WICKER PARK — Over the Labor Day weekend, a small earth conscious boutique chain closed it store along a stretch of Damen Avenue that has seen several other departures in recent months.
Green Goddess Boutique's last day in business at 1648 N. Damen Ave. was Saturday. The chain's stores in Lincoln Park and Hinsdale remain open.
The closure follows the departure of the Asics store a few doors south at 1630 N. Damen Ave. Asics quietly closed its first dedicated Chicago store in August after having been open for about 15 months.
The Green Goddess storefront might not be vacant for long, however.
In late June, after seven years on the street, designer Cynthia Rowley shuttered her namesake boutique at 1653 N. Damen Ave., across from Green Goddess. A spokeswoman for Rowley said at the time that the goal was to relocate elsewhere in the area.
A source close to the matter said Rowley is moving into the former Green Goddess spot, though Rowley did not respond to inquiries. Green Goddess' landlord George Pappageorge confirmed on Tuesday that he is "in negotiations" with Rowley about taking over the now vacant 833 square-foot spot.
"It would be great if [Rowley] can stay on Damen," Pappageorge said.
Green Goddess, an expansion of a Hinsdale-based shop that also has a spot at 1009 W. Armitage Ave. in Lincoln Park, opened in May 2014 along an area of Damen Avenue that both Wicker Park and Bucktown lay claim to and one savvy business owner refers to as "All Man's Land."
In May, an armed robber stabbed a clerk at Green Goddess, shaking up some local residents.
Elyce Rembos, owner of Green Goddess, did not respond to requests for comment on the closure.
Jill Levy, a Bucktown resident and owner of one of the nine condos located above Green Goddess said she is sorry to see it leave.
"They were good tenants and an independent boutique which, while not a place I would shop, they seemed to have a constant stream of traffic," Levy said.
Other recent Damen Avenue exits include Cafe Creme at 1721 N. Damen Ave. set to be replaced by a photo gallery this fall; Tangerine, an independently-run boutique at 1719 N. Damen Ave. that was replaced by an outdoor apparel company, Stio, in June.
The year started off with the closures of designer Helen Yi's boutique and Belly Dance maternity, both of which had been in the area for several years.
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