Our Blog:
Happening in Lakeview
and Roscoe Village
ComEd Small Business Assistance Program
As of 1/1/21, the ComEd Small Business Assistance Program provides eligible small business customers, with a one-time grant of up to $1,000 towards a past due balance, once every 12 months. Eligible customers may also place a remaining balance into a payment plan of up to six months.
Local Business Spotlight - Waxman Candles
Meet Mitch Werts, owner of Waxman Candles. His father founded the business in 1970 based upon success grown from a $5 candle hobby kit. Mitch grew up and worked in the business throughout high school and college and now uses his father’s personal formulations of wax, fragrance and color to create a full line of handcrafted decorative and utility candles. Read our interview with Mitch to learn more about his favorite moments of running the business and hobbies he has outside of running Waxman Candles.
City Announces Updated Phase Four Regulations and Chicago Bridge Phase
Following two weeks of stable or declining COVID-19 reopening metrics, the City of Chicago announced a loosening of COVID-19 capacity regulations under the Phase Four Guidelines. Effective immediately, Phase Four capacity restrictions have been eased across a number of industries – the full details can be found below and on this capacity overview document.
Mom’s Night Out in Roscoe Village
Roscoe St stores are staying open late from 5-8pm for a mom's night out! Grab some friends to shop spring and summer collections at local boutiques and treat yourself with a gift for Mother's Day. Shops will have a spin to win game for your chance to win a discount or local prizes! Plus, some retailers will offer tasty treats and host pop-up vendors for more shopping fun, and you can sign up for a mini photography sessions for you and your ladies with Wildwood Photography!
Mother’s Day Stroll in the Southport Corridor
Southport Corridor shops are celebrating Mother’s Day by giving out roses from Primrose Chicago and chocolate treats from Candyality to moms who stop in on Mother's Day! Retailers are also offering special promotions and hosting pop-up vendors for more shopping fun. Plus, Angela Garbot Photography will be stationed in front of the Ouizi mural from 11am-2pm for moms to enjoy a mini photo session with the family! This program is funded by SSA 27.
Roscoe Village Streetery Begins This Friday!
Organized by neighborhood restaurants, Roscoe Village Streetery will kick off this Friday at 2pm! The Streetery will run weekly on Fridays - Sundays with Commonwealth Tavern, Orange On Roscoe, Volo Restaurant Wine Bar, Same Same, and Kitsch'n On Roscoe offering expanded outdoor dining. Come by to enjoy the beautiful weather this weekend and make plans to explore the neighborhood and support local businesses while you’re there!
Local Art on Earth Day
There was some beautiful art in the neighborhood for Earth Day! B Collective beautified an SSA 27 trashcan on the corner of Paulina & Roscoe with gorgeous flowers and greenery, and the quote, “Be the change you want to see”. Plus, local artist Emma Moss created this beautiful chalk mural outside of the Paulina Station, funded by SSA 27. We hope you enjoyed these installations in the neighborhood!
Help us Create a Community Mosaic!
The Lakeview Public Art Committee is spearheading an exciting new initiative to bring an eye-catching mosaic to West Lakeview! Our goal is to engage the local community in the project design and execution, starting with collecting your ideas for the mosaic theme. We will launch this project at a community design workshop via Zoom on Monday, May 3rd, 2021 at 6:00 PM, or submit your ideas for the mosaic theme in advance of the workshop.
Give the Gift of Supporting Local This Mother’s Day with the Lakeview Roscoe Village Gift Card!
The Lakeview Roscoe Village Gift Card is the perfect gift for the moms in your life. Not only will they be able to pick out exactly what they want, but you’ll also help keep local dollars local and support our neighborhoods businesses. Redeemable at 40+ participating locations — there is truly something for everyone!
Local Business Spotlight - Leigh Marcus
Meet Leigh Marcus, owner of Leigh Marcus @properties with his wife Lindsay. Leigh has sold over 1,600 homes and has built an amazing team. Read our interview with Leigh to learn more about how he and his wife started their business, what they love about running their business, and why he loves waking up at 4am in the morning!
City Council Passes Vaccine Anti-Retaliation Ordinance
The Office of Labor Standards recently passed the Vaccine Anti-Retaliation Ordinance. Effective immediately, all Chicago workers – including independent contractors – are granted several protections to make it easier to receive the life-saving COVID-19 vaccine. The only way we will fully recover from this pandemic is by ensuring the vaccine is easily accessible to all Chicagoans. This new regulation ensures workers can get the vaccine during their work shift, if necessary, without fear of retaliation from their employer.
Sign Up to Be a Porch Host or Perform at PorchFest or our PorchJams Series
We are excited to bring a summer of porch concerts to the Lakeview and Roscoe Village communities! PorchFest features local musicians performing on front porches within our neighborhood boundaries throughout the afternoon. PorchJams Series is a series of concerts taking place on a different porch each week in Lakeview or Roscoe Village with two local musicians performing at each concert. Check out the dates and locations for this year’s PorchFest events and our new PorchJams Series here.
3 Things to Know About the Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF)
The American Rescue Plan Act established the Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF) to provide funding to help restaurants and other eligible businesses keep their doors open. This program will provide restaurants with funding equal to their pandemic-related revenue loss up to $10 million per business and no more than $5 million per physical location. Recipients are not required to repay the funding as long as funds are used for eligible uses no later than March 11, 2023.
Lakeview & Roscoe Village in the News
We have seen a lot of great press featuring Lakeview and Roscoe Village businesses! Check them out to learn more about what our neighborhood businesses are up to and watch them shine!
Celebrate Earth Day the Local Way
Buying local from independent businesses can make a positive environmental impact alongside the economic and social benefits. You can almost wrap it up in one word – transportation. The less your products have to travel, the better for our environment. That’s just one of many benefits of shopping locally. We deeply admire the commitment of our small businesses towards creating a healthier planet. Show your support with these ways to shop small AND green in Lakeview & Roscoe Village.
Sign Up For RVN’s Clean & Green Day!
In honor of Earth Day, the Roscoe Village Neighbors are looking for volunteers to take part in their annual Clean and Green Day on April 24! Sign up to help clean up the neighborhood. All volunteers will be provided with tools, clean-up bags and gloves. Participants will meet outside of Commonwealth Tavern at 9 am. Register here to participate.
Lakeview Roscoe Village Restaurant Week: April 9-18, 2021
Lakeview Roscoe Village Restaurant Week features special prix fixe menus from local restaurants available for takeout or dine-in. You can feel great about ordering any prix fixe menu, as $3 will be added to each order to be donated to local food pantries, Lakeview Pantry and Common Pantry. It’s the perfect way to try new, delicious eats while supporting local restaurants and giving back to a great cause. Check out the participating restaurants and browse their menus!
Feeling Stressed? How To Cope:
April is Stress Awareness Month, and after this past year, it’s more important than ever to address the silent, but often debilitating, impact that stress can have on mental, emotional and physical health. Chronic stress can lead to fatigue, headaches, stomach problems, depression and anxiety. High levels of stress can affect everything from our sleep to our relationships to our work performance.
Luckily, there is help. If you’ve been feeling that dreaded “burnout effect” or increasingly stressed, there are steps you can take to alleviate your situation. While there’s no quick fix, we hope that these tips can help ease some of the pressure you might be feeling. Grab sip of water, take a deep breath, and find what works for you.
Local Business Spotlight - Eliza V’s Framing & Printing
Meet Eliza Vee, owner of Eliza V’s Framing & Printing on Ashland Ave in Lakeview. Her father, Peter Vee, started this business the day she was born and taught her everything she knows. After his devastating passing due to pancreatic cancer in July of 2020, Eliza decided to re-brand and is proud to take the reins and continue to offer the same passion and creativity her father brought to the business. Read on to learn more, such as what Eliza loves about running her business and some of her favorite hobbies.
Local Business Spotlight - Roscoe Village Bikes
Meet Lesley Tweedie, owner of Roscoe Village Bikes. They offer bikes, bike parts and accessories for commuters, recreational riders and competitive cyclists. Their team of experienced mechanics repair and assemble all makes and models from cruisers to e-bikes, and their number one goal is to help you enjoy your ride as much as possible. Read on to learn more about how Lesley opened her bike shop and why you should tune up your bike now to be ready to ride on the first warm days of spring!
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