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Events & Announcements

Join Us: March 10th Graceland West Community Meeting

When: Tuesday, March 10th at 7:00 PM
Where: Quantum LEEP Academy (1447 W. Montrose Ave)

We are thrilled to welcome Robert Loerzel, a renowned Chicago freelance journalist and photographer. Robert will be sharing stories from his new book, The Uptown: Chicago’s Endangered Movie Palace, co-authored with James A. Pierce.

He will take us through the history of the legendary Uptown Theatre—from its glory days to its decades of disrepair and its potential future. Robert will also present fascinating findings from his history project, The Coolest Spot in Chicago: A History of Green Mill Gardens and the Beginnings of Uptown.

Robert’s work has appeared in the Chicago Tribune, Crain’s, and WBEZ. This is a presentation you won’t want to miss!

While we’re excited to host an incredible guest speaker, these meetings are also a great way to meet the people living right next door. We’ll have time before and after the presentation to chat, catch up on neighborhood happenings, and meet your fellow Graceland Westers in person.

We can’t wait to see you there!

Winter Quarterly Meeting Featuring Local Chicago Author Robert Loerzel

March 10 @ 7:00 pm

Robert will join us March 10th at 7:00 PM at Quantum LEEP Academy at 1447 West Montrose Ave to share stories from this new book co-authorized with James A. Pierce, The Uptown: Chicago’s Endangered Movie Palace, on the history of the legendary Uptown Theatre, its past decades of disrepair, and its potential future. He will also present learnings from his online history project The Coolest Spot in Chicago: A History of Green Mill Gardens and the Beginnings of Uptown.

Robert Loerzel is a Chicago freelance journalist and photographer. He’s written numerous books including Alchemy of Bones: Chicago’s Luetgert Murder Case of 1897, Walking Chicago and just last year, The Uptown: Chicago’s Endangered Movie Palace. His reporting and writing have appeared in many publications, including the Chicago Tribune, the Chicago Reader, Chicago magazine, Crain’s Chicago Business, Playbill, the Chicago Sun-Times, He also reported on-air for WBEZ Chicago Public Radio, including stories for Curious City. Learn more about Robert here.

Quantum LEEP Academy

1447 West Montrose Ave
Chicago, IL United States + Google Map
773-944-0864
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Events & Announcements

Get Ready to Rake! GWCA Annual Street Leaf Cleanup Returns November 15th

Don’t forget our Q4 community meeting at ACM (4116 N Clark) this Thursday, November 13th at 7:00 PM, featuring Via Chicago, and our council member elections.

Then…

…It’s time to don your gloves and grab your rakes! GWCA is thrilled to announce the return of our Annual Street Leaf Cleanup, an essential community effort that helps keep our neighborhood clean, safe, and beautiful all winter long.

Kickoff Event & Celebration

The cleanup officially kicks off on Saturday, November 15th, from 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM! Meet at Greenview and Belle Plaine, Berteau or Cullom. Please bring a rake or a dustpan to scoop leaves into bags and 3 bags. We will have extra bags at Greenview and Belle Plaine.

Join your neighbors in raking leaves from our streets and crosswalks. This short, high-energy volunteer effort is a fun way to connect with the community and make a big impact.

The kickoff will culminate in a well-deserved celebration: Pizza in Warner Park! We’ll gather at the park around 11:30 AM to share a slice and celebrate our collective hard work.

The Full Cleanup Period

While the kickoff is a fun way to start, the GWCA Street Leaf Cleanup runs from November 15th through November 23rd. We encourage all residents to continue cleaning their streets and parkways throughout this period. Streets and sanitation will pick up bagged leaves on parkways after November 23rd.

Why Your Participation Matters

The Annual Street Leaf Cleanup is a crucial part of our neighborhood’s Eco, Gardens, and Green Space initiatives. By getting street leaves into bags, we accomplish several important goals:

  • Reduce Flooding: Loose leaves are the primary cause of clogged storm drains, leading to standing water and basement flooding. Clearing the sewer grates is our #1 priority!
  • Improve Safety: Piles of wet leaves can create slippery hazards for pedestrians and drivers, especially at crosswalks and intersections.
  • Prepare for Winter: Removing leaves makes winter snow shoveling significantly easier.

In previous years, our incredible volunteers have collected hundreds of bags of leaves, making a noticeable difference across the entire area (Montrose, Clark, Irving Park, and Ashland borders). Let’s make this year our biggest and best cleanup yet!

We’ll see you on November 15th!

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Events & Announcements

Join Us to Explore Chicago Architecture

Get ready for a colorful conversation that connects Chicago’s past with its future!

Our 4th Quarter Community Meeting is just around the corner, and the topic is exciting—thanks to you! Responses thus far to our Shaping Graceland West’s Future survey showed that over half of you expressed strong interest in architecture, so we’re delivering.

Join us on Thursday, November 13th, at 7:00 PM at Access Contemporary Music (ACM), 4116 N Clark.

We’re thrilled to welcome Marty Sandberg and Cristina Gallo, the principals of Via Chicago. They’ll be sharing insights on how preserving and reimagining our city’s historic buildings breathes new life into our neighborhoods. Learn how adaptive reuse connects our rich architectural legacy with a sustainable and vibrant future.

Don’t miss this chance to see how our community’s architectural heritage is being built upon!

In addition to our guests, the meeting will include elections for council members. Council members typically serve 18 month terms.  If you’re interested in serving on our council, please reach out to info@gracelandwest.org.

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Events & Announcements

A Huge Success & What’s Next for GWCA

Thank you to everyone who joined us for a special community meeting this week at the new home of Access Contemporary Music (ACM). It was great to see so many of you officially welcome our new neighbor.

The former 7-Eleven at 4116 N. Clark has been transformed into an inviting space, and we’re excited for its official opening. During the evening, we learned from ACM’s Executive Director, Seth Boustead, that the location will be called “The CheckOut,” a clever nod to its history. He also shared plans to host two evening events per week and a desire to partner with other organizations to use the space, such as a local church. Seth also treated us to a wonderful piano performance!

Read more about The CheckOut here: From Slurpees to Shostakovich, an abandoned 7-Eleven becomes a home for classical music – WBEZ Chicago

Stay up to date with The CheckOut’s events and sign up for lessons on their website: https://thecheckout.org/. The official opening is Friday, September 12.

We were also honored to have 46th Ward Alderwoman Angela Clay in attendance. She shared some important updates, including that funding is available for 100% city-funded sidewalk replacements in her ward—so if you’re in the 46th Ward, be sure to contact her office to make a request.

During the meeting, GWCA members reelected Colin, Matthew, and Janice to the Council for terms running through December 31, 2026. Congratulations to our dedicated leadership.

We Need Your Input

To help us plan for the future, we have launched a new survey to gather your ideas and find out where you’d like to volunteer. Your feedback is crucial for shaping our community’s future.

Please take a few minutes to complete the survey. You can access it by scanning the QR code or visiting the link below:

GWCA Survey

Thank you again for your continued support. We hope to see you at our next event!

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Events & Announcements

Friendly Reminder: See You Tonight at the GWCA Community Meeting!

Just a quick reminder that our special community meeting is TONIGHT, August 12, at 7 PM!

Join us at the new home of Access Contemporary Music (ACM), located at 4116 N. Clark. This is your chance to get an exclusive first look at the transformed space, meet ACM’s Executive Director Seth Boustead, and give them a warm welcome to the neighborhood.

46th Ward Alderwoman Angela Clay will also be there to greet ACM and answer questions.

In addition to celebrating this new community member, we will be holding a vote for three council seats.

We can’t wait to see you tonight!

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Events & Announcements

August Community Meeting & Welcoming Access Contemporary Music

Our August 12 GWCA Community Meeting at 7 PM is a special one! We’ll be gathering at the new home of Access Contemporary Music (ACM) at 4116 N. Clark.

ACM’s Executive Director, composer, and musician Seth Boustead, is hosting an exclusive open house for Graceland West residents. He’ll even perform a short piano piece for us! This is a fantastic opportunity to be among the first to see the transformation of the former 7-Eleven into ACM’s new space and officially welcome them to the neighborhood.

GWCA is represented by both the 46th and 47th Wards. 46th Ward Alderwoman Angela Clay will attend to welcome ACM and answer any Ward questions Graceland West 46th Ward residents may have. (Residents/businesses on the 1300 block of Irving Park, 4000 block of Clark, and east side of the 4000/4100 blocks of Southport are in the 46th Ward).

In addition to this exciting welcome, GWCA members will also vote on three council seats. We hope to see you there to participate in shaping our community and to give a warm Graceland West welcome to Seth and ACM! You’ll also catch Seth at our Graceland West Neighborhood Fest on Saturday, September 13, from 3-8 PM in the 4100 block of Greenview.

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Events & Announcements Garden Walk

Summer Updates: Garden Walk, GWCA Meeting & 19th Police District Council

Graceland West Garden Walk

Get ready for our 43rd Annual Graceland West Garden Walk! Join us on Sunday, July 27, from 1 to 5 PM.

You can find maps of participating gardens on our website, gracelandwest.org. For physical maps, more information, and to chat with Master Gardeners, head over to Warner Park & Gardens.

What’s New This Year:

We’re excited to feature two new Native Plant Pollinator Pathway & Stormwater Absorption Sites at Lake View High School. This fantastic addition is a collaborative effort with the Junior ROTC at LVHS, Friends of Lakeview, and GWCA. Plus, our Kids Pollinator Site at Warner Park is thriving and growing!

Volunteer Opportunities:

We are still looking for help to make this year’s Garden Walk a success! If you’re able to assist with set-up or put-away at Warner Park, please reach out to info@gracelandwest.org.

August Community Meeting & Welcoming Access Contemporary Music

Our August 12 GWCA Community Meeting at 7 PM is a special one! We’ll be gathering at the new home of Access Contemporary Music (ACM) at 4116 N. Clark.

ACM’s Executive Director, composer, and musician Seth Boustead, is hosting an exclusive open house for Graceland West residents. He’ll even perform a short piano piece for us! This is a fantastic opportunity to be among the first to see the transformation of the former 7-Eleven into ACM’s new space and officially welcome them to the neighborhood.

GWCA is represented by both the 46th and 47th Wards. 46th Ward Alderwoman Angela Clay will attend to welcome ACM and answer any Ward questions Graceland West 46th Ward residents may have. (Residents/businesses on the 1300 block of Irving Park, 4000 block of Clark, and east side of the 4000/4100 blocks of Southport are in the 46th Ward).

In addition to this exciting welcome, GWCA members will also vote on three council seats. We hope to see you there to participate in shaping our community and to give a warm Graceland West welcome to Seth and ACM! You’ll also catch Seth at our Graceland West Neighborhood Fest on Saturday, September 13, from 3-8 PM in the 4100 block of Greenview.

TODAY – 19th Police District Council Meeting: Conflict Resolution & Community Safety

Join the 19th Police District Council this Wednesday, July 23, at 6:30 PM at Alcott Elementary School (2625 N. Orchard St.) for their monthly meeting. This month’s meeting focuses on mediation – a powerful, free, and non-violent way to resolve disputes without involving the police or courts.

The Center for Conflict Resolution (CCR), a Chicago-based organization that has provided mediation services for over 40 years, will be covering everything from landlord-tenant issues to family disputes.

Dignity Best Practices, an organization dedicated to building field mediation programs where trained, unarmed first responders handle certain 911 calls involving conflicts will also be presenting. They helped launch a successful program in Dayton, Ohio, and are now working to help other cities create similar public safety resources.

RSVP here to join and learn about these valuable community resources!

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Events & Announcements

Final Reminder: GWCA Summer Meeting & Potluck is Tomorrow!

Don’t forget—our Graceland West Community Meeting is Tomorrow, Thursday, June 19
6:00–7:30 PM
Warner Park & Gardens, 1444 W Warner

We’ll be covering important neighborhood updates, electing new council members, sharing exciting environmental wins—and wrapping it all up with a Summer Solstice Potluck!

Bring:

  • A dish to share
  • Your own beverage + container
  • Reusable utensils
  • A neighbor or two!

Come early at 5:25 PM if you’re able to help set up tables.
Stay a few minutes after 7:30 PM to help pack them away.

This is a great opportunity to connect with neighbors, shape our community’s future, and enjoy a beautiful summer evening in the park.

See you Thursday!

Categories
Events & Announcements Garden Walk Green Council

You’re Invited: GWCA Summer Meeting & Potluck – June 19

Community Meeting + Summer Solstice Potluck
Thursday, June 19 | 6–7:30 PM
Warner Park & Gardens (1444 W Warner Ave)

Agenda includes:

  • Our Annual Environmental Program with guest speaker Olivia Reda from Alliance for the Great Lakes
  • A discussion on green roofing with Kevin Serena of EXO Building Solutions
  • Updates on garden walk planning, pollinator projects, and Earth Week ‘55 successes
  • Election of new GWCA Council members

Then stick around for the potluck! Bring a dish to share, your own drink + container, and reusable utensils.

This is a great chance to meet neighbors, get involved, and help shape our green, connected community.

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