Quantcast

The DNAinfo archives brought to you by WNYC.
Read the press release here.

The Alley's Sister Store, Taboo Tabou, Signs Lease To Stay In Lakeview

By Ariel Cheung | December 14, 2015 12:44pm

LAKEVIEW — As The Alley Chicago nears its final days in Lakeview, its sister store has signed a lease and will remain in the neighborhood.

Taboo Tabou, an adult lingerie and toy store, will replace Nationwide Video at 843½ W. Belmont Ave., its owners announced Monday.

"I consider this address to be the best location on Belmont with its high corner visibility and public transportation proximity," said co-owner Alexis Thomas.

Thomas said she expects Taboo Tabou will open at its new location in mid-January.

Nationwide Video has been in the process of closing since the summer, discounting its products at steep rates to clear its inventory. The video store was at the Belmont Avenue location for more than 30 years.

 Taboo Tabou is an adult lingerie and toy store in central Lakeview
Taboo Tabou is an adult lingerie and toy store in central Lakeview
View Full Caption
DNAinfo/Serena Dai

Thomas partnered with her father, longtime Lakeview entrepreneur Mark Thomas, to reinvent The Alley over the past year. Despite their best efforts, The Alley will close in the next month after construction at 3200 N. Clark St. "slaughtered" sales.

The Alley was the first to fall in the wake of the construction, which is expected to take 18 months and broke ground in August. Soon after work began, neighbors complained that no one warned them of strong vibrations that lasted for days as crews laid foundation.

Since announcing the closure, The Alley's clearance sale has brought customers from almost four decades back to the punk apparel store, Mark Thomas said.

"Many customers of 30 years asked me for a selfie with them — it was very overwhelming and emotional," Mark Thomas said. He plans to eventually open a new location with a cafe and stage in Logan Square or Avondale.

For more neighborhood news, listen to DNAinfo Radio here: