that included 91 violent offenses, 18 fewer than March. Meanwhile, 473 service requests asked for tree trimming through a program that's no longer accepting calls, leading all 311 categories. Ten new businesses opened, including Verminator Pest Eliminator and Shop Rite Food & Dollar, which took out tobacco and food licenses. Permit value fell by half to $560k on 27 permits, and three food inspections came back failed.2026-04-29 08:38:15 https://cityinreview.com/neighborhood/west-lawn/2026-04/https://cityinreview.com/neighborhood/west-lawn/2026-04/West Lawn saw permit value spike to $2.9 million in April, up from $194k the month before, even as the number of permits fell from 16 to 10. New businesses included Naye Aesthetics, Roth Eye Care PC, and Cremeria La Ordena #1, though overall openings dropped by more than half. Crime fell 44 percent—81 incidents versus 144 in March—with violent offenses down from 34 to 20. Residents filed 160 pothole complaints and 76 graffiti removal requests. One food establishment failed inspection, down from five.2026-04-29 08:37:56 https://cityinreview.com/neighborhood/clearing/2026-04/https://cityinreview.com/neighborhood/clearing/2026-04/Clearing saw seven permits in April totaling $123,375, down from over $3 million the month before. Four new businesses opened, including Top Flight Paw Salon, an animal groomer, and 65th Street Auto Body Repair. Pothole complaints led 311 requests with 121, followed by 83 rodent baiting calls. Violent crime rose to 20 incidents from 16, even as overall crime fell by a third to 43 cases. One food establishment failed inspection.2026-04-29 08:37:47 https://cityinreview.com/neighborhood/gage-park/2026-04/https://cityinreview.com/neighborhood/gage-park/2026-04/Gage Park logged 119 crimes in April, down from 217 the month before—a 45% drop. Violent offenses fell from 61 to 35. On the 311 side, graffiti removal requests led the board at 185, followed by 129 pothole complaints. Permits held steady at 18, totaling $3.9 million in declared value. Two new businesses opened: Auto Cars of Chicago and Sophia's Fashion, both on limited licenses. No closures reported.2026-04-29 08:37:32 https://cityinreview.com/neighborhood/west-elsdon/2026-04/https://cityinreview.com/neighborhood/west-elsdon/2026-04/Four permits pulled in April totaled $379,600, up 127% from March's nine permits at $167k. Two were express program jobs, two were renovation/alteration work. New businesses dropped to three—GNC #61, Nails Yes, and Thai Twins Co., a retail food spot. Service requests ticked up 7% to 488, led by 89 pothole complaints and 79 graffiti removal calls. Crime fell 42% overall to 44 incidents, though violent offenses inched from 16 to 18. One food establishment failed inspection.2026-04-29 08:37:24 https://cityinreview.com/neighborhood/new-city/2026-04/https://cityinreview.com/neighborhood/new-city/2026-04/New City logged 24 permits worth $2.3 million in April, an 83% drop from March's $13.8 million. Most permits were express-program jobs; just one new-construction permit appeared. Twenty-two businesses opened, including M&S Jewelry, Yao's Cafe, and Mi Tiendita Bakery Store. Crime fell 35% to 177 incidents, with violent offenses down 44%. The neighborhood fielded 1,355 service requests, nearly flat with last month. Graffiti removal led at 222 calls, followed by 121 pothole complaints.2026-04-29 08:37:15 https://cityinreview.com/neighborhood/bridgeport/2026-04/https://cityinreview.com/neighborhood/bridgeport/2026-04/Bridgeport issued 16 permits in April, three more than March, but total value fell 30% to $826k. Express permits led with 11. New business licenses dropped sharply to five, down from 15 the prior month. Among them: Urban Pet Rx, an animal care operation, and 31st Street Beauty Salon. Service requests fell 12% to 1,187, led by 171 tree trim requests. Crime dropped 19%, with violent offenses down 38% to 21. One food establishment failed inspection.2026-04-29 08:37:06 https://cityinreview.com/neighborhood/mckinley-park/2026-04/https://cityinreview.com/neighborhood/mckinley-park/2026-04/McKinley Park logged $958k in construction permits in April, down 47% from March's $1.8 million. The neighborhood pulled 10 permits—half went to the express permit program, three involved elevator equipment. New businesses included Matilda, a wholesale food operation, and ecoATM, a secondhand dealer. Graffiti removal requests hit 187, the top 311 category by far. Crime fell 9%, with violent incidents down 29% to 17. New business licenses dropped from 14 to 5.2026-04-29 08:36:50 https://cityinreview.com/neighborhood/brighton-park/2026-04/https://cityinreview.com/neighborhood/brighton-park/2026-04/Brighton Park issued 17 permits in April, two more than March, but their combined value dropped 51% to $1.24 million. Twelve were express permits; two covered new construction. Ten businesses opened, including Pro Sudz Laundromat and Sputnik Coffee Company. Crime fell sharply—113 incidents versus 170 the month before, violent offenses down 38%. Graffiti removal led 311 requests with 318, more than twice the pothole complaints at 143. Service requests overall were down 13%.2026-04-29 08:36:42 https://cityinreview.com/neighborhood/archer-heights/2026-04/https://cityinreview.com/neighborhood/archer-heights/2026-04/Archer Heights issued just two permits in April, down from ten the month before. Both were for renovation or alteration work. Six new businesses opened, including Carniceria La Hacienda #5, Matilda Tostadas, and Smoothie King. Crime fell 41 percent to 49 incidents; violent offenses dropped by half. Graffiti removal requests led 311 calls at 144, followed by 85 pothole complaints. Three food establishments failed inspections, up from zero in March.2026-04-29 08:36:23 https://cityinreview.com/neighborhood/garfield-ridge/2026-04/https://cityinreview.com/neighborhood/garfield-ridge/2026-04/Garfield Ridge logged $5.5 million in permit value during April, up 171% from March, even as the number of permits fell from 33 to 24. Most were express permits. New licenses went to Tacqueria Kairos 1, Ascend Cannabis, and Ted's Auto Repair, among 10 total. Crime dropped sharply—74 incidents versus 140 the month prior, with violent offenses down by half. Service requests fell 12%, though 230 calls came in for tree trimming despite the category no longer being accepted. Graffiti removal and pothole complaints rounded out the top 311 issues.2026-04-29 08:36:15 https://cityinreview.com/neighborhood/hegewisch/2026-04/https://cityinreview.com/neighborhood/hegewisch/2026-04/April brought a single permit—a $9,000 express job—down from 22 permits worth $662k in March. Keepsakes Tattoo Studio opened with a regulated business license. Service requests dipped 8 percent to 321, led by 66 pothole complaints and 25 dead animal pickups. Crime fell a third overall, though violent incidents edged up from 11 to 12.2026-04-29 08:36:05 https://cityinreview.com/neighborhood/riverdale/2026-04/https://cityinreview.com/neighborhood/riverdale/2026-04/Service requests climbed to 134 in April, up from 106 the month before, with pothole complaints accounting for 20 of them. Water-on-street and streetlight-out calls followed. Crime dropped a third, from 88 incidents to 59, though violent offenses ticked up slightly to 33. The neighborhood logged one permit—a $33,000 express filing—and no new businesses opened.2026-04-29 08:35:49 https://cityinreview.com/neighborhood/west-pullman/2026-04/https://cityinreview.com/neighborhood/west-pullman/2026-04/West Pullman logged 149 crimes in April, down 43% from 260 the month before. Violent offenses fell 40%, from 91 to 55. Permit value dropped 79% to $301k, even as the neighborhood added five new business licenses—Pearl's Place Cafe, The Spot Social Hour, Panaderia Dulce Ilusion, and two for Visions Odeum and Events. Service requests ticked up 4.5% to 1,195, led by 122 tree-trim calls (a category no longer accepted) and 93 garbage-cart issues. Fourteen of 16 permits came through the express program.2026-04-29 08:35:41 https://cityinreview.com/neighborhood/east-side/2026-04/https://cityinreview.com/neighborhood/east-side/2026-04/East Side pulled nine permits in April totaling $61,764, down 95% from March's $1.3 million. All nine were express permits. No new businesses opened. Residents filed 510 service requests, led by 49 abandoned vehicle complaints and 48 garbage cart issues. Crime fell 37% to 63 incidents; violent offenses dropped from 29 to 22. No food establishments failed inspection.2026-04-29 08:35:22 https://cityinreview.com/neighborhood/south-deering/2026-04/https://cityinreview.com/neighborhood/south-deering/2026-04/South Deering's four new business licenses in April all went to Harborside International Golf Center & Pier 37 Bar & Grille—liquor, tobacco, outdoor patio, and retail food. Permits dropped from 13 to 4, though dollar value held nearly flat at $205k. Crime fell 30 percent to 92 incidents, with violent offenses down from 39 to 33. The neighborhood logged 87 requests for tree trims (a category the city no longer accepts) and 53 pothole complaints.2026-04-29 08:35:14 https://cityinreview.com/neighborhood/pullman/2026-04/https://cityinreview.com/neighborhood/pullman/2026-04/Pullman issued just two permits in April, down from 14 the month before, but their combined value hit $6.1 million—112 times March's $54,000. The details behind that spike aren't in the data. One new business opened: Odyssey Transport & Warehouse LLC, a limited license operation. Service requests fell 30 percent to 284, led by potholes (26), abandoned vehicles (25), and busted streetlights (22). Reported crime dropped 36 percent to 48 incidents, with violent offenses down from 21 to 13. One food establishment failed inspection.2026-04-29 08:35:06 https://cityinreview.com/neighborhood/roseland/2026-04/https://cityinreview.com/neighborhood/roseland/2026-04/Roseland logged 232 crimes in April, down from 368 the month before. Violent offenses dropped to 100 from 124. Eight new businesses opened, including New Taste of Chicago and Taurus Steak & Hoagie. Permits slid to 35 from 54, with total value falling to $3.7 million. Most permits went to express-program projects. Residents called in 142 requests for garbage cart fixes and 116 pothole complaints. One food inspection failed.2026-04-29 08:34:50 https://cityinreview.com/neighborhood/calumet-heights/2026-04/https://cityinreview.com/neighborhood/calumet-heights/2026-04/Crime in Calumet Heights dropped 40% in April, from 95 incidents to 57. Violent crime went from 26 to 20. One business opened: J-Bees 87, a limited business license holder. Permit activity slowed, down 45% in dollar terms to $177k. Residents filed 52 complaints about broken street lights, the most common 311 call. Two food spots failed inspections.2026-04-29 08:34:43 https://cityinreview.com/neighborhood/south-chicago/2026-04/https://cityinreview.com/neighborhood/south-chicago/2026-04/Crime dropped hard in South Chicago last month — 180 incidents, down from 304 in March. Violent offenses fell 53%. At the same time, 311 calls jumped 19%, driven by 141 tree trim requests (a category the city no longer accepts). Permits edged up to 24, worth $707k combined, mostly express permits. Five businesses opened, including Rainbow Shop #297 and Chicago Fashion Buyers. Two food inspections failed, half as many as the month before.2026-04-29 08:34:10 https://cityinreview.com/neighborhood/avalon-park/2026-04/https://cityinreview.com/neighborhood/avalon-park/2026-04/Avalon Park added a Taco Bell and a cargo outfit called Fenix Cargo in April. Permits dropped 27% to 16, with total construction value falling to $469k from $738k the month prior. Most permits—12 of 16—came through the express program. Crime fell sharply, down 34% to 52 incidents; violent offenses dropped from 35 to 24. Residents called in 39 tree debris requests, the top 311 category. Service requests overall declined 11% to 349.2026-04-29 08:33:53 https://cityinreview.com/neighborhood/chatham/2026-04/https://cityinreview.com/neighborhood/chatham/2026-04/Chatham issued 12 permits in April, down from 26 the month before, with total value falling to roughly $308,000—a 91% drop from March's $3.3 million. Nine of those permits came through the express program. Nine new businesses opened, including Lucky Mini Market, a retail food spot, and Chatham Coin Laundromat. Crime reports fell 44%, from 390 to 220, with violent incidents down a third. Pothole complaints led 311 calls at 67, followed by garbage cart issues and abandoned vehicles. No food inspections failed.2026-04-29 08:33:41 https://cityinreview.com/neighborhood/south-shore/2026-04/https://cityinreview.com/neighborhood/south-shore/2026-04/South Shore logged 410 crimes in April, down 39% from March's 675. Violent offenses dropped 30%. The neighborhood saw 22 permits issued—seven fewer than the month before—but their total value hit $1.55 million, up 27%. Express permits accounted for 14 of those. Three new businesses opened: Fashion Mod, SHAM MARKET LLC (a retail food spot), and S BEAUTY SUPPLY 9. Service requests rose 6%, led by 113 abandoned vehicle complaints and 99 pothole reports.2026-04-29 08:33:22 https://cityinreview.com/neighborhood/woodlawn/2026-04/https://cityinreview.com/neighborhood/woodlawn/2026-04/Woodlawn logged 197 crimes in April, down from 320 the month before—a 38% drop. Violent offenses fell from 93 to 71. Permits ticked up slightly to 32, led by 15 express-program pulls. Chartwells Higher Education opened Cafe Logan with a liquor license and outdoor patio. Total permit value dipped 2% to $1.85 million. 311 calls declined to 649, with abandoned vehicles (49) and potholes (47) leading complaints. Twelve new businesses opened, including JoA Beauty and an ecoATM kiosk.2026-04-29 08:33:02 https://cityinreview.com/neighborhood/hyde-park/2026-04/https://cityinreview.com/neighborhood/hyde-park/2026-04/Hyde Park's April permit value hit $35.7 million, up over 1,000% from March's $2.9 million. The neighborhood issued 35 permits, with 16 under the express program. Eight businesses opened, including Capital One Cafe, Tacos El Pastor 53, and Plein Air, a new spot with outdoor patio and package goods licenses. Crime dropped sharply—102 incidents vs. 212 the prior month, with violent offenses down 48%. Service requests fell 12% to 541, led by 53 pothole complaints and 37 building violations.2026-04-29 08:32:53 https://cityinreview.com/neighborhood/kenwood/2026-04/https://cityinreview.com/neighborhood/kenwood/2026-04/Kenwood logged $905,500 in permits across 11 applications in April, down 86% from March's $6.5 million. The decline came as the neighborhood added three new businesses: a Planet Fitness, a Dunkin Donuts/Baskin Robbins combo, and Cottage Food & Tobacco. Crime fell sharply, with 90 incidents versus 172 the prior month. Violent offenses dropped from 48 to 33. Service requests ticked up slightly to 280, led by 33 complaints about water on streets and 31 pothole reports. One food establishment failed inspection.2026-04-29 08:32:35 https://cityinreview.com/neighborhood/fuller-park/2026-04/https://cityinreview.com/neighborhood/fuller-park/2026-04/Fuller Park logged 24 crimes in April, half the 49 from March. Violent offenses fell even more sharply, from 17 to 6. Permit activity slowed to two—both express permits—worth $190k combined, down from five permits and $266k the month prior. One new business, Rainbow #329, picked up a limited license. Service requests dipped 5% to 170, led by complaints about water on the street and busted traffic signals.2026-04-29 08:32:16 https://cityinreview.com/neighborhood/oakland/2026-04/https://cityinreview.com/neighborhood/oakland/2026-04/Oakland pulled two permits in April, down from four in March, but their combined value jumped to $700,000—a fifteenfold increase from the prior month's $42,851. Both were renovation or alteration jobs. Crime dropped by half, from 68 incidents to 34, with violent offenses falling from 20 to 12. Residents filed 108 service requests, up 9% from March. Potholes led the list with 13 complaints, followed by 12 abandoned vehicle reports and 11 about water on the street. No new businesses opened and none closed.2026-04-29 08:31:59 https://cityinreview.com/neighborhood/douglas/2026-04/https://cityinreview.com/neighborhood/douglas/2026-04/Douglas logged $11.3 million in permitted construction in April, up nearly 470% from March's $2 million. The 17 permits included three for new construction and three for renovation work. Nine new businesses opened, among them Bronzeville Hoagie & Panini, John + Pat Anderson's Cafe, and an Infiniti dealership. Crime dropped sharply—121 incidents versus 223 the month before, with violent offenses down 46% to 37. Residents filed 347 service requests, led by 87 for tree trimming (a category the city no longer accepts). No food inspections failed.2026-04-29 08:31:48 https://cityinreview.com/neighborhood/armour-square/2026-04/https://cityinreview.com/neighborhood/armour-square/2026-04/Eight new businesses opened in Armour Square in April, down from 12 the month before. Park to Shop Supermarket picked up both a retail food license and a package goods permit. ThinkLab STEM launched as a children's services facility, and Huiping Ju and The Sandwich Outfit both joined shared kitchens. Crime fell 17 percent to 71 incidents, but violent offenses inched up from 17 to 18. Graffiti removal led 311 requests at 132, trailed by potholes at 33. Two permits went out, both for new construction, worth $1.8 million combined.2026-04-29 08:31:39 https://cityinreview.com/neighborhood/near-south-side/2026-04/https://cityinreview.com/neighborhood/near-south-side/2026-04/Permit value reached $15.9 million in April, up 44% from March, even as permit count dropped 55% to 18. Ten jobs came through the Express Program; three were new construction. McCormick Market opened with retail food, tobacco, and package goods licenses. Esperanza Kitchen Delights and Dollop Diner Cafe & Bar also debuted. Service requests rose 41%, driven by 75 traffic signal complaints and 72 pothole reports. Crime fell 53% to 88 incidents.2026-04-29 08:31:22 https://cityinreview.com/neighborhood/loop/2026-04/https://cityinreview.com/neighborhood/loop/2026-04/Crime in the Loop fell sharply in April, from 696 incidents to 400. Violent crime dropped by more than half, from 179 to 82. New business licenses jumped 69%, hitting 329—among them Manny Jewelry & Design, Ativo Capital Management, and The Cliff Dwellers, a not-for-profit club that also registered as a retail food establishment. Building permits fell 6% to 190, with express permits leading the way at 107. Total permit value dropped 32% to $491 million. Residents filed 1,050 service requests, up 2%. Graffiti removal topped the list with 247 calls, followed by 168 pothole complaints.2026-04-29 08:31:06