Dec. 02--After catering to Chicago's counterculture for more than four decades, The Alley Chicago will close its Lakeview storefront after New Year's Day, according to its owner.
The store has been a mainstay near the corner of Belmont Avenue and Clark Street since it was established in 1974. Owner Mark Thomas, who became involved in the business at 19 years old, combined the original store, a head shop, with his punk rock clothing store.
The result was the first step in transforming The Alley into a one-stop shop for all alternative lifestyles, he said.
"Whether it was punk or motorcycles, rock 'n' roll or goth ... that was the metamorphosis of The Alley into a lifestyle store," Thomas said. "People (who) come in come 30 or 20 years later, bringing their child, and they say, 'One thing about The Alley is it was always a good time.'"
The store carries an expansive array of merchandise, including leather jackets, spiked belt buckles, body jewelry, rock 'n' roll memorabilia. However, sales began to decline because a slew of lengthy construction projects in the area, while rising real estate taxes also hurt, Thomas said.
"We said, 'We can't sustain these losses,'" Thomas said. "So we decided it was time to go out and reinvent ourselves."
Thomas plans to start a new business, named "The Alley 1776" on the city's Northwest Side. The startup would combine several business concepts under one roof, including a coffeehouse, bar, performance stage, body piercing studio and a store featuring classic Alley merchandise.
tbriscoe@tribpub.com
