Unabridged Bookstore Turns a New Page, Lake View YMCA Names New Executive Director, and Neighbors Can Weigh In on 920 W. Diversey Tomorrow
By Socialhood News · Lake View ·
Lake View neighbors, three stories deserve your attention this week — a neighborhood institution with decades of community roots entering what its supporters are calling a new chapter, a leadership milestone at one of the North Side's most beloved community centers, and a development meeting happening tomorrow evening that gives residents a direct voice in what gets built on a prominent Diversey corridor address.
First, the story that the Lakeview East Chamber of Commerce flagged this week as genuinely significant: Unabridged Bookstore is beginning a new chapter. The Lakeview East Chamber described the shop as one of those businesses that feels so classically 'Lakeview East' that it's hard to imagine the neighborhood without it — a sentiment that any longtime resident who has spent an afternoon in its narrow, floor-to-ceiling-stacked aisles will recognize immediately. The Chamber's post, published November 4, signals a transition of some kind at the beloved independent bookstore, which has been a fixture of the Broadway corridor and one of the neighborhood's most reliably community-minded retail anchors. Unabridged has long been known not just as a place to buy books, but as a gathering point — a shop whose staff recommendations, curated sections, and community presence have made it a destination rather than merely a stop. For Lake View residents who count it among the neighborhood's essential institutions, the Chamber's framing of this as a new chapter rather than a closure is worth noting: the store appears to be evolving, not ending. Full details are available through the Lakeview East Chamber at lakevieweast.com.
Also this week, the Lake View YMCA announced a significant leadership appointment: Tenisha Jones has been named the new Executive Director of the Lake View Y at 3333 N. Marshfield Ave. The announcement, posted November 3 on the YMCA's website, notes that Jones's wide-ranging experience will greatly benefit Y members and the Lake View community. The Lake View YMCA has long served as one of the neighborhood's most important community infrastructure anchors — offering fitness facilities, youth programming, and community space to residents across a wide swath of the North Side. A new executive director brings both an opportunity to build on that foundation and a moment for members and neighbors to introduce themselves to the person who will shape the Y's next chapter. The Lake View YMCA is open Monday through Thursday from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., Fridays from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m., and weekends from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Neighbors who want to learn more can reach the Y directly at 773-248-3333.
And for neighbors who follow development news along the Diversey corridor, tomorrow evening brings a concrete opportunity to participate: a community meeting for the 920 W. Diversey project is scheduled for Tuesday, November 10, at 5:30 p.m., as flagged in the 44th Ward's November newsletter. The Diversey Parkway corridor has been one of the most closely watched addresses in Lake View's development landscape this fall, and a community meeting format gives residents the ability to ask questions, offer feedback, and hear directly from the development team before the project advances further through the city's review process. For neighbors who want their voice in the room before decisions get made, tomorrow at 5:30 p.m. is the moment.
Taken together, this week's news reflects the full texture of what it means to follow Lake View closely in November. Unabridged Bookstore's new chapter is the kind of story that lands differently depending on how long you've lived here — for newer residents it's a curiosity, and for longtime neighbors it carries the weight of watching a beloved place navigate change. Tenisha Jones's appointment at the Lake View YMCA is a leadership moment worth acknowledging: the Y is one of the neighborhood's true community anchors, and new leadership brings energy and intention that shapes programming for years. And the 920 W. Diversey community meeting tomorrow evening is as practical as neighborhood news gets — a specific time, a specific place, and a direct line between showing up and having your voice heard.
If you make it to the 920 W. Diversey meeting tomorrow, or you stop by Unabridged to get the full story on their new chapter, tag your experience on Socialhood. The sharpest neighborhood reporters in Lake View are the ones who actually live here.
Sources:
1. https://www.ymcachicago.org/lake-view/
2. https://lakevieweast.com/
3. https://www.44thward.org/news/newsletter-archive/