The ‘Best of Central Lakeview’ Comes to One Shop

Shopping locally in Lake View is about to get even easier as one neighborhood organization works to pull more than 20 retailers into one storefront for the holidays.

The Central Lakeview Merchants Association is slated to open The Best of Central Lakeview this Saturday, a new holiday pop-up store that will feature products from about 20 Central Lakeview retailers around the community. Located at 3309 N. Clark St., it’s the first time the organization has attempted to create the one-stop-shop.

Central Lakeview Merchants' Executive Director, Gus Isacson says the new store will feature everything from sleek bikes from Heritage Bicycles on Lincoln Avenue to toys from local toy stores.

“This is the first year we’ve decided to do this,” Isacson said. “We’ve already got bikes in from Heritage, and Building Blocks Toy Store gave me some games and other items… We’re renting the space for the month to create a showroom of products, so if you’re out to dinner or just walking on Clark, you stop in and see a lot of different things you might usually miss.”

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The idea was sparked after the organization created its Best of Central Lakeview catalogue, a book filled with some of the most extravagant gifts the community has to offer.

From a private flight to Northern Michigan for almost $17,000 to top-of-the-line season tickets for the Chicago Cubs for $146,000, the catalogue didn’t exactly cater to the casual shopper.

“We came up with the Best of Central Lakeview guide, and after putting it together, we wanted thought, ‘What else could we do for our retailers?’” Isacson said. “ (The stores) love the idea, and they were quick to give us merchandise… The space was vacant, so we also paid $1,000 to paint the front and do some cleanup. Now it’ll be nicer for the next tenant.”

As the group races to prepare for opening day, they’re also prepared to help another local business in need. After the Chicago Bagel Authority suffered damage from a tanning bed fire on Belmont Avenue, its owner pledged to fight layoffs any way possible.

That’s why Central Lakeview Merchants plans to lend a helping hand by hiring a few CBA employees to run the new pop-up shop on Clark.

And neighboring businesses Mia Francesca and Andalous Moroccan Restaurant are more than happy with the organization’s decision to turn the space around. According to Isacson, owners were getting concerned with how dark the property became after retailer Hubba Hubba moved to Roscoe Village.

It’s all a part of the Central Lakeview Merchant’s plan to get area residents to shop small and shop local.

“I would hope to think that every business would see and increase of hundreds of dollars because of the store,” Isacson said.

The new Best of Central Lakeview store will be open from Dec. 1 to Dec. 22.

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