There was a time when West 79th Street was the lifeblood of the Auburn Gresham community — a retail strip that offered everything from food to furniture, and from education to entertainment.
Then came the oft-told tale of decades of economic disinvestment beginning in the late 20th century. And although 79th didn’t suffer as badly as some other commercial streets, such as 63rd in Woodlawn and Englewood or North Lawndale’s Roosevelt Road, the thoroughfare lost quite a bit over the years.
