Pilsen Community Books Is Back — Bigger, Bolder, and Ready to Be Your Neighborhood Living Room

By Socialhood News · Il/Chicago/Pilsen · July 17, 2026

Great news for book lovers on the 18th Street corridor: Pilsen Community Books has settled into a brand-new home at 1531 W. 18th St., and the beloved worker-owned bookstore is better than ever. After departing its original location earlier this year, the shop reopened at the new address with more shelf space, a freshly expanded selection of Spanish-language titles, and — perhaps most excitingly — a large event space with room for 80 to 100 people, purpose-built for book clubs, author talks, and community gatherings.

Pilsen Community Books first opened in 2016 and became Chicago's only employee-owned bookstore in 2020, a distinction that has made it a point of neighborhood pride ever since. Worker-owner Mandy Medley summed up the move perfectly: "It is the same PCB that everyone knows and loves" — just with a lot more room to grow. The expanded Spanish-language section is a direct nod to the community the shop has always served, and the new event space is already being put to good use with author conversations and activist-oriented book clubs filling the calendar.

Whether you're hunting for your next great read, looking to connect with neighbors over shared stories, or eager to support a truly homegrown institution, Pilsen Community Books is open Monday through Friday 11 a.m.–7 p.m., Saturdays 11 a.m.–6 p.m., and Sundays 11 a.m.–5 p.m. Stop in, browse the stacks, and help keep one of Pilsen's most community-rooted small businesses thriving on 18th Street.

Sources:
1. https://blockclubchicago.org/2026/02/06/pilsen-community-books-reopening-friday-at-new-location/