There are a few spots still available yet for GWCA’s upcoming and new Next Gen Experience Bowling Party. Please join us!
GWCA will be taking over the entirety of Timber Lanes (1851 W Irving Park) on Saturday, January 20, from 2-4 pm. We’ll have light snacks for the kids, along with bowling and fun for everyone. Parents, note that the bar at Timber Lanes is cash only.
Cost of attendance is $30 per family (up to 5 people)
Advanced registration and payment is required – please email sarah.maxwell@gmail.com to RSVP. Payment can be sent via Zelle (info@gracelandwest.org) or Venmo (@graceland-west-community-assoc)
This Thursday, December 7, 2023 at 5:30 at Port & Park Bistro & Bar (bar entrance) come celebrate the year with other Graceland West residents and GWCA members.
The list below highlights the GWCA activities throughout the year.
January GWCA & Southport Neighbors Association 46th Ward Aldermanic Forum, Music Box Lounge
March First Quarter Community Meeting, Lakeview Taproom. This was an opportunity for GWCA Block Reps and 19th District Police to get to know each other. 19th District Police Cpt. DelPilar and CAPS Sgt. Hernandez led the update. 19th District Police Council elect Samuel Schoenberg attended. Alderman Martin provided updates for a Traffic Circle for Greenview and Belle Plaine and an update on construction of protected bike lanes on Clark from Irving Park to Montrose. GWCA approved zoning for renovated and new condo construction on Cuyler.
April Earth Day Cleanup. GWCA has held neighborhood cleanups since its 1979 inception.
May GWCA received not-for-profit status again. Donations to GWCA, not including membership dues, are now tax deductible.
JuneSecond Quarter Community Meeting and semi-annual election, Warner Park. Celebrated the Summer Solstice with an annual outdoor Environmental Topic Meeting. Live Roof and Pizzo Native Landscape were our 2023 panel. The Environmental committee focus includes neighborhood Climate Change, pollinator habitat, stormwater flooding, diesel air pollution, composting, recycling and more. Semi-annual elections are held in June and December for 18-month Council terms.
May Annual Yard & Garage Sale
July 41st Annual Garden Walk. 31 Gardens & 7 Pollinator Sites. Information tables included GWCA information, Master Gardeners, Native Plant Pollinator Pathway and Stormwater Absorption Initiative and Tree Keepers.
September 43rd Annual Neighborhood Fest. GWCA was established in 1979 and our first event was our Fest.
September Third Quarter Community Meeting, Warner Park – this meeting was cancelled. The bike maintenance and safety clinic was postponed and the Alder led bike ride will happen when the new Clark Street protected bike lanes open.
September GWCA Native Plant Pollinator Pathway and Stormwater Absorption Site Gardeners received a Chicago Excellence in Gardening (CEGA) Honorary Mention for their seven parkway sites. 5 sites are available for this initiative at Berteau and Ashland, Belle Plaine and Ashland, Cullom and Greenview, Cuyler and Greenview and Warner and Southport.
October Guys of GWCA gathering, Long Room Chicago
October Children’s Halloween Party, Warner Park
November Gals of GWCA gathering, Long Room Chicago
November 11th Annual Street and Crosswalk all-volunteer Leaf Cleanup. 20 volunteers kicked off the cleanup on Greenview intersections filling almost 100 bags with street and crosswalk leaves in 90 minutes. Our 9-day 2023 goal was 500 bags.
DecemberFourth Quarter Community Meeting, Port & Park. Semi-annual elections, holiday social & Golden Rake Award.
Every year, our final quarterly community meeting is a celebration and social gathering. This year it will be held Thursday December 7th at 5:30 at Port & Park. We’ll have some fun and announce the winner of this year’s golden rake for amazing work during our annual street leaf cleanup. As always, reach out to info@gracelandwest.org with any questions.
Lakeview Taproom, located within Graceland West and friends of GWCA, is proud to announce they have opened a coffee house! Sticking to their goal to connect local Chicago businesses to neighbors, their coffee is provided by Hexe Coffee Co.
The coffee house is open from 7am-3pm every day. Their menu has fresh coffees, tea, espresso, and baked goods. The taproom drink menu will be available during these hours as well.
Lakeview Taproom and Coffee House is located at 1426 W Irving Park Road, Chicago, IL. You can reserve this space for a private event through their contact page, or you can just stop by and try one of their treats.
Who wants to win the “Golden Rake” Award for raking and bagging the most street leaves in Graceland West by the end of the day today, Sunday Nov 19.
Borders are Montrose, Clark, Irving Park and Ashland. Rake and bag your street leaves and place the bag on your parkway for pickup after the 19th.
Take a photo and share it with us info@gracelandwest.org with your name and number of bags of street leaves.
Thanks to all the energetic and kind neighbors who raked and bagged almost 100 bags of street leaves in 90 minutes last weekend at five Greenview intersections.
We received a notice from Principal Karafiol that the Lake View High School turf field is finally being repaired this week. The repair involves removing the existing pellets and then replacing them with new ones and it is not safe for people to use the field during this week and could actually cause further damage to the field.
Please stay off the turf this week until the repair is complete.
Please help those in need this Thanksgiving season by dropping off canned foods at Quantum Leep Academy, conveniently located in Graceland West at 1447 W Montrose Ave. The drive ends on November 17th.
Block Rep Liza S kicked off GWCA’s 11th Annual Street and Crosswalk Leaf Cleanup at Cullom and Greenview with these bagged leaves. Please bring a rake, your family, friends and some neighbors and officially help kick-off this project at 9 am Saturday, Nov 11. Kick-off is at Greenview and Belle Plaine, Berteau and Cullom intersections where we will provide bags.
Can’t make it Saturday? Just bag your street and crosswalk leaves through Nov 19 for a special parkway pick-up after Nov 19.
We need everyone to help. This effort makes streets and crosswalks less slick for pedestrians. And it keeps leaves from clogging sewers and flooding streets, basements and vehicles. Our goal is 500 bags of street and crosswalk leaves. Please take photos and send to info@gracelandwest.org
Join us, those from the Graceland West neighborhood, for the Gals of GWCA Get-Together. Tonight, Friday, November 3, 6:00 at The Long Room 1612 W Irving Park.
Cost of attendance is $15 per individual. Your ticket cost directly provides funds to help support the many local initiatives of our GWCA nonprofit organization.
Contact Liza Gaertner at lizashore@gmail.com or Sarah Maxwell at Sarah.Maxwell@gmail.com to sign-up or with questions. Additionally submit your payment via Venmo to @graceland-west, Zelle to info@gracelandwest.org or mail payment payable to GWCA to 1466 W Hutchinson.
